Holbrook line: Daniel Scott 1680-1744

Let's go back to colonial Maryland, because that to me is an interesting place.  I've written about some of the Amos family there, and the McComas family, but apparently I haven't written about the Scotts.  Daniel Scott, the second of that name in America, was born to Daniel and Jane Johnson Scott about 1680 near Benjie's Point, Baltimore County, Maryland.  His parents had probably arrived shortly before his birth, and by 1682 Daniel Scott Sr was acquiring land, lots of land.  Our Daniel benefited greatly from his father's zeal for land acquisitions, and Daniel also seems to have had an affinity for land.  Once again, I am getting ahead of the story.  

Daniel was one of at least six children born to Daniel (Senior) and Jane, and he was the oldest so he would have been taught and groomed to succeed his father.  That means he learned farming, real estate skills, and probably how to drive a hard bargain.  He probably didn't learn to write, as he witnessed documents with his mark, rather than his signature.  He of course could have been able to read without being able to write, but we don't know whether that was the case.  

He may very well have been able to read, because he was a member of the Maryland General Assembly representing Baltimore County several times between 1725 and 1744.  Perhaps he had an injured arm when he signed with his mark as a witness to a land document.  Either way, he was an intelligent man, well thought of because not only was he a member of the Assembly, but he also served his community as justice of the peace.  He also had at least one young man as an indentured servant or apprentice.  William Buttram, aged 8, bound himself to Daniel and Elizabeth Scott in 1714 at the age of 8, after the death of his mother, and stayed with the family until about 1742.  He would not have been forced by contract to stay that long, so he muyst have had a good position within the family business. 

Daniel married Elizabeth Whitaker (various spellings), daughter of John and Catherine (maiden name unknown) Whitaker about 1702 in 1702 or possibly 1704.  Elizabeth's parents were also from Baltimore County, from St George's Parish.  so these people were relatively early settlers of the area.  The couple had nine or ten children together, so Daniel had motivation to keep acquiring land.  

With all that land, he also was a slaveholder, as I'm sure you've guessed, if you've been reading this blog for a while.  And you also know how hard it is for me to write that, or even think that.  (My thought is, I wonder what I'm doing, or have done, that will be regarded as shameful in another 300 years?)  

When wrote his will in 1744, he named slaves Sambo, Hercules, Phillis, Pugg, Old Mingo, Marria, Jack, Nero, Jenny, Mingo, Tobee, Phoebe, Sall, Dina, Cesar, and Sampson.  These were all given in his will to his descendants.  There may have been a little compassion in him, however, because Old Mingo and Marria, his wife, were kept together and Phoebe and her daughter Sall were kept together.  Whether any of the rest were a family unit I don't know.  I also don't know whether these were the only slaves, or whether there were others who had already been sold or were simply considered inventory.  I've not yet located the inventory, but there should be one.  

So there were at least 16 slaves, and I believe over 3300 acres in the estate, in several different parcels.  Elizabeth got temporary use and possession of 390 acres, and  his son Daniel received about 1000 acres, with smaller but still substantial amounts to his other sons.  

It's interesting to think of Daniel, as a large land owner and as a politician.  He would have attended the local Church of England church as well, and may have been part of a local militia.  He must have been a busy man.  I wonder what his house was like-frame or brick?  Did it have a large hall for parties and balls? Was he a big part of the social scene?  It's fun to speculate about our ancestors, including  this one.  

The line of descent is:

Daniel Scott-Jane Johnson

Martha Scott- Daniel McComas 

Martha McComas-Robert Amos

Robert Amos-Elizabeth Amos 

Martha Amos-Peter Black

Elizabeth Black-Isaac Hetrick

Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants