Thomas Sprigg Wootton
MSA SC 3520-1410
Biography
Born: probably in Prince
George's County, of age by 1765; probably younger
son.
Native: third generation.
Resided: in Frederick (later became part of Montgomery) County;
on ''Discontent," Montgomery County, by 1778;
Upper Newfoundland District, Montgomery
County, 1783.
Died: between January 11 and November
30, 1789.
Family Background
Father: Turner Wootton (ca. 1695-1760).
Mother: Elizabeth Sprigg (?-1787), widow of Henry Wilson,
daughter of Thomas Sprigg (by 1670-by 1739).
Uncles: Edward Sprigg (1697-1751); Osborne
Sprigg (ca. 1707-1749/50).
Aunt: Priscilla Sprigg,
who married Ralph Crabb (?-1733/34).
Brothers: John (?-1774); William Turner (?-1777);
Singleton (?-1788); and Richard.
Sister: Mary
(1735-?).
Half Sister: Elizabeth.
First Cousins: Thomas Sprigg (1715-1781); Edward Sprigg (ca.
1721-1790); Margaret Sprigg (ca. 1726-1804),
who married William Borne (1721-1791); Joseph
Sprigg (1736-1800); Osborn Sprigg (ca. 1741 -1815);
Thomas Sprigg (ca. 1747-1809); Edward Sprigg
(1723-1758); Henry Wright Crabb (1722/23-1764);
and Francis King (1724/25-1771).
Other Kinship: great-uncle, Daniel Mariartee (ca. 1676-ca.
1726/27).
Additional Comment: His father
married first, Ann Jones of Anne Arundel County,
and second, Agnes Chambers (?-1732) of Anne
Arundel County.
Married: Molly Offut, who was
said to have been murdered.
Children: Probably
died without progeny.
Private Career
Education: literate.
Additional Comment: his father
gave a deposition printed in the Maryland Gazette
on November 1, 1753, that no person did ''persuade or endeavor to persuade him, to send his
son Thomas Sprigg or any other of his children
to St. Omers to be educated." St. Omers was a
Roman Catholic school in France.
Religious Affiliation: Anglican, Prince George's Parish,
Montgomery County.
Occupational Profile:
physician; planter.
Public Career
Legislative Service: Lower House, Frederick County, 1769-1770 (elected to the 2nd session of the 1768-1770
Assembly), 1771, 1773-1774 (Election 2, 3; Accounts Cv, 2, 3; Public Offices 1, Cv, 2, 3); Conventions, Frederick County, 1st, 1774, 2nd-3rd, 1774, 4th, 1775 (elected, but did not attend), 5th,
1775, 9th, 1776 (election voided on August 15,
1776, because the freemen of Frederick County
illegally appointed election judges after the ones
officially appointed failed to act; subsequently reelected and seated; Elections); Lower House,
Montgomery County, 1777 (speaker 1, resigned
as speaker, 1; Manufactories 2; Grievances 2);
1779-1780 (resigned during the 3rd session of the
1779-1780 Assembly; Grievances 1; Tax Commissioners 1), 1783, 1784, 1785.
Additional Comments: As part of his committee service,
Wootton worked to establish a market house in
Frederick Town, to secure a new church in Prince
George's Parish, to aid relief for the poor, and
to divide All Saints' Parish in Frederick County.
He also favored the inspection of flour in Georgetown, the prohibition of raising geese and swine
in Georgetown, the inspection of public offices,
and cutting a wagon road from Ft. Cumberland
to the nearest navigable water on the west side
of the Allegheny Mountains.
Local Offices: justice, Frederick County, 1768-1777, Montgomery
County, 1777; Prince George's Parish Vestry,
Frederick (later became part of Montgomery)
County, 1771; Committee of Correspondence for
the Lower District of Frederick County, 1774;
Committee of Observation, Frederick County,
1774; collector of money for arms and ammunition, Frederick County, appointed 1775; justice,
Orphans' Court, Montgomery County, 1777-1778;
commissioner of the tax, Montgomery County,
commissioned April 16, 1778.
Stands on Public/Private Issues: : in his will he instructed his nephew to make donations to the poor "as I have always
done." He also manumitted three slaves in his
will, bequeathing them a generous donation. He instructed that the slaves not freed were to be
treated "kindly and tenderly" and that families
were not to be separated.
Wealth During Lifetime
Personal Property: assessed Value £651.5.0, including 24 slaves, 1783; purchased 10
slaves, 1786.
Land at First Election: 236 acres
in Frederick County (all by purchase).
Significant Changes in Land Between First Election and Death: purchased 938 acres in Frederick and Montgomery counties, 1772-1783, sold
559 acres of this in Montgomery County, 1778;
owned 615 acres in Montgomery County, 1783;
obtained a mortgage on two tracts totaling 222
acres in 1785, which he may have secured by foreclosure in 1787; purchased a lot in the addition
to Georgetown, 1786; inherited a plantation of unspecified acreage in Prince George's County from his brother Singleton, 1788.
Wealth at Death
Personal Property: an unspecified number of slaves and books were mentioned in
his will. His entire estate was left to his nephew, Turner Wootton, of Queen Anne, Prince George's County.
Land: at least 615 acres in Montgomery
County, a plantation of unknown acreage in Prince
George's County, plus 1 lot in the addition to
Georgetown, Montgomery County.
Return to Thomas Sprigg Wootton's Introductory Page
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