Here is my latest research on the Otwell or Ottwell family of Somerset and Worcester Co Maryland. Can anyone elaborate or provide further documentation of these individuals? I suspect they may have been Quakers originally (?) but that being Quaker in all-Catholic Maryland in the 1600s & 1700s was a difficult proposition. Surname spelling variations include OTWELL, OTTWELL, ONTWELL & OUTWELL.
CHARLES OTWELL b 1685 d aft 1745 Somerset Co MD m RACHEL:
--1723 tax list, Pocomoke Hundred, Somerset Co MD. No slaves.
--1731 tax list, Pocomoke Hundred, Somerset Co MD; household # 40. His son FRANCIS OTWELL & grandson SOLOMON OTWELL also on list, household # 139
--1745 Feb 4 Somerset Co MD will of his father-in-law JEREMIAH HARRIS aka HARRISON Liber 27, folio 148: HARRIS, JEREMIAH, Somerset Co MD: To daughter MARGARET HARRIS; to James Knight, who married my daughter SCARBOROUGH; and to CHARLES OTWELL, who married my daughter RACHEL, 1 shilling sterling apiece. To son SPENCER HARRIS, 1 shilling sterling & on my wife's death, the plantation where I live, part of Friends Choice. To wife & extrx., ELIONER, my p. e (?) & for life, the plantation. where I live. Witn: John Tull, James Gray, Rachel Macdaniel. Probated 20 Jan. 1749, sworn to by Tull & Gray.
NOTE: a second transcription of this 1745 will shows CHARLES O'NEELL as the husband of RACHEL HARRIS. However, I have not been able to trace any CHARLES O'NEELL or O'NEILL in Somerset Co MD records, so suspect that CHARLES OTWELL in the correct husband of RACHEL HARRIS, and that O'NEELL was a transcription error. Also, CHARLES' son FRANCIS OTWELL left property to his mother RACHEL OTWELL in his 1774 will, the property being Riggins Addition. Have not been able to obtain a copy of the original will to see for myself. Comments appreciated. More research to come.
FRANCIS OTWELL (son of CHARLES above) born abt 1700 Coventry Parish, Somerset Co MD died 1775 Worcester Co MD married 1) HANNAH ? 2) LURANEY or URANIA :
--1721 FRANCIS OTWELL witnessed will of James Townsend, Somerset Co MD
--1722 Cattlemarks, Somerset Co MD p 59 lists "FRANCIS ONTWELL"
--1723 tax list Pocomoke Hundred, Somerset Co MD; FRANCIS OTWELL also listed 1731, 1745, and 1748. No slaves
--1731 tax list, Pocomoke Hundred, Somerset Co MD; household # 139; FRANCIS OTWELL & son SOLOMON OTWELL, a dependent
--1748 FRANCIS OTTWELL signed petition with many others from Coventry Parish Somerset & Worcester Co MD, complaining to Gov Samuel Ogle that they had been denied use of the church and chapel of Coventry Parish.
--1774 Will of FRANCIS OTWELL made Sept 10, 1774; probated Aug 11, 1775 Worcester Co MD; names wife LURANEY;
--1775 Codicil to will of FRANCIS OTWELL made May 31, 1775, probated Sept 1775: to mother RACHEL OTWELL, tract called Riggins Addition, 100 acres for use during her life; at her death to JOHN PUZEY. Witnessed: Margaret Denston, Rebecca Denston, SCARBROUGH OTWELL (son? brother? cousin?).
--1776 Administration of will Sept 1776 URANIA wife of FRANCIS OTWELL.
NOTE: I have added SCARBROUGH or SCARBOROUGH OTWELL as a brother of FRANCIS OTWELL, and son of CHARLES OTWELL & RACHEL HARRIS simply because I can find absolutely no other records for him. He was either, brother, son or cousin to FRANCIS OTWELL. Comments appreciated. More research to come.
SOLOMON OTWELL (son of FRANCIS above) b abt 1716 Somerset Co MD; died abt 1755? married RACHEL SMITH (maiden name unverified)
--1731 Somerset Co MD tax list, Pocomoke Hundred, SOLOMON OTWELL listed as dependent of his father FRANCIS OTWELL in same household #139. His grandfather CHARLES OTWELL & great grandfather FRANCIS OTWELL were listed together in household # 40
--1755 SOLOMON OTWELL apparently died quite young, at about age 39, and his father outlived him. Not sure where this death date comes from; my source is Ed Brezenger. Haven't found a will or any other documents or records on this individual.
NOTE: I am not certain if the maiden name of SOLOMON's wife RACHEL is correct. Originally I suspected she might be the daughter of HOLLIDAY SMITH, but in several years of researching have not been able to prove this. Now I suspect her maiden name might not be SMITH, but possibly CURTIS, or that she was a widow of a man named SMITH. Comments appreciated. More research to come.
JAMES OTWELL (possibly son of SOLOMON above) b 1736 Somerset Co MD d 1787 Worcester Co MD married TABITHA MATTHEWS :
--1776 Feb Somerset Co MD; JAMES OTWELL married TABITHA MATTHEWS
--1778 JAMES OTWELL took the Oath of Allegiance (Rev War) in Worcester Co MD, before the Hon Joshua Townsend
--1787 OTTWELL, JAMES probate 18 May 1787 Worcester Co MD; Bonds by TABITHA OTTWELL, exec; next of kin Absalom Townsend and Epherim Townsend (could these be nephews?)
NOTE: JAMES OTWELL/OTTWELL married TABITHA MATTHEWS, daughter of Teague Matthews & Elizabeth Adams; I have placed him as a son of SOLOMON OTWELL & RACHEL SMITH because of his 1776 birthdate and the fact that all of SOLOMON's other sons named a child JAMES. Comments appreciated. More research to come.
