The Welsh Family of Anne Arundel County, Maryland

(See orignal transcription of Will of John Welsh: http://www.earlyfamilies.com/Pages/johnwelsh1will-1.html)



Will of John Welsh, of the County of Anne Arundell, in the Province of Maryland

sixth day of Janurary Anno Dom One thousand six hundred eighty and three

Two eldest sons Silvester Welsh and John Welsh : plantation called Arnold Gray Lyeing near South River in County of Ann Arundell, to be equally divided between them...(after such time the said Silvester and John doe and shall attain each of them the full age of one and twenty year.)

Son Benjamin Welsh; now dwelling plantation situate and being on the Ridge near Herring Creek (from and after such time and terms he the said Benjamin shall attaine the age of one and twenty years.

Four daughters: Mary Welsh, Elizabeth Welsh, Sarah Welsh and Damaris Welsh all that my tract or parcel of land lying situate and being near Gunpowder River in Baltimore County (surveyed and laid out for one thousand acres more or less) equally to be divided between them the said Mary Elizabeth Sarah and Demaris and survivors of them,....from and after the time and term that each and every of them doe and shall attain the full age of sixteen years.

And whereas my now wife Mary, is supposed to be with child, my will is and I give and bequeath unto the same my child which shall be vorn of her be it male of female and all that my tract or parcel of land called Prestons Inlargement lyeing and being near the beverdams in Herring Creek in the County of Ann Aundell aforesaid, .., from and after the term he or she doe and shall attaine the full age of one and twenty years and to his or her heirs forever.

If child isn't born or dies: Prestons Inlargement goe to eldest son Silvester Welsh...

Personal Estate: loving brother Henry Welsh

Executrix: Loving wife Mary Welsh: Have the tuition and education of all my children beforementioned, and to have and receive the profits and benefits of all and every of their respective estates hereby bequesthed until they and every of them doe respectively attaine their severall and respective ages above mentioned toward the charges of maintaining and bringing of them upp without render any further accompt and I doe further appoint and ernest request my said loving brother Henry Welsh Edward Dorsey Gent and Edward Talbott to be suppercisers of this my will and to see the due execution thereof (signed) John Welsh (seal imprinted)

copied from Original Will (No. 55) Land Office of Maryland. Contributed by Mrs. Frank A Suter, #3310 Salbrook Ave., Baltimore, Md. (General Mordecai Gist Chapter) (John Welsh, ancestor of Mrs. Suter also of Mrs. William E. Miller, #7 Beechdale Road, Roland Park, Baltimore , Md.)



Source of Text: http://www.earlyfamilies.com/Pages/welch-family-history.html


Major John Welsh (1), ; died 1686, Maryland

In the 1650s, when Lord Baltimore was looking for settlers for his proprietorship... he advertised his religious tolerance as one of the incentives to colonists from any other country or New World settlement. As a result, the Annapolis area of Anne Arundel County was soon populated with virginia Non-Conformists (the Lloyds, Owens, Bennetts and others), with Quakers such as the Galloways (Calloways), with Huguenots (the Duvall family) and with Welshmen (Snowden, Davis, Griffith and Welsh). However, many of the Welshmen were not religious dissenters: they conformed to the doctrine of the Church of England and established St. Anne’s and All Hallows Parishes in their settlement.

In the 1660s, John Welsh immigrated to this community, probably directly from Wales. There is no record that he went first to Virginia. John Welsh is one of the earliest officials of Anne Arundel County government. In 1667 he served as a ,Justice, and again in 1676, at which time he was called Major John Welsh and was a member of the Quorum. In 1678-79, Major John Welsh was the Sherriff of Anne Arundel County, and his son, called Captain John, was a member of the Quorum. (J. D. Warfield, A. M., The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland. Baltimore, 1973, pp. 37-40) The earliest record of land owned by John Welsh (Welch) is a survey dated June 1, 1669 for 65-acre parcel named “Preston’s Enlargement,” bounded by “Burrages End.” (Maryland Historical Magazine, “Maryland Rent Rolls for Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties.” Baltimore, 1976, p. 129.) In1681, “at a plantation of Major Welsh’s” the Indians killed and wounded both Negroes and Englishmen, according to the old Anne Arundel County records (Warfield, p. 51).

Major John Welsh’s first wife was the widow of Hon. Roger Grosse, an early settler and large landholder of Anne Arundel County. Anne unknown surname Grosse died in 1675, and part of her inheritance devolved upon her surviving husband and executor of the estate, Major John Welsh. Later that year, he married Mary, a stepdaughter of Nicholas Wyatt. After John Welsh’s death, Mary Wyatt Welsh married James Ellis (Warfield, p. 92).


Generation 1

John Welsh 1 (d. 1686)
& Anne (d. 1675) widow of Roger Grosse

John Welsh 1 (d. 1686)
& Mary, Stepdau. of Nicholas Wyatt
(she m. 2. James Ellis)

Generation 2

  • 1. Sylvester Welsh m. Elinor Unknown Surname
    1. Sylvester Jr.
    2. Elinor
    3. Lucia

  • John Welsh (Jr.) b. 1672, d. 1733, m. (1) Thomasin Hopkins in 1700; m. Rachel Hammond.

  • Benjamin Welsh m. Elizabeth Nicholson

  • Mary Welsh, m. Josias Toogood

  • Sarah Welsh2, married John Giles

  • Elizabeth Welsh2, married Daniel Richardson

  • Damaris Welsh2, married Thomas Stockett

  • Robert Welsh2, born 1686, m. Katherine Lewis, had children:
      1. Lewis Welsh3
      2. Robert Welsh3
      3. Jemima Welsh3; married _______? Edwards
      4. Elizabeth Welsh3; married ______? Tongue
      5. Grace Welsh3, married _______? Elliott
      6. Katherine Welsh3, married ______? Stewart
      7. John Welsh3
      8. Benjamin Welsh3
      9. James Welsh3

The JOHN WELSH (II) Line


Colonel John Welsh2, born 1672, died 1733 (Major John1)

Son of: John Welsh 1 (d. 1686) & Anne (d. 1675) widow of Roger Grosse
Brothers: Sylvester & Benjamin Welsh; half-brother, Robert Welsh
Sisters: Mary Welsh, m. Josias Toogood; Sarah Welsh, married John Giles;
Elizabeth Welsh2, married Daniel Richardson; Damaris Welsh, married Thomas Stockett
Colonel John Welsh m. Thomasin Hopkins March 13, 1700. (Marriage Records of All Hallows Church, p. 247, on deposit at Maryland Historical Society). Thomasin was the daughter of Gerard and Thomasin Hopkins of South River. Apparently Thomasin Hopkins Welsh did not live long. Colonel John2 m. as his second wife Rachel Hammond, dau. of John and Ann Greenbury Hammond, probably around 1710 (Warfield, p. 92, ff.) The home plantation of Colonel John Welsh2 and his large family was “Arnold Gray,” located on the West side of South River in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Colonel John2 had inherited this tract from his father, to whom it had come by his marriage to Roger Grosse’s widow, according to Major John’s will – copy attached.

John Welsh2 was in the business of shipping iron;
his partner was his cousin, Richard Snowden, the son of Richard and Elizabeth Grosse Snowden.

Colonel John Welsh2 was a Justice and County Commissioner of Anne Arundel County, 1726-33 (Virkus’ Compendium of American Genealogy, Vol. I, p. 642). John Welsh2 and Henry Ridgley and Mordecai Hammond were authorized to buy out land for a customs house for Annapolis in 1728 (Warfield, op.cit, p. 207).

§ Colonel John (II) Welsh
& Thomasin Hopkins had:

§ Colonel John (II) Welsh
& Rachel Hammond had


    • Sarah Welsh3, married Samuel Warfield

    • John Welsh3, born 1719/20,
    m. ca. 1741 Hannah Hammond, born 1723.
    • 3. Thomas Welsh3
    • 4. Benjamin Welsh3
    • 5. Rachel Welsh3
    • 6. Comfort Welsh3

(Source of this information is: http://www.earlyfamilies.com/Pages/welch-family-history.html)