GENEALOGICAL NOTES: CONTAINING THE PEDIGREE OF THE THOMAS FAMILY, OF MARYLAND, AND OF THE FOLLOWING CONNECTED FAMILIES : SNOWDEN-BUCKLEY-LAWRENCE-CHEW- ELLICOTT­ HOPKINS-JOHNSON-RUTHERFURD- . FAIRFAX-SCHIEFFELIN- TYSON AND OTHERS. ILLUSTRATED BY VIEWS AND COATS OF ARMS. BY LAWRENCE BucKLEY T ROMAS. BALTIMORE: LAWRENCE B. THOMAS. 1877. CHARLES HARVEY & CO. Fl:-.E BOOK A'.'iD JOB PRI:-:TFRS. BAL TI MORE, ~tD. C.\REW C.\STLE. PREF~;\CE. This book is mainly compiled from four distinct sources of information, and is complete or the reverse, in accordance with them. These sources are the printed publications of the Record Commission of Great Britain, containing Calendars of State papers, and in some instances, full reprints of the same; the papers at. the Office for the Registry of Wills in Annapolis, Md.; the Manuscript Records of the Society of Friends in Maryland; and Family Bibles. I have also, in a few cases, been aided by the personal knowledge of living members of some of the fami_lies noticed. Where so many are concerned, it may seem invidious to select any for acknowledgment; but I must be permitted to express my feelings of especial gratitude to Mrs. Edward Snowden, of Baltimore; Mrs. Edward P. Thomas and Dr. Francis Thomas, of Montgomery Countv, Md. ; Mr. Richard L. Schieffelin, of New York; Mr. Samuel Chew, of Germantown; Mr. William G. Thomas, of Perth Amboy, N. J., and to the memory of his father, the late Philip E. Thomas, of Baltimore, whose family tree first suggested my present · book. In the course of my labors it has been necessary for me to visit members of the different families with whom I had no previous acquaintance; but, in every instance, I have been received in the most cordial manner, and every facility afforded me for making the desired researches. Indeed, I may say, with truth, that the pleasant acquaintances thus made would alone repay me for the labor incident to the compilation of my book. In conclusion, I would ask the genealogist, as with "a critic's eye" he scans my pages, and dips his pen in gall, before exposing "its many inaccuracies,'' to remember that in most of the pedigrees I am the "Columbus of a new America," and working in absolutely virgin· soil. He should, also, bear in mind not only the great scarcity of printed books on pedigree in our libraries, but the incompleteness of the original MSS. sources ,of information, and the carelessness or culpable negligence that some families show in the preservation of their records. The latter cause will account for the fragmentary character of several of the pedigrees I print. Any one who can supply corrections of, or additions to these pedigrees, will confer a favor by sending them to the compiler, duly authenticated by dates and authorities; as it is his intention to print a supplement containing such alterations. LAWRENCE BGCKLEY THOJ\IAS. 54 /1,fcCulloh Street, Baltimore, -Md. ABBREVLL\TIONS. The abbreviations used in this book are the following: a_r.-son of; b.-born;. d.-dead, died, &c. ; dau.-daughter; d. s. p.- died without issue; rnd.-rnarried; and q. v.-a reference to the Index. THOMAS. HIS FAMILY is of great antiquity in Wales, claiming descent from the T ancient kings of Britain. Its authentic history may be said to commence with U ryan or U rien Rheged who lived in the sixth century after Christ. The latest and best authorities on the History of Wales seem to confirm this date, which is also the traditional one, although some writers would put his birth as late as the eighth or ninth century. Urien is said to have been the son of Cynvarch Oer ap Meirchion Gu!, a Prince of the North Britons, who was expelled from his principality by the Saxons and took refuge in Wales. This Prince's name appears on the Pillar of Eliseg near Llangollen. U rien his son is said to have driven out the Gwyddelians, or Irish Scots. from Rheged, a district of country lying between the Tawe and the Tavy rivers, and to have been granted the sovereignty of that principality in reward. It comprised Gowerland. Cydweli, Carynwllion, Iscenen, and Cantrev Bychan. He waged war for many years against Ida the Saxon King of Northum­ berland, and is said to have been treacherously slain by Llovan Llawdivo in the year 575 while besieging Ida's son Deoric in the Isle of Lindisfarne. He was a munificent patron of the bards, one of the greatest of whom. Llywarch Hen, has celebrated his prowess and d~ath in his verse. By the Welsh Triads he is ranked as one of the three Bulls of Conflict; and several early romances speak of him under the name of Sir U rience. He married Margaret La Faye, dau. of Gorlois Duke of Cornwall, and had issue: a dau. Elwri, who married Morgan Morganwdd ; and two sons Pasgen, and Owain who slew Ida King of Northumberland in battle. Pasgen was the lineal ancestor of Rhys ap Goronwy, ap Einion, ap Lloarch, ap Kymbathwye, ap Gurwared, ap Syssylt, ap Rhyne, ap Llarch, ap Mor, ap Pasgen, of all of whom nothing more than their names is recorded on the pages of history. Rhys married .. Margaret, dau. and heiress of Griffin ap Kiddy, Lord of Gwynvey, and had issue : Elider ap Rhys married Gladwys dau. of Philip ap Bah, ap Gwath· Voed, Lord of Esginbrath, and had issue: Sir Elidur Ddu, Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. He married Cecily dau. of Sysillt ap Llewellyn, Lord of Cantrescliffe, and had issue: Katherine married David Morthye, Lord of Odyn Castle and Fountain Gate; and Philip married Gladys dau. of David Vras and was the father of Philip who had issue: Crisley 6 GE);E.-\LOGIC.-\L )."OTES. married Richard Aubrey; Gwylliam; and Nicholas. Nicholas married Janet· dau. and heiress of Gruffyd ap Llewellyn Voethes, descended from Elystan Gloddryd, Prince _of Ferlys, and had issue: Gruffyd ap Nicholas who was a remarkable and most ingenious gentiernan. The possessor of an ample fortune and allied by marriage with some of the principal families both in North and South Wales, his power and influence in Caermarthenshire was very great. His hasty spirit and violence of temper often involved him in complica­ tions with his neighbours, to extricate himself from which required the exercise of all his ingenuity. He drew upon himself the enmity of no less a personage than Richard, Duke of York, by witholding from him a piece of land in Herefordshire, and he insolently and peremptorily refused to obey the summons of the Sheriff to answer for his conduct. At the head of a numerous and warlike clan, which was strongly attached to him, he gave shelter and encouragement to innumerable Welsh thieves, who were in the constant habit of plundering and ravaging the English border. The frequency and severity of these predatory incursions raised against him a host of enemies; the most powerful of whom, Humphrey, Duke of Buckingham, Richard of York, Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, and the Earl of \Varwick made such representations to the King, Henry VI., accusing him of being an encourager and harbourer of thieves, that he was deprived of the Commission of the Peace and· Captaincy of Kilgarran Castle, which that Sovereign had granted him. It is alleged that his hatred of the English was Gruffyd's reason for harbouring those who ravaged their territory. A commission was finally appointed by the King to arrest the accused and investigate the charges against him, at the head of which was placed the Lord \Nhitney. Gruffyd, who had heiird of the Commission, but was not informed of its exact object, laid his plans with the craftiness and executed them with the boldness peculiar to his character. He met the Commissioners on their entry into Caemarthenshire, himself meanly dressed, and accompanied only by four or five attendants raggedly attired, and as miserably mounted. Right glad was Lord Whitney to find the truculent Welshman apparently in his power, and not a little astonished was he also to hear him offer his services to guide him to Caermarthen, the place of his destination. Their road fol­ lowed the windings of the Bran to where that river ·unites with the Gwydderig in its. confluence with the Towey. On the \Vestern bank, on a rocky eminence, was Gruffyd's Castle of Abermarlais, hidden from the Com­ missioners by the thick woods, which lined the ~hores of the river. A graceful curve of the road, however, brought them to the foot of the gentle eminence on which the Castle stood, and Gruffyd, then turning to the sur- GENEALOGICAL :'-rOTES. 7 prised Commissioners and pointing to the open postern, invited them with a smile to enter and refresh themselves. They were received with demon­ strations of extreme respect by Gruffyd's son Thomas at the head of one hundred horsemen handsomely dressed and gallantly mounted, and began to open · their eyes to the real power and consequence of their companion. After having well refreshed themselves, the whole party, including Thomas, ap Gruffyd, and his armed retinue left the Castle. A little further on their way they came to the ancient fortress of Dinevawr, not far from the town of Llandelo Fav.rr, then the stronghold of Owen, Gruffyd's son. He received them at the head of a chosen body of two hundred armed horsemen, and played the part of host with such address that he contrived to draw from his guests the secret of their commission. The whole party then prnceeded on their way, leaving the mountains for the plain where the Towey meets, the Gwili, at the little village of Abergwili.