Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

William Stevens (1630-1687)
MSA SC 3520-1186

Biography:

STEVENS (STEPHENS), WLLLLAM (1630—1687).
BORN: in 1630 in Buckinghamshire, England; eld­est son.
IMMIGRATED: by 1665 as a free adult from Northampton County, Virginia, where he had settled by 1664/65.
RESIDED: at “Rehoboth,” Po­comoke Hundred, Somerset County, Maryland.
FAMILY BACKGROUND.
FATHER: John Stevens of Liebourne, Buckinghamshire, England.
BROTHER:  Richard (?—1667).
MARRIED Elizabeth (?—ca. 1695), probably the daughter of George Keyser. Her brother was probably Benjamin (?—1691’i. Her sister was probably Sarah, who married John White (?—1685). Elizabeth subsequently married Ca. 1689 George Layfield (?—1703).
CHILDREN:  Died without progeny.
PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican, but was largely responsible for introduction of Presbyterian ministers into Somerset County and was also a close friend of Quakers.
SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Mr., by 1666; Gent., by 1676; Esq., by 1679; brought two others on arrival in Maryland; one of the few Protestants appointed to high provincial office by Charles Calvert, 3rd Lord Baltimore (1637—1714/15).
OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: called “tormerly of London, ironmon­ger,” 1687; planter; merchant; land speculator.
PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House, Somerset County, 1669, 1676—1678 (Ac­Counts 1; appointed to the Council by the 3rd session of the 1676—1682 Assembly); Upper House, 1681—1682 (appointed by the 3rd session of the
1676—1782 Assembly; Accounts 3), 1682—1684 (Accounts 1, 2; Laws, chairman 3), 1686 (died before the 2nd session of the 1686—1688 Assem­bly).
OTHER PROVINCIAL OFFICES: Council, 1679— 1687; justice, Provincial Court, 1679—1687; Board of Deputy Governors, 1684—1687.
LOCAL OFFICES: quorum justice of the Eastern Shore, 1665— 1666; justice, Somerset County, 1666—1687 (quorum); coroner, Somerset County, 1666; keeper of weights and measures, Somerset County, 1671.
MILITARY SERVICE: commander of horse, Som­erset and Dorchester counties, 1681—1687; colo­nel. 1681—1687.
STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES: valued proprietary supporter who was influential in settling the Eastern Shore for the Lords Baltimore.
WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: Ca. 3,000 acres. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH:  sold 2,000 acres, 1670.
WEALTH AT DEATH.
DIED: on December 23, 1687, in Somerset County.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, at least £468. 12.10, plus 467,070 pounds of tobacco, 5,120 feet of plank, 5,688 pounds of pork, and £297.17.8 in debts due the estate (including 3 servants, 10 slaves, 20 books, plate worth £19.90, and goods and livestock found in 4 plantation houses and 1 townhouse).
LAND:  over 1,000 acres.

Source:  Papenfuse, Edward C., et al. A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789, Vol. I, I-Z.  (Baltimore:  The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985).

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VIRGINIA CAROLORUM. page 207
 
[William Stevens/Stephens]

About the fifteenth day of September, 1649, the "Virginia
Merchant," Capt. John Locker, a ship of three hundred
tons burden, sailed  for Jamestown with many passengers.
Among those who engaged passage were Colonel Norwood
a relative of Governor Berkeley, Major Francis Morison
sympathizers with the King, and Major Stevens who had
served under Waller in the Parliament Army when it be-
sieged Exeter, held by Sir John Berkeley, the Governor.

' In December, 1648, he had published A Description of the Province of New
Albion. In 1651, he had chambers in London, and on the 29th of July, 1655,
he made his will, dated at Wauftead, which on the22d of July, 1559 was proved.
He requested to be buried in Lidbury church, in Sliropshire, in the chapel of the
Plowdens.

Major William Stevens probably for some time remained in Accomac,
while Yeardley and others held his political sentiments, and perhaps the
same person who in March, 1651, declared his fealty to the '' comnionweftlth
of England as it is nowe established without King or House of Lords." He
may have been the one who settled near the region, where he was cast away, in
1650, and thus became a citizen of Maryland. In the records of Somerset
county, Md., is the following : " Richard Stevens, brother to William Stevens of
Somerset County, in ye Province of Maryland, was youngest son of John Stevens
of Lebourn in ye Parish of Buckinghamshire in England, died at the house of his
brother William aforesaid, ye 22d day of April, 1667. and was buried at his
plantation called Kehoboth in ye county and province aforesaid, in America, ye
25th day of April."

In 1679, Col. William Stevens entered a tract of two thousand acres on
the shores of the upper part of Assateague Bay near, where, in 1650 the " Vir-
ginia Merchant's " passengers landed in distress.
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Virginia carolorum Appendix  pg. 417
page 207

Major Phillip Stevens was given by the council of state of England, by an order, dated 10 August 1650, "50 pounds, as a reward for his sufferings in Virginia".
While William Stevens was an officer under Waller, there is no evidence that he came to Virginia, as assumed on page 207. Phillip was probably the person who, with Norwood, was ship-wrecked.
There was however a William Stevens in Accomac before 1642, who came out as the servant of John  'Seavern',  surgeon and is called a carpenter. He is probably the same person as William of Pungoteague who died in 1663, and whose son was also named William. The widower of the elder William was named Ann and she married a Wilson, the wife of son Wiliam was named Priscilla Holloway.
The Col. William Stevens who went to Maryland may have been a different person.

Note: there was a primitive road north of the Pocomoke River through the forest. Few people would have travelled to Pocomoke in the earliest days as it was nothing more than a ferry landing point called Steven's Ferry, established in 1670 by Col. Wm. Stevens.

back to Stephens lineage:

http://diyahnih2.pbworks.com/w/page/9102808/StephensLineage