Individual Details
William Luckett
(Abt, 1711 - Bef January 17, 1783)
"William Luckett, son of Samuel and Anne Luckett, was born about the year 1711, according to the 1776 census of Frederick County, and all circumstances point to the fact that the event occurred in Port Tobacco Parish, Charles County.
"About 1725 as an orphan he was placed under the care of James Middleton, of Charles County, by court orders to learn a profitable trade or profession. It was the custom of that day in Maryland to apprentice children whose paternal parent was deceased and whose estate was either insolvent or negligible with planters or merchants in order that the orphans may not become public charges. Thus, from the fact that William Luckett was taken from his mother is evidence that his father had lost his patrimony. In 1728 James Middleton was summoned by the court and censured for "neglecting to teach William Luckett to read and write". He, however, later became quite proficient in letters, because many documents written by him and signed are still preserved at the court house of Frederick County.
"The wife of William Luckett was Charity, born 1717, the daughter of John and Mary (Wheeler) Middleton, of Prince Georges County. In 1740 she and her husband were deeded by them for natural love and affection the tracts "Thomas and Mary" and "Wilson's Enlargement", containing 195 acres in Prince Georges County.
"Children of William and Charity (Middleton) Luckett:
1 - Samuel Luckett, d.s.p. Fred. Co. Inventory June 9, 1777, Thomas H. Luckett, adm.; Simon Doyle and Leakin Dorsey, bondsmen.
2 - William Luckett married Sarah Nelson.
3 - Verlinda Luckett, born 1747, died spinster 1799.
4 - John Luckett married Polly Ann (???).
5 - Susannah Luckett married David Luckett.
6 - Thomas Hussey Luckett married Elizabeth (???).
7 - Anne Luckett.
8 - Elizabeth Luckett married Thomas Offutt.
9 - Mary Eleanor Luckett married Thomas Noland.
10 - Levin Luckett married Letitia Peyton.
"The material inheritance of William Luckett at majority was small, and this probably accounted for the fact that at manhood he settled on the frontier, then the western portion of Prince Georges County which was soon to be organized into the new county of Frederick. Here on the lower slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, unsurpassed in rich soil and beauty, he became a force in the community and one of the most outstanding subjects of the Lord Proprietor. Before his death he had attained high military and civil honors and was the first of the Lucketts to gain any significant colonial importance.
"He was in Charles County as late as July 7, 1733, because on that day he witnessed the will of Robert Robertson who made William Middleton the principal legatee. By the year 1748 he was well established in Frederick County and was the operator of a ferry to the Virginia shore of the Potomac. It was later operated by his son-in-law Thomas Noland.
"It is interesting to note that many years later when the Maryland veterans of the Revolutionary War were making their applications for pensions, many in certifying to the details of their service stated that on the way to York-town as well as other Southern points they crossed the Potomac at Noland's Ferry, while a few referred to it as Luckett's Ferry.
"It is believed that William Luckett was raised under the tenets of the Roman Catholic faith. It was the religion of the Middletons, and while no knowledge is existent of the belief of his parents, we do know that his brothers were members of the Romanish Church. Assuming that he were raised a Catholic, it is probable that the frontier was not conducive to the Church of Rome and being a liberal in thought, he adopted the Established Church--and it is also probable that no Catholic Chapel existed in Frederick County of his day and the acceptance of the English faith was through necessity. Then there is the expediency element. No Catholic could hold office, and as he was ambitious and undoubtedly possessed of acumen above many men of his day, he with reservations became a member of the Church of England. He was a vestryman of All Saint's Parish, the mother church of Frederick County, and was closely identified with its growth and development.
"He patented much land in western Maryland, his warrants being--"Conjuror's Disappointment" of 50 acres in 1764; "It May Be Good in Time", of 400 acres in 1767; "Luckett's Merry Midnight", of 595 acres in 1768; "Resurvey on Gleaming," of 108 acres in 1773; and "Hussey's Chance" of 484 acres in 1774. He maintained his seat, however, at "Meredith's His Hunting Quarter."
"On May 6, 1751, William Luckett, of Frederick County, was bondsman for William Nichnow, the administrator of Edward Marlowe. On February 5, 1765, he appeared as the administrator of the estate of William Galford, when Samuel Swearingen and William Luckett, Jr., were his sureties.
"William Luckett commanded a company of militia from Frederick County in the French and Indian Wars. One account shows his company in continuous active service for 30 days. In the company were his eldest sons, William and Samuel, the latter acting as clerk to the outfit.
"The following is a copy of a letter written during the French and Indian Wars, the original of which is now in the possession of a descendant.
" "By His Excellency Horatio Sharpe Esquire Governor and Commander in Chief in and over the Province of Maryland. To Captain William Luckett Commander of a Company of the Militia of Frederick City: You are as soon as possible after you Recruit hereof to march hither with the Company whereof You have the Command. You are to bring with you Provisions enough to serve Your Company one Month and you are to Order every Man to bring a Blanket and as much Cloaths as he can have Occasion during that time.
(signed) HORATIO SHARPE.
Given at Fort Frederick the 8th Day of July 1758". "
"Before the end of July Governor Sharpe in his correspondence referred to the "fine company" of Captain Luckett at Fort Frederick.
"In addition to his military campaigns, William Luckett was for a number of years one of the magistrates of Frederick County, and is known as one of the "Twelve Immortal Justices" who repudiated the Stamp Act of November 23, 1765. The Frederick Chapter of the D. A. R. in 1904 commemorated the event by the placing of a bronze tablet in the County Court House in order that the twelve patriots may not be forgotten. They were, besides William Luckett, Thomas Beatty, Peter Bainbridge, Charles Jones, David Lynn, Thomas Price, James Dickson, William Blair, Samuel Beall, Josiah Beall, Andrew Heugh, and Joseph Smith.
"From 1767 to 1771 William Luckett represented his hundred in the General Assembly of the Province which met at the State House in Annapolis. [3]
"During the trying days prior to the American Revolution, he was most active in the cause of the Patriots and served on numerous committees and councils. In 1775 he held the rank of lieutenant colonel and was one of the senior officers in his part of Maryland in age as well as in service. He had weathered many a military campaign and had attained at least his sixtieth year. On August 8, 1776, he passed eleven men who had been enrolled by Lieutenant Clement Holliday for service.4 During the fall of 1777 he was in active service and as lieutenant colonel of the militia regiment of Colonel Baker Johnson, he was in continuous service for three months. He was actively engaged at the battle of Germantown.
"At the creation of Montgomery County in 1777 out of the lower district of Frederick County, the dwelling-plantation of Colonel Luckett lay in the new county.
"On April 10, 1778, he conveyed to John Max Nesbit, of Manheim, Pennsylvania, "It May Be Good in Time". Charity Luckett, his wife, waived all right of dower.
"The following appears on the deed books of Montgomery County, as of June 27, 1781, and proves several connections. William Luckett and Charity his wife of Montgomery County, Middleton Marlowe and John Hawkins of Prince Georges County, conveyed to William Davis of Montgomery County . . . "whereas John Middleton, late of Frederick County, deceased, was possessed of 'Maiden Bower', of 100 acres, whereas he willed it to his three daughters, Charity Luckett wife of William Luckett, Anne wife of Raphael Marlow, and Sarah wife of Thomas Hawkins, and whereas Anne Marlowe, now deceased, was grandmother to Middleton Marlow and the said Sarah Hawkins, now deceased, was grandmother to John Hawkins and coheirs of John Middleton, deceased . . ."
"The will of William Luckett was dated October 23, 1782, and probated in Montgomery County on January 17, 1783. He devised his son William "Wheeler's Hope" in Prince Georges County, John an island in the Potomac, and Thomas Hussey "Beall's Good Will". His dwelling-plantation "Meredith's Hunting Quarters" he devised to his son Levin. Various personalty was bequeathed to his daughters Verlinda, Susannah, Anne, Elizabeth, and Eleanor. His wife Charity and son Levin were named as executors.
"According to the tax list of 1783, his widow Charity Luckett was seized of "Allison's Addition" of 144 acres in Sugarland Hundred of Montgomery County, with one frame dwelling house, one tobacco house, one log quarter, the estate being described as 35 miles from Georgetown. She was also seized of "Chance" of 145 acres and "Madaris His Hunting Quarter" of 498 acres, 250 of which were cleared, with one dwelling house, one stone house, one meat house, three tobacco houses, being 40 miles from Georgetown.
"Their spinster daughter, Verlinda Luckett, joined her brothers in Loudon County, Virginia, where she died testate during 1799. She named her brother and sister David and Susannah Luckett; nephews William and Francis, sons of Levin Luckett; nephew Samuel Noland, son of John; and the following nieces and nephews all children of her sister Susannah Luckett--Juliet, Kitty, William Gassan, David Lawson, and Luther." (The Lucketts of Portobacco, by Harry Wright Newman, 1938.)
"About 1725 as an orphan he was placed under the care of James Middleton, of Charles County, by court orders to learn a profitable trade or profession. It was the custom of that day in Maryland to apprentice children whose paternal parent was deceased and whose estate was either insolvent or negligible with planters or merchants in order that the orphans may not become public charges. Thus, from the fact that William Luckett was taken from his mother is evidence that his father had lost his patrimony. In 1728 James Middleton was summoned by the court and censured for "neglecting to teach William Luckett to read and write". He, however, later became quite proficient in letters, because many documents written by him and signed are still preserved at the court house of Frederick County.
"The wife of William Luckett was Charity, born 1717, the daughter of John and Mary (Wheeler) Middleton, of Prince Georges County. In 1740 she and her husband were deeded by them for natural love and affection the tracts "Thomas and Mary" and "Wilson's Enlargement", containing 195 acres in Prince Georges County.
"Children of William and Charity (Middleton) Luckett:
1 - Samuel Luckett, d.s.p. Fred. Co. Inventory June 9, 1777, Thomas H. Luckett, adm.; Simon Doyle and Leakin Dorsey, bondsmen.
2 - William Luckett married Sarah Nelson.
3 - Verlinda Luckett, born 1747, died spinster 1799.
4 - John Luckett married Polly Ann (???).
5 - Susannah Luckett married David Luckett.
6 - Thomas Hussey Luckett married Elizabeth (???).
7 - Anne Luckett.
8 - Elizabeth Luckett married Thomas Offutt.
9 - Mary Eleanor Luckett married Thomas Noland.
10 - Levin Luckett married Letitia Peyton.
"The material inheritance of William Luckett at majority was small, and this probably accounted for the fact that at manhood he settled on the frontier, then the western portion of Prince Georges County which was soon to be organized into the new county of Frederick. Here on the lower slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, unsurpassed in rich soil and beauty, he became a force in the community and one of the most outstanding subjects of the Lord Proprietor. Before his death he had attained high military and civil honors and was the first of the Lucketts to gain any significant colonial importance.
"He was in Charles County as late as July 7, 1733, because on that day he witnessed the will of Robert Robertson who made William Middleton the principal legatee. By the year 1748 he was well established in Frederick County and was the operator of a ferry to the Virginia shore of the Potomac. It was later operated by his son-in-law Thomas Noland.
"It is interesting to note that many years later when the Maryland veterans of the Revolutionary War were making their applications for pensions, many in certifying to the details of their service stated that on the way to York-town as well as other Southern points they crossed the Potomac at Noland's Ferry, while a few referred to it as Luckett's Ferry.
"It is believed that William Luckett was raised under the tenets of the Roman Catholic faith. It was the religion of the Middletons, and while no knowledge is existent of the belief of his parents, we do know that his brothers were members of the Romanish Church. Assuming that he were raised a Catholic, it is probable that the frontier was not conducive to the Church of Rome and being a liberal in thought, he adopted the Established Church--and it is also probable that no Catholic Chapel existed in Frederick County of his day and the acceptance of the English faith was through necessity. Then there is the expediency element. No Catholic could hold office, and as he was ambitious and undoubtedly possessed of acumen above many men of his day, he with reservations became a member of the Church of England. He was a vestryman of All Saint's Parish, the mother church of Frederick County, and was closely identified with its growth and development.
"He patented much land in western Maryland, his warrants being--"Conjuror's Disappointment" of 50 acres in 1764; "It May Be Good in Time", of 400 acres in 1767; "Luckett's Merry Midnight", of 595 acres in 1768; "Resurvey on Gleaming," of 108 acres in 1773; and "Hussey's Chance" of 484 acres in 1774. He maintained his seat, however, at "Meredith's His Hunting Quarter."
"On May 6, 1751, William Luckett, of Frederick County, was bondsman for William Nichnow, the administrator of Edward Marlowe. On February 5, 1765, he appeared as the administrator of the estate of William Galford, when Samuel Swearingen and William Luckett, Jr., were his sureties.
"William Luckett commanded a company of militia from Frederick County in the French and Indian Wars. One account shows his company in continuous active service for 30 days. In the company were his eldest sons, William and Samuel, the latter acting as clerk to the outfit.
"The following is a copy of a letter written during the French and Indian Wars, the original of which is now in the possession of a descendant.
" "By His Excellency Horatio Sharpe Esquire Governor and Commander in Chief in and over the Province of Maryland. To Captain William Luckett Commander of a Company of the Militia of Frederick City: You are as soon as possible after you Recruit hereof to march hither with the Company whereof You have the Command. You are to bring with you Provisions enough to serve Your Company one Month and you are to Order every Man to bring a Blanket and as much Cloaths as he can have Occasion during that time.
(signed) HORATIO SHARPE.
Given at Fort Frederick the 8th Day of July 1758". "
"Before the end of July Governor Sharpe in his correspondence referred to the "fine company" of Captain Luckett at Fort Frederick.
"In addition to his military campaigns, William Luckett was for a number of years one of the magistrates of Frederick County, and is known as one of the "Twelve Immortal Justices" who repudiated the Stamp Act of November 23, 1765. The Frederick Chapter of the D. A. R. in 1904 commemorated the event by the placing of a bronze tablet in the County Court House in order that the twelve patriots may not be forgotten. They were, besides William Luckett, Thomas Beatty, Peter Bainbridge, Charles Jones, David Lynn, Thomas Price, James Dickson, William Blair, Samuel Beall, Josiah Beall, Andrew Heugh, and Joseph Smith.
"From 1767 to 1771 William Luckett represented his hundred in the General Assembly of the Province which met at the State House in Annapolis. [3]
"During the trying days prior to the American Revolution, he was most active in the cause of the Patriots and served on numerous committees and councils. In 1775 he held the rank of lieutenant colonel and was one of the senior officers in his part of Maryland in age as well as in service. He had weathered many a military campaign and had attained at least his sixtieth year. On August 8, 1776, he passed eleven men who had been enrolled by Lieutenant Clement Holliday for service.4 During the fall of 1777 he was in active service and as lieutenant colonel of the militia regiment of Colonel Baker Johnson, he was in continuous service for three months. He was actively engaged at the battle of Germantown.
"At the creation of Montgomery County in 1777 out of the lower district of Frederick County, the dwelling-plantation of Colonel Luckett lay in the new county.
"On April 10, 1778, he conveyed to John Max Nesbit, of Manheim, Pennsylvania, "It May Be Good in Time". Charity Luckett, his wife, waived all right of dower.
"The following appears on the deed books of Montgomery County, as of June 27, 1781, and proves several connections. William Luckett and Charity his wife of Montgomery County, Middleton Marlowe and John Hawkins of Prince Georges County, conveyed to William Davis of Montgomery County . . . "whereas John Middleton, late of Frederick County, deceased, was possessed of 'Maiden Bower', of 100 acres, whereas he willed it to his three daughters, Charity Luckett wife of William Luckett, Anne wife of Raphael Marlow, and Sarah wife of Thomas Hawkins, and whereas Anne Marlowe, now deceased, was grandmother to Middleton Marlow and the said Sarah Hawkins, now deceased, was grandmother to John Hawkins and coheirs of John Middleton, deceased . . ."
"The will of William Luckett was dated October 23, 1782, and probated in Montgomery County on January 17, 1783. He devised his son William "Wheeler's Hope" in Prince Georges County, John an island in the Potomac, and Thomas Hussey "Beall's Good Will". His dwelling-plantation "Meredith's Hunting Quarters" he devised to his son Levin. Various personalty was bequeathed to his daughters Verlinda, Susannah, Anne, Elizabeth, and Eleanor. His wife Charity and son Levin were named as executors.
"According to the tax list of 1783, his widow Charity Luckett was seized of "Allison's Addition" of 144 acres in Sugarland Hundred of Montgomery County, with one frame dwelling house, one tobacco house, one log quarter, the estate being described as 35 miles from Georgetown. She was also seized of "Chance" of 145 acres and "Madaris His Hunting Quarter" of 498 acres, 250 of which were cleared, with one dwelling house, one stone house, one meat house, three tobacco houses, being 40 miles from Georgetown.
"Their spinster daughter, Verlinda Luckett, joined her brothers in Loudon County, Virginia, where she died testate during 1799. She named her brother and sister David and Susannah Luckett; nephews William and Francis, sons of Levin Luckett; nephew Samuel Noland, son of John; and the following nieces and nephews all children of her sister Susannah Luckett--Juliet, Kitty, William Gassan, David Lawson, and Luther." (The Lucketts of Portobacco, by Harry Wright Newman, 1938.)
Events
| Birth | Abt, 1711 | Port Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland | |||
| Marriage | 1740 | Frederick County, Maryland - Charity Middleton | |||
| Death | Bef January 17, 1783 |
Families
| Spouse | Charity Middleton (1717 - ) |
| Child | Anne Luckett (1737 - ) |
| Child | Samuel Luckett (1737 - 1777) |
| Child | Elizabeth Luckett (1738 - 1832) |
| Child | Mary Eleanor Luckett (1740 - 1834) |
| Child | Susannah Luckett (1742 - 1839) |
| Child | William Luckett (1743 - 1820) |
| Child | Verlinda Luckett (1747 - 1799) |
| Child | Major Thomas Hussey Luckett (1750 - 1786) |
| Child | John Luckett (1751 - 1793) |
| Child | Levin Luckett (1762 - 1829) |
| Father | Samuel Luckett (1685 - 1724) |
| Mother | Ann Smoot (1687 - 1750) |
| Sibling | Benjamin Luckett (1716 - 1750) |
| Sibling | Samuel Luckett (1718 - ) |
| Sibling | Thomas Luckett (1720 - 1797) |