Individual Details

In 1727 William received one cow and one calf from his step-father's estate.

In 1728 William was among a party of Catholics who travelled into the interior of Frederick C o., MD on an exploratory trip. He settled first at Zentz's Mill, clearing the land and buildi ng a home before moving his new family there.
On 27 Aug 1732 he received a patent for land i n Frederick Co. from Lord Baltimore.
He is still listed in the 1733 census of Prince George C o., MD.This biography of William Elder is from History of Frederick County Maryland, Vol. 2, by T. J. C. Williams, published in 1910, page 835-836.
The leader of this group was William Elder who moved about 1728 from St. Marys County. He was soon joined by the Livers, Owings, Wheelers, and other Catholic families. He was good friends with Arnold Livers. The Brawners, already on the scene, became fervent converts. Some other family names from this period are Delosier, Brooke, Ogle. and Neale. The early settlers were able to sustain their Catholic faith because they were served by missionary priests. These circuit-riding (or walking) priests, many of whom were Jesuits from Conewago Chapel, said Mass and administered the sacraments in private homes since it was against the law to build a Catholic church. Whenever a priest arrived, a signal was sent to the Catholics in the area. In the archives at Mount Saint Mary's College is a boatman's or conch shell said to have been brought from Southern Maryland and used to call the faithful settlers of the valley to worship.
William Elder, whose home stood about half a mile from the present church, set aside a large room for worship. Tradition tells that the first Mass in the neighborhood was celebrated in the Elder "house chapel" in 1745. Other records suggest that Mass was said in what is now St. Anthony's district as early as 1734. It is a happy fact that William Elder's great-grandson, Archbishop William Henry Elder of Cincinnati, said the Mass when St. Anthony's Church was consecrated in 1897.


THE ELDER FAMILY— William ELDER, a Catholic, who emigrated from St. Mary's County, Md., to Frederick County, was the first white man who settled in Emmitsburg district, and he gave the name of "St. Mary's Mount" to a portion of Carrick's Knob. He located at the foot of Blue Ridge [mountain] in 1734, then the abode of numerous Indians and the haunt of wild beasts. He called his place "Pleasant Level." Here he built a house, reserving one room for religious services which he called a chapel. This room was equal in size to all the rest of his house. He was there joined by his family and a few friends from St. Mary's County. Mr. Elder was a devout Catholic and his chapel was the home for all weary travelers, and a delightful resort for all professing his faith. Hospitality was religiously practiced by this good family and their descendants. The little congregation was taken care of by priests from St. Mary's, and later from Conewago and Frederick, while sometimes Father Mathew Ryan, from Path Valley, Pa., visited them. In 1807 St. Mary's Church was built. The old mansion stood until about 1852.
William Elder was born in Lancashire, England [see our previous writings about his birth place-DYL], in 1707, and emigrated to St. Mary's County, Md., not earlier than 1728 and not later than 1732.
In 1739 death invaded the home of this pioneer, taking from him the mother of his five children. Her maiden name was Ann Wheeler, and she was married to Mr. Elder in England. She bore him four sons and one daughter. The first son William, married a Miss [Sabina] Wickham. The second, Guy, was twice married, and by his second wife was the father of thirteen children: Joseph, Judith, James, Polly, Benjamin, Guy, Priscilla, Edward, Thomas and George, of whom the first four went to Kentucky. Charles, the third son of the immigrant, married Julia Ward, of Charles County, Md. The fourth child, Mary, married Richard Lilly, of Virginia, and through her children the family became connected with the McSherrys of Virginia. The fifth child, Richard, married Phoebe Delovier [sic-should read Delozier]. In 1794, William Elder was married to Jacoba Clementina Livers, daughter of Arnold Livers. […Here there is a paragraph on the LIVERS family.]
William Elder's second wife bore him four sons and two daughters: Elizabeth, Arnold, Thomas, Ignatius, Anna and Aloysius. It was from the second named that the title for the farm upon which now stands the structure known as Mount St. Mary's College was derived. In the old Catholic Cemetery, about a half mile below St. Mary's College, and near the town of Emmitsburg, three stone mark the graves of William, Ann Wheeler and Jacoba Clementina Elder. The inscriptions, which are still distinct, record their names and dates of births and deaths: William Elder, born 1707, died April 22, 1775; Ann Wheeler Elder, born 1709, died August 11, 1739; Jacoba Clementina Elder, born 1717, died September 19, 1807.
Thomas Elder, the third child of William Elder by his second wife, was born January 4, 1748, and was married in 1771 to Elizabeth Spalding, a sister of Basil Spalding, of Charles County. Shortly after that event he removed to and occupied a farm in Harbaugh's Valley, where he lived for twenty-eight years, and where his family of eleven children were born. The names of these children were: Anne or Nancy, was born July 1, 1772, and died unmarried in 1844; Basil Spalding Elder, who was born October 22, 1773 and died October 13, 1869, in Baltimore City, was married November 18, 1801, to Elizabeth Snowden, who died January 29, 1860; Catharine, who was born March 7, 1776, was the second wife of Joseph Gardiner, of Nelson County, Ky., three of whose daughters by his first marriage became Sisters of Charity of the Nazareth Community, and of these the late Mother Francis Gardiner was for many years Superior of the sisterhood; William Pius, was born May 4, 1778, and died in Baltimore, August 22, 1799; Clementina, who was born June 16, 1780, and died July 21, 1782, was married to Richard Clarke; Ignatius, was born July 21, 1782, and married Monica Green; Theresa, was born March 1, 1785, and died unmarried, December 19, 1816; Thomas Richard, who was born June 14, 1789, and died July 11, 1835, was married to Caroline Clements; Christiana, who was born October 30, 1791, became the wife of John B. Wright; Mary Elizabeth, born May 15, 1794, married John Tarboe; and Maria M., who was born April 11, 1796, was the wife of John Howard [see Note below - Donna]. In 1799, Thomas Elder broke up his establishment in Harbaugh's Valley and removed to Kentucky, accompanied by all his children, except Basil Spalding.
Basil Spalding, the second child of Thomas and Elizabeth (Spalding) Elder, was married to Elizabeth Snowden. To them were born thirteen children, three of whom died in infancy. Of the other ten, Eleanora became a sister of Charity. Another daughter, Mrs. Jenkins, died in Havana in 1846, and another Mrs. Baldwin, in Baltimore in 1772. Of the sons, Frances W. settled in Baltimore; Basil T., in St. Louis, Mo.; James C., in Baton Rouge, La., Joseph E., in Denver, Col.; Thomas S., of New Orleans, La.; William Henry, became Bishop of Cincinnati, O.; and Charles D. of New Orleans.
James Elder, the first Catholic of his name to emigrate to Kentucky, was born in Emmitsburg district, Frederick County, in 1760, and was the son of Guy Elder and grandson of William Elder, the American progenitor. He married Ann Richards and immediately went to Kentucky, where he settled on Hardin's Creek. His brother William, joined him a few months later. James Elder died August 15, 1845, and Ann, his wife, January 8, 1857.
The book "History of Western Maryland" has almost this identical history of the Elder family, but at the end of the account the following paragraph was added: "Ann Wheeler, the wife of William Elder the emigrant, died in her thirty-fourth year, of Consumption, the hardships of her husband's pioneer life proving too much for her frail constitution. There being no undertakers, necessity compelled them to hollow out a chestnut tree, and in this rude coffin the remains of this good woman were deposited."


On 24 Aug 1743 William Elder purchased from his father-in-law, Arnold Livers, a section of "O gle's Good Will". William and Jacoba built their home on this land. The house was built of lo gs and the parlor-chapel was equal in size to the rest of the house. Here the Catholics of th e area gathered for Mass as often as the presence of a priest permitted.

William Elder was successful in his move to Frederick County. He named the mountain ST. MARY' S MOUNT where later Mt. St. Mary's College would begin. After the death of his first wife Ann , he married the daughter of his neighbor Arnold Livers. She was named Jacoba Clementina afte r James, the Old Pretender to the English throne, and his wife Clementina. This marriage adde d 7 more children to the 5 already in the Elder household. Guy Elder, a son of William, was a n active orator in the pre-revolution days and on one cool damp evening as William was listen ing to his son talk at a barn on Tom's Creek,the elderly man caught pneumonis and died a fe w days later on April 11, 1775. Jacoba lived to be 90 years old and in the 1790 census was li sted as head of the household with one son and six slaves. Most of the land that Mt. St. Mary 's is now using for the College and Seminary was deeded (donated or sold to) by the Elder Fam ily. Ogles Good Will and Elders Resurvey were two portions of land now with the college. Th e original Elder Cemetary is still sitting in the middle of college land.

*********

In 1727 William received one cow and one calf from his step-father'sestate
.
In 1728 William was among a party of Catholics who travelled into the inte
rior of Frederick Co., MD on an exploratory trip. He settled first at Zent
z's Mill, clearing the land and building a home before moving his new fami
ly there.On 27 Aug 1732 he received a patent for land in Frederick Co. fr
om Lord Baltimore. He is still listed in the 1733 census of Prince Geor
ge Co., MD.
On 24 Aug 1743 William Elder purchased from his father-in-law, Arnold Live
rs, a section of "Ogle's Good Will". William and Jacoba built their ho
me on this land. The house was built of logs and the parlor-chapel was equ
al in size to therest of the house. Here the Catholics of the area gather
ed for Mass as oftenas the presence of a priest permitted.
William Elder was successful in his move to Frederick County. He named t
he mountain ST. MARY'S MOUNT where later Mt. St. Mary's College would begi
n. After the death of his first wife Ann, he married the daughter of his n
eighbor Arnold Livers. She was named Jacoba Clementina after James, the O
ld Pretender to the English throne, and his wife Clementina. This marria
ge added 7 more children to the 5 already in the Elder household. Guy Elde
r, a son of William, was an active orator in the pre-revolution days a
nd on one cool damp evening as William was listening to his son ta
lk at a barn on Tom's Creek,the elderly man caught pneumonis and died a f
ew days later on April 11, 1775. Jacoba lived to be 90 years old and in t
he 1790census was listed as head of the household with one son and six sl
aves. Mostof the land that Mt. St. Mary's is now using for the College a
nd Seminary wasdeeded (donated or sold to) by the Elder Family. Ogles Go
od Will and EldersResurvey were two portions of land now with the colleg
e. The original Elder Cemetary is still sitting in the middle of college l
and.In 1692 Catholics were disfranchised and forbidden public worship, and many of them began to move westward and northward along the northern bank of the Potomac, or into the hospitable territory of William Penn; others struck for the " dark and bloody ground " of Kentucky, and one small band pushed into the interior of their own state until their course was barred by the towering heights of the Blue Ridge at that point known as the Catoctin Spur, to the eastern prominence of which "they gave the name of St. Mary's Mount, and there they rested in a valley of surpassing beauty, watered by the winding Monocacy and its purling mountain tributaries. The leader of the party was William Elder who moved hither about 1728 from St. Mary's County, where his ancestors had been located for three generations. He was the great grand father of William Henry Elder, Archbishop of Cincinnati (+1904) and his six stalwart brothers and their sister Helen.
William Elder seems to have settled first at Zentz's Mills three miles south of the college, and there probably the first Mass in his neighborhood was celebrated by some itinerant missionary. When his first wife died there in 1739, he hollowed her coffin one of those grand old chestnut trees, a few of which grace the landscape, and years later transferred her remains to the burying-ground laid out on his farm near Clairvaux, half a mile from the college. Here he built a more permanent home with a " house-chapel" attached, which stood until 1862, when it fell into ruin and was removed from the face of the earth. The spot in this consecrated ground where the house-altar stood is marked by a simple stone surmounted by a cross and bearing this inscription: "Here was erected by William Elder, Sr. The first altar to the Living God. In what is now known as Mt. St. Mary's Emmitsburg and Mechanicstown congregations. About the year 1745. This stone was erected by his descendants 103 years after his death."
In William Elder's time, and for a century or so after his death (I775), things were quite primitive in Maryland. Cloth was made by local weavers, underwear and house-linen at home. Men wore breech-clouts and deerskin jackets, caps and moccasins. People lived well, but simply, hunting and dressing their meets, making their own bread, corncakes, sorghum, etc., and of course were almost unacquainted with tea and coffee. About the middle of the 18th century the older Americans had to retreat before the Europeans and abandon this lovely valley and the graves of their fathers. Their last campfire, tradition tells us, was on a bluff to the east of the Sisterhood. When they departed, says Helman in his History of Emmitsburg <../../helmans/helmans_contents.htm>, "they had a blind and sick chief too infirm to go with the tribe. A young buck was deputed to remain to care for him till he died and bury him. After the rest had gone he killed the old man, buried him and followed the trail of his people." We read, however, in Scharfs History that certain Indians in the summer of 1756 made a raid near Emmitsburg, killing Alexander McKeasey and carrying off his son. This was the last ripple of the stormy wave of the French and Indian war which caused much woe west of the Blue Ridge. On the 17th of May, 1757, Samuel Emmitt took out a patent for 2250 acres. Associated with him was another Irishman, grandfather of Francis Scott Key, author of the Star Spangled Banner, whose ancestral home lies in this same Monocacy Valley.
Site of the Altar in the Elder house


Prepared by KennethFrank Doig: ken@doig.net, http://www.doig.net

• 

Birth	1707	"Goodwill", Prince George's, Maryland, United States
Marriage	20 May 1728	St. Mary's, Maryland - Ann Wheeler
Marriage	1 Feb 1743	Frederick Co.,Md - Jacoba Clementina Livers
Event	24 Aug 1743
Burial	Apr 1775	Elder Chapel Cemetery, Emmitsburg, Frederick, Md
Death	22 Apr 1775	Emmitsburg,Frederick,Md

Spouse	Ann Wheeler (1709 - 1739)
Child	William Elder (1729 - 1804)
Child	Guy Elder (1731 - 1805)
Child	Charles Elder (1730 - 1804)
Child	Richard Elder (1734 - 1790)
Child	Mary Elder (1735 - 1798)

Spouse	Jacoba Clementina Livers (1717 - 1807)
Child	Aloysius Elder (1757 - 1827)
Child	Elizabeth Elder (1743 - 1820)
Child	Arnold Elder (1744 - 1812)
Child	Ann Elder (1746 - 1806)
Child	Thomas H. Elder (1747 - 1832)
Child	Ignatius Elder (1749 - 1801)
Child	Francis Elder (1755 - 1816)

Father	William Elder (1681 - 1714)
Mother	Elizabeth Finch (1687 - 1729)
Sibling	Thomas Elder (1709 - 1769)
Sibling	Stanley Elder (1711 - )
Sibling	Reuben Elder (1713 - 1733)

Notes