Individual Details
Arnold Livers
(1669 - 11 Jun 1751)
Occupation: Tailor.He was a major landholder in the pre-colonial days of Frederick County, both north and east of Emmitsburg and was instrumental in the development of the Catholic Church in the Monocacy region.
He eventually owned thousands of acres in the Monocacy region and in another part of MD. His most well-known plantation in Frederick County was called Arnold's Delight, which is the land northeast of Thurman on the east side of Catoctin Furnace Road, across from the park of present-day Camp David.
Arnold LIVERS Sr, b ca 1669 in Flanders, Belgium, of English parentage, was reared in the royal household of the Stuarts, and at age 22 was a "page of the backstairs". Soon after the Catholic King James II was deposed in 1688/89, Arnold is said to have fled, landing in Maryland with only his uniform, buckles & buttons (which are still preserved by his family), leaving his two children by his first wife behind. These sons were reportedly brought to America by his 1st American wife who went to Flanders to get them (names unknown) as Arnold was afraid to go himself. Arnold served as an indentured servant to (Col) Henry DARNALL, a tailor (Court Minutes PGCo, MD June Court 1699, Liber A, F 424). He settled on Charles River near Upper Marlborough in PG Co as a planter and d 1751 PG Co. MD. Arnold married: 1st american wife Hellen GORDON; 2nd Mary Ann (Anna) DRANE; 3rd Helena (Eleanor) Arnold LIVERS owned 1074 acres in Fred Co, MD 2/d 6/10/1751, w/p 8/28/1751.
The chain of title to the farm stretches back to the King of England, who granted the whole of Maryland, not previously granted, to Sir Cecil Calvert, the second Lord of Baltimore. John Digges obtained from the tract of land from then Lord Baltimore a patent for a tract called Back Lands, part of which he transferred in 1728 to Arnold Livers, the former Flemish page.
Arnold Livers divided his part into tracts called Slate Ridge Farm, Ogle’s Good Will, Lubberland, Duke’s Woods, Arnold’s Chance and Arnold’s Delight.
As early as 1733, William Elder and his wife Ann Wheeler Elder were living at Slate Ridge Farm. They never owned it. After Ann Wheeler Elder died, William Elder married Arnold Livers’ daughter Jacoba Clementina Livers and obtained title to part of Ogle’s Good Will, where they lived. Jacoba Clementina Livers was named for the Old Pretender, James (Jacobus in Latin) and his wife Clementina. Although Arnold Livers lived in Prince George’s County at a place called Timberley, he had a second home at Arnold’s Delight in the forks of Owings Creek.
In a note from the Daughters of Charity, the Elder and Livers families were described as excellent and cultured Catholics well-aquainted with Mother Seton <../../../../../archive_list/articles/people/people/seton.htm>. It was mentioned that they belonged to the Planter families of Frederick County who sent their daguthers to Mother’s new boarding academy in 1810. For years there was no Catholic church in the area and Mass was celebrated in the Elder house chapel referred to as Elder Station. The chapel was a room in the house which was as large as the rest of the house. The house was destroyed by fire in 1863. It was the home of Aloysius Elder, William Elder’s oldest son and the ancestor of Emmitsburg Commissioner Arthur Elder and Chronicle Press business owner Lisa Elder.
Arnold Livers sold Slate Ridge Farm to William Carmack, who in turn sold it to the Mathews in 1743. Conrad Mathews sold the farm to the Stewarts in 1795, who kept it until 1863 when the Zentz family, who were from Union Bridge, bought it. The Zentz’s built the mill that stood at the intersection of Smith and Lohr Roads. The Zentz’s held the property for nearly 100 years before selling it in 1962 to Rodman and Jean Myers, who own it still
He eventually owned thousands of acres in the Monocacy region and in another part of MD. His most well-known plantation in Frederick County was called Arnold's Delight, which is the land northeast of Thurman on the east side of Catoctin Furnace Road, across from the park of present-day Camp David.
Arnold LIVERS Sr, b ca 1669 in Flanders, Belgium, of English parentage, was reared in the royal household of the Stuarts, and at age 22 was a "page of the backstairs". Soon after the Catholic King James II was deposed in 1688/89, Arnold is said to have fled, landing in Maryland with only his uniform, buckles & buttons (which are still preserved by his family), leaving his two children by his first wife behind. These sons were reportedly brought to America by his 1st American wife who went to Flanders to get them (names unknown) as Arnold was afraid to go himself. Arnold served as an indentured servant to (Col) Henry DARNALL, a tailor (Court Minutes PGCo, MD June Court 1699, Liber A, F 424). He settled on Charles River near Upper Marlborough in PG Co as a planter and d 1751 PG Co. MD. Arnold married: 1st american wife Hellen GORDON; 2nd Mary Ann (Anna) DRANE; 3rd Helena (Eleanor) Arnold LIVERS owned 1074 acres in Fred Co, MD 2/d 6/10/1751, w/p 8/28/1751.
The chain of title to the farm stretches back to the King of England, who granted the whole of Maryland, not previously granted, to Sir Cecil Calvert, the second Lord of Baltimore. John Digges obtained from the tract of land from then Lord Baltimore a patent for a tract called Back Lands, part of which he transferred in 1728 to Arnold Livers, the former Flemish page.
Arnold Livers divided his part into tracts called Slate Ridge Farm, Ogle’s Good Will, Lubberland, Duke’s Woods, Arnold’s Chance and Arnold’s Delight.
As early as 1733, William Elder and his wife Ann Wheeler Elder were living at Slate Ridge Farm. They never owned it. After Ann Wheeler Elder died, William Elder married Arnold Livers’ daughter Jacoba Clementina Livers and obtained title to part of Ogle’s Good Will, where they lived. Jacoba Clementina Livers was named for the Old Pretender
In a note from the Daughters of Charity, the Elder and Livers families were described as excellent and cultured Catholics well-aquainted with Mother Seton <../../../../../archive_list/articles/people/people/seton.htm>. It was mentioned that they belonged to the Planter families of Frederick County who sent their daguthers to Mother’s new boarding academy in 1810. For years there was no Catholic church in the area and Mass was celebrated in the Elder house chapel referred to as Elder Station. The chapel was a room in the house which was as large as the rest of the house. The house was destroyed by fire in 1863. It was the home of Aloysius Elder, William Elder’s oldest son and the ancestor of Emmitsburg Commissioner Arthur Elder and Chronicle Press business owner Lisa Elder.
Arnold Livers sold Slate Ridge Farm to William Carmack, who in turn sold it to the Mathews in 1743. Conrad Mathews sold the farm to the Stewarts in 1795, who kept it until 1863 when the Zentz family, who were from Union Bridge, bought it. The Zentz’s built the mill that stood at the intersection of Smith and Lohr Roads. The Zentz’s held the property for nearly 100 years before selling it in 1962 to Rodman and Jean Myers, who own it still
Events
| Birth | 1669 | Flanders, Oost Vaanderen, Belgium |  |  | |
| Event | 1699 | Prince George Co., Maryland, British America | | ||
| Marriage | Abt 1704 | Prince George's, Maryland, United States - Helen Gordon | | ||
| Marriage | 1729 | Prince George's Co., MD - Mary Ann Drane | |||
| Event | 1734 | Frederick Co,Maryland | | ||
| Event | 1745 | Frederick Co,Maryland | | ||
| Death | 11 Jun 1751 | Prince George's, Maryland, United States | |
Families
| Spouse | Mary Ann Drane (1702 - 1742) |
| Child | Robert Livers (1730 - 1785) |
| Child | Anthony Livers (1734 - 1820) |
| Child | Arnold Livers (1737 - 1789) |
| Child | Mary Livers (1739 - ) |
| Child | Rachel Livers (1741 - 1822) |
| Spouse | Helen Gordon (1684 - 1718) |
| Child | Jacoba Clementina Livers (1717 - 1807) |
| Child | Arnold Livers (1705 - 1767) |
| Child | James Livers (1718 - 1790) |
| Father | Arnault Van Leeuwers (1649 - ) |
Notes
Birth
of British parentage.Event
Arnold Livers II was an immigrant from England and arrived in this country in 1699 as an indentured servant of Col. Henry Darnell of Pr. Georges County, Md. He quickly paid off his debt and gained property and became a planter. He was also a tailor and a merchant.He acquired TIMBERLY,which ajoined Good Will in Pr. Georges County neer Croom. GOOD WILL was owned by William Elder.Marriage
second (first American wife)Sometime after their marriage, Helen returned to Europe and returned to Maryland with Arnold's two sons from his first marriage.
Event
By the 1730s, Arnold had purchased several tracts of land in the Monocacy area of what would become Frederick County. Backland was a large tract of 5,000 acres originally patented to John Digges in 1732 and a part was patented to Arnold Livers in 1734.This patent consisted of 1649 acres and was called Arnold's Delight. It was located to the east of the Blue Ridge Mountains and north of what today is Thurmont. This tract extended north to Mount St. Mary's near Emmitsburg.
Arnold's Delight became the second home for the Livers family. It was located on Owens Creek and was known as the Livers Quarters.
Event
In 1745, the second home of Arnold's Delight at Monocacy was suspected of being a home of a Catholic Chapel and the location of arms and ammunition. A warrant was issued to the Captain of the Militia to accompany the sheriff and search the premises in 1746, but no chapel or ammunition were found.Death
Interred at Boone's Catholic Chapel Cemetary.Arnold lived a full and varied life. he was a member of the military and a supporter of the Catholic cause of the Stuart family and a loyal Jacobite.
He emigrated to Maryland where he was a tailor and served as an indentured servant. He amassed a small fortune in land ownings and became a gentleman planter, carving a home out of the wilderness of Frederick county.
LIVERS, ARNOLD, Prince George's Co. 11 Jun, 1750/51; 28 Aug, 1751
My land: one tract called Duke's Wood," lying in Prince George's Co., but now in Frederick Co., on Linganore, of 500 A.; other called "Arnold's Chance," lying on Little Pipe Creek, containing about 500 A; one lot in Nottingham; one in Marlborough, Prince George's Co., which 2 lots I give to extx, hereafter named, to be sold and money used to pay debts.
Tract called "Arnold's Delight," in Frederick Co., 1,074 A., to children: Anthony, Arnold, Mary and Rachel, to be equally divided bet. them.
To son Robert Livers, all those several tracts I formerly bought of Col. Henry Darnall and John Miller, and all that pt. formerly given me by Henry Darnall, Esquire, lately dec'd., of about: 330 A. known as the plantation where I live.
To grand-son Arnold Elder, 100 A. called "Cole's Good Will," adjoining Wm. Elder's plantation.
To grand-dau. Ann Livers, dau. of son James Livers, 50 pounds money at age 21, by my children: Anthony, Arnold, Robert, Mary and Rachel Livers, each to pay 10 pounds.
My will and intention is that my dear wife Helena Livers, have same during widowhood.
To grand-dau. Eliza. Elder, some slaves.
To dau. Jacoba Clementina Elder, furnishings.
Friend Didley Digges, trustee and overseer, and give him for sd. services, 5 pounds money.
Wit: Charles Beavers (or Beavens), Charles Beavers Blanford, Robert Soper, Frances Early. 28. 166
Arnold Livers 35.59 A PG £678.2.8 £179.10.9 Sep 7 1753
A second inventory is cited in the amount of £139.3.6 in Frederick County.
Payments to: Ignatius Digges, James Russell, Dr. Thomas Hamilton.
Executrix: Helena Collard, wife of Samuel Collard.
Endnotes
1. Donnelly, Mary Louise, Arnold Livers Family in America [S.l. : s.n.], c1977, Pg 44.