Samuel Sprigg (1783 - 1855)

Born 1783 in Prince George's, Maryland, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Violetta (Lansdale) Sprigg — married 1 Jan 1810 in All Hallows Parish, Anne Arundel, Maryland, United States

Descendants

Died 21 Apr 1855 at about age 72 in Prince George's, Maryland, United States

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Preceded by 16th Governor Charles Goldsborough

Samuel Sprigg 17th Governor of Maryland 1819—1822

Succeeded by 18th Governor Samuel Stevens, Jr.

Biography

Samuel Sprigg is Notable.

"Samuel Sprlgg was probably born in Prince George's county, though authentic-data concerning his early years are not plentiful, and It is possible that the Governor was a Calvert countian by birth, for it was there that his father's will was probated in the autumn of 1800.

Joseph Sprlgg. father of the Governor, was married, first, in 1700 to Mrs. Hannah Lee Bowie. Subsequently he ventured again into the field of matrimony, and it Is even possible that he married a third time. His wives were all widows at the time of their marriage to Joseph Sprigg, and It is stated that each brought to him as dower a family of children by her previous husband. At all events, the gentleman must have been in his later years a very much-familied man.

His youngest son Samuel, who became Governor of Maryland, may have been the offspring of either the second or the supposed third marriage of his sire. As one little insignificant baby boy in so numerous an army of Spriggs, there is small wonder that the infant's advent was regarded as a somewhat commonplace occurrence. It Is possible that somewhere there may exist a few bare facts regarding the Governor's birth, but the genealogist so far has apparently been unable to uncover the date of his arrival on this earth or the name of his mother.

In 1819, when Samuel Sprlgg came forward as the Democratic leader of Maryland, he was regarded as a young man. He had. however, at that time been married eight years, which would suggest the period between 1700 and 1702 as the time of his birth. The youth of Governor Sprigg also opens the way for speculation. In their moderate circumstances. It is not probable that the youngest son of as Iarge a family as his father had reared would be given the opportunity for obtaining an extensive education. The elder Sprlgg died In the year 1800. and his death must have broken up the Sprigg household. At all events. Samuel was adopted by his uncle, Osborn Sprlgg, from whom he inherited the beautiful Prince George's county estate of Northampton." ^[1]

In 1905, E. E. Lantz, Genealogist of the Md. Historical Society wrote: At NORTHAMPTON MANOR was spent the youth of Gov. Sam. Sprigg, who early became the adopted son and heir of his uncle, Capt. Osborn Sprigg, and from him inherited Northampton.

Here was brought in 1811 the Governor's bride--Violette Lansdale, dau--of Thomas Lancaster and his wife, Cornelia (Van Horne) Lansdale, and here was b--March 27, 1812, Gov. Sprigg's little dau--Sallie Sprigg, whose baby helplessness was the safeguard of Northampton from destruction by the British when the latter troops advanced along the Patuxent to attack Washington. The house was examined, but, owing to the presence of the young baby and her mother, the homestead escaped injury or pillage beyond the seizure of wines and provisions. The property is now owned by the Fairfax family, of which Albert Kirby Fairfax, twelfth Baron Fairfax of Cameron, is the head. Since the latter represents his house at the assembling of the Scottish Peers--an American citizen, yet wearing full court costume--the portrait of Thomas Sprigg, the colonist, also in full court costume, can bow to his descendant after a lapse of 280 years as the past owner of Northampton greeting its present possessor."

Sources

1. ↑ Heinrich Ewald Buchhold. Governors of Maryland: A Series of Biographies. XVII. Samuel Sprigg, 1819-1822. The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore MD. 30 December 1906. P 14.

See also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #10634541
• Samuel Sprigg on Wikipedia