Catherine (Cooper) Spalding (abt. 1712 - 1775)

Born about 1712 in St. Mary's County, Province of Maryland

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Spalding — married about 1728 in St. Mary's County, Province of Maryland

Descendants

Died Aug 1775 at about age 63 in St. Mary's County, Province of Maryland

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Biography

Catherine was born circa 1712, the daughter of Thomas Cooper, Jr. and Mary Riley.

Catherine was not mentioned by a married surname in her father's will written in March 1722. She and her spouse, Thomas Spalding likely married around 1728.

Catherine wrote her will 14 July 1775 and it was probated 21 August 1775..

Research Notes

Catherine is proven to be the daughter of Thomas Cooper by the following record in which entailed land she inherited as the only child of her father was converted into fee simple title (unrestricted ownership).

Chapter VIII, Liber B. L. C., p. 220

An Act for the Cutting off the Entaile and Investing an Estate of Inheritance in fee Simple in Part of a Tract of Land called Coopers purchase in Thomas Spalding and Katherine his wife and to Entail other Lands lying in Saint Marys County in lieu thereof.

Whereas a Certain Thomas Cooper, late of Saint Mary's County, planter, deceased, on the thirteenth Day of March Anno Domini Seventeen hundred and Twenty Two made his last Will and Testament in Writing, and among other things therein Contained made the following devise (Viz) likewise all my Lands with New Town Mill to her and to her Heirs for Ever Except my now Dwelling Plantation during my Wife's life but after her Decease to my Daughter Katherine and to the Heirs of her Body and in Case the said Katherine dye without such Heirs to my Cousin Thomas Cooper and his Heirs for Ever as by the said Will duly proved relation being thereunto had may appear and in a Short time thereafter departed this life, By Virtue of which said Will the said Thomas is seised in Right of his wife in Fee Tail of Part of a Tract of Land lying in Saint Mary's County lately called Coopers Purchase, but formerly Seymore Town, or in that now known by the name of Leonard Town.

And Whereas it is represented to this Present General Assembly that the aforesaid Lands is much the worse by having the Towns aforesaid laid out within it and is now of so little Value to them by means aforesaid that they think it much more advantagious to them to sell the same. And Whereas the Land also lying at the Head of Britains Bay in Saint Mary's County called Crackburn's Purchase, Containing One hundred Acres, which he Conceived to be of much more Value than the other and is desirous the same may be settled to the same uses as the aforesaid Part of a Tract of Land herein before mentioned is. And Whereas the truth of the Premises is sufficiently made appear to this Present Generall Assembly, Be it therefore enacted by the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary by and with the Advice and Consent of his Lordships Governour and the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly and the Authority of the same that the said Thomas and Katherine his wife be and are hereby vested with an Estate in Fee Simple in the aforesaid thirty nine Acres of Land as fully and amply as if the same had been devised to the said Katherine by her said Father in Fee Simple and that the said Thomas and Katherine have full Power and Authority to sell and Dispose thereof as fully and amply as if the same Land had not been Entailed, and the aforesaid One hundred Acres of Land called Crackburn's Purchase be and is hereby Entailed in the same manner and to the same Uses as the aforesaid Lands devised to the said Katherine by the will of her Father, Any Law Statute Usage or Custom to the Contrary notwithstanding Saving to his most Sacred Majesty his Heirs and Successors to his Lordship the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary his Heirs and Successors and to all Bodies Politick and Corporate and all others not mentioned in this Act their Several and respective Rights.

Sources

• "Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999", digital image, FamilySearch (Online: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., 2020), [Original source: St. Mary's County Orphans Court, "Will of Catherine Spalding", Will Book TA1, pp. 723-724]

• "Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999", digital image, FamilySearch (Online: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., 2020), [Original source: St. Mary's County Orphans Court, "Will of Thomas Cooper", Will Book PC1, p. 277 ]

• "Proceedings and Acts of the General Assembly, 1740-1744", Maryland State Archives (Online: msa.maryland.gov, 2020), Volume 42, pp.252-253

• Jenkins, Edward Felix. Thomas Jenkins of Maryland 1670: His Descendants and Allied Families. Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, Inc., 1985. pp. 16, 39

• Source Citation: Birth year: 1700; Birth state: MD, Source Information: Ancestry.com, Edmund West, comp.. Family Data Collection - Individual Records [database on-line].