William Pollitt

1780 Princess Anne Co., Princess Anne Battalion, MD Militia

When Thomas Pollitt died in 1788, he bequeathed to son William, part of a land tract called "Holdfast" and "Chestnut Hall" both in Worcester Co., also a cow and yearling, one heifer, a book called Burket on the New Testament and, to son Samuel, part of tract "Holdfast" next to land given to son William Pollitt, also a cow and yearling, one heifer, my big Bible and feather bed/furniture. Thomas Pollitt had purchased the 400 acre tract "Holdfast" in 1769 from Richard Hull/Hall of Virginia and, in 1771, he had the 30 acre tract "Chestnut Hall" surveyed for him for which he received a land patent in 1773. So, in his will, Thomas was dividing those tracts between his son William and Samuel with Samuel getting the NE portion of "Holdfast" and William the portion on the SW plus the nearby tract "Chestnut Hall." From here, we will track William Pollitt, who was the brother of Rebecca (Pollitt) Morris and uncle to James Morris aforementioned.

William Pollitt took his 230 acres of the Holdfast/Chestnut Hall combination and began to expand his holdings in the area considerably. Here are his holdings he acquired through land warrants, the first two he had patented while his father was still living near the lands he eventually inherited so it was natural for him to have received the land he did from his father Thomas Pollitt:

-1775, he has surveyed the tract "Timber Lot" for 153 acres
-1784, he has two tracts surveyed; "Addition To Timber Lot" for 121 acres and "Fooks Disappointment" for 20 acres
-1791, "Bachelors Lot" for 187 acres
-1794, "Hog Range" for 34¾ acres
-1795, "Pollitt's Discovery" for 98 acres
-1801, two tracts, "Pollitt's Second Discovery" for 125 acres and "Gum Branch" for 30½ acres
-1802, three tracts, "Mill Support" for 1¼ acres, "Addition To Hog Range" for 42 acres, "Buck Hall" for 186 acres
-1805, the tract "Hard Struggle" comprised of two disjointed tracts totaling 111 acres

He also purchased some land; "Carey's Folly" for 50 acres and "Hacklah and "Venture" for 150 acres total. Adding these 200 acres to the 923½ acres patented to the 230 acres he already owned and we get a sizable holding of 1353½ acres of land - over two square miles! And, on top of this, he had also purchased saw mills from Robert Nairn which was not trivial for, on Jan 16 1801, Pollitt purchased a 1/3^rd share of interest in the mills and land in the tracts "Austins Security" for 104 acres and "Hunger & Thirst" for 107 acres for £450 of Maryland money (WoLR-U:10). These tracts today are located to include Morris Mill Pond and along Division Street at the intersection of Morris Mill Road on the NE side of Fruitland, MD about 2½ miles distant from the Pollitt/Morris plantation house.

All this wealth accumulated for a man who was a bachelor until age 47 (hence his 1791 "Bachelors Lot" patent) when he married Sally Irving in 1803. She was closing in on age 40 at the time herself and the couple had no known children (at least none that survived childhood). So, when William Pollitt died in late 1815 or perhaps January of 1816, he left his vast holdings to his siblings and their children.

William Pollitt wrote his will on Mar 22 1814 and it was proven in Worcester Co. on Jan 19 1816:
- To sister-in-law Nelly Pollitt, the land I bought of Robert Ellegood in Somerset Co. called "Hacklah" and "Venture" laid out for 150a
- To Nelly Pollitt's children Gilliss, Nelly and Easther all the personal estate in my possession
- To dearly beloved wife Sally, my white horse and riding carriage
- To sister Jane Pollitt, my big riding sorrell mare and riding sulkey and negro girl Elisar
- To nephew James Morris 700a of land with my dwelling plantation laid off in it
- To my negro man Tite and his wife Rachel their freedom and their name shall be Titus and Rachel Frost
- To negro Tite Frost a tract of land called "Careys Folly" containing 50a taken up by one Margaret Carey
- I give to Tite Frost his son forever.
- To sister Jane Pollitt a home with my nephew James Morris or $60/year to be paid by him as long as she remains single
- To nephew James Morris all my title to the mills and lands I bought of Robert and wife Polly Nearn (Nairn)
- To nephew Levin Morris, all remaining land
- To sister Jane Pollitt and nephews James and Levin Morris, all remaining personal estate
- Nephews James and Levin Morris to be sole executors.
Witnesses: Eben Disharoon, Kirk Gunby, Joshua Hayman (WoW-1813/22:155)

William married Sarah (Sally) Irving on 10 Jun 1803 in Somerset Co., MD. (Sarah (Sally) Irving was born about 1765 in MD and died before 1846 in Worcester Co., MD.)