William Daft
Bef 1723 - 1751 (> 20 years)
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Name William Daft [1, 2] Birth Bef 1723 St. Mary's County, Maryland 
Gender Male Death Between 1743 and 1751 Person ID I2146 1665 GOUGH/GOFF (US-MD-STM/US-VA-LOU) I-Y6902-A Last Modified 20 Oct 2023
Family Elizabeth Gough, b. Bef 1716, St. Mary's County Maryland d. Between 1794 and 1796, St. Mary's County Maryland (Age > 78 years)
Other Partners: William Bowles m. Bef 1731Marriage 1743 St. Mary's County, MD Children 1. John Baptist Daft, b. 15 Mar 1759, St. Mary's County, MD d. 1801, St. Mary's County Maryland (Age 41 years)▻ Anna Spalding m. Nov 1779▻ Anna Spalding m. Nov 17792. Mary Daft, b. 6 Apr 1762, St. Mary's County, MD d. Aft 1796 (Age > 35 years)▻ _________ Joy m. Bef 1796▻ _________ Joy m. Bef 17963. Eleanor Daft, b. Bef 1766, St. Mary's County, MD d. Aft 1796 (Age > 32 years)▻ ______ Clarke m. Bef 1796▻ ______ Clarke m. Bef 17964. Elizabeth Daft, b. Bef 1766 d. Aft 1801 (Age > 37 years) ▻ ______ Clarke m. Bef 1796▻ ______ Clarke m. Bef 1796Family ID F1307 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 20 Oct 2023
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Notes - NAME: William Daft LIBER: JJ #2 FOLIO: 229
DATE OF WILL: 5/30/1796
DATE OF PROBATE: 6/3/1799
Son: John Daft, my now dwelling plantation and land, as well as any other land I may have a right to.
Daughter: Mary Joy, one cow and calf and one three foot oval table.
Son: John Daft, the use of my large oval table during his life and then to his daughter, Mary Daft.
Daughter: Eleanor Clarke, one feather bed, if she sends for it; otherwise, it is devised to my son, John Daft.
Grandson: James Daft, one shilling current money.
Daughter: Elizabeth Clarke, one shilling current money.
Son: John Daft, the balance of my estate, including my stock and household goods.
EXECUTOR(S): None specified
WITNESSES: Bennet Hopewell, Mary Hopewell, Ethelburt Cissell
Linda Reno
> Mike,
>
> How was Matthew Daft related to Benjamin Gough?
>
> 6/22/1737: Admin. accts. of Benjamin Gough, SMC. Sureties: John Greenwell, Matthew Daft. Received from: James Greenwell. Payments to: George Okill, James Gough, John Heard, Col. Richard Hopewell, Daniel Dulany, Esq. Distribution to: widow, 1/3. Residue to (orphans): Benjamin, James, Mary, Priscilla, Jane, Sarah, Elizabeth, Susanna Gough. Exec: Jane Gough. (Maryland Probate Records, 1674-1774).
>
> I know that the second wife of Matthew Daft was Elizabeth Bloomfield whose mother was Ann Daft, aunt of Matthew, but this isn't the connection. Elizabeth Bloomfield married first, Mark Herbert and she was married to him until his death in 1739. She wasn't married to Matthew Daft until 1739/1740.
>
> 12/22/1740: Admin. accts. of Mark Herbert, SMC. Sureties: Enoch Combs, Edward Cole. Execs: Matthew Daft and his wife Elizabeth Daft, Francis Herbert.
>
> Matthew Daft had been married prior to Elizabeth Bloomfield and had three children: William Daft who married Elizabeth Gough, widow of William Bould, and daughter of James Gough and Elizabeth Jarboe; Eleanor Daft who married James Roach; and John Daft, born 1736 and living as late as 1751.
>
> My guess, at this point, would be that the first wife of Matthew Daft was a daughter of Benjamin Gough or that he married Monica Gough, Benjamin's sister. Your thoughts?
>
> Linda
Linda Reno
> Mike,
>
> William Daft, son of Charles Daft, Jr. is the one mentioned in the will of William Medley, Jr. (d. 1725). Ann Reynolds was their common ancestor. She married first, William Medley, Sr. and second, Charles Daft, Sr., therefore Charles Daft, Jr. and William Medley, Jr. were half brothers.
>
> There more I'm looking at these Dafts this morning, the more I'm wondering if I haven't married Elizabeth Gough (dau. of James Gough, d. 1725 and first wife, Elizabeth Jarboe) off to the wrong William Daft. I'm now thinking she married William, son of Charles Daft, Jr., rather than William, son of Matthew. This would likely explain why William, son of Matthew, wasn't his father's administrator--he may not have been of age yet.
>
> If he'd had a will, the term executor would likely have been used, but sometimes the recordkeepers didn't always adhere to the rules. In this instance, I show no will for Matthew Daft, so the term should have been administratix vs. executrix. Luckily the records stated that Eleanor was a daughter, otherwise most of us would have given Matthew another wife!
>
> Mary Payne was the sister of Matthew Daft. Her husband was ____Payne. Donnelly says her husband was Ezekial Payne. From my notes:
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> Colonial Settlers of St. Clement's Bay by Mary Louise Donnelly states that Mary Daft was the daughter of Charles Daft and Mary French and that she married Ezekial Payne. Unless there's another Ezekial Payne, this is a problem as Ezekial Payne died prior to 1743 with a wife named Catherine and Mary Payne was living as late as 1750.
>
> I also question whether the wife of Charles Daft was Mary French. Part of my note to the list several years ago on that:
>
> Ms. Donnelly claims that the wife of James French was Elizabeth Meakins, daughter of William Meakins and Elizabeth Beard. Does anyone have anything to substantiate that? I believe she based this on the fact that William Meakins patented "Woverhampton", 150 ac. in Newtown 100, 5/3/1681 which was possessed by James French in 1707. Land was sometimes sold, not always inherited. I find no proof that the wife of James French was Elizabeth Meakins! Ms. Donnelly is also the only source that I find for a daughter named Mary French. There's really no proof of that either.
>
> James Gough was surety for Matthew Daft.
>
> 5/17/1751: Admin. accts. of Matthew Daft, SMC. Sureties: John Heard, James Gough. Received from: Mary Wheatley, William Horner. Payments to: Robert Ford, William Horner, William Medley, George Aisquith, Darby Morris, Mary Dogan, Samuel Allin, Thomas Carroll, Henry Winsitt, John Hammond, Capt. Robert Chesley, John Shisholm, Stourton Edwards. Distribution to: Eleanor (daughter), wife of James Roach, John Daft (aged 15). Admx.: Eleanor Roach, wife of James Roach.
>
> The issue is, which James Gough? Luckily, there were only two around at that time. One was James Gough, Jr. (son of James who d. 1725) who married Priscilla Heard. Since John Heard was also a surety on the estate of Matthew Daft, I thought the Heard family might be the connection. Not so sure. There was also only one John Heard around at the time. He was John Heard III and he was Priscilla's first cousin, but to me that's not a good enough explanation for him being tied to Matthew Daft.
>
> The other James Gough was the son of Benjamin Gough. Then we find that Matthew Daft was a surety on the estate of Benjamin Gough.
>
> 6/22/1737: Admin. accts. of Benjamin Gough, SMC. Sureties: John Greenwell, Matthew Daft. Received from: James Greenwell. Payments to: George Okill, James Gough, John Heard, Col. Richard Hopewell, Daniel Dulany, Esq. Distribution to: widow, 1/3. Residue to (orphans): Benjamin, James, Mary, Priscilla, Jane, Sarah, Elizabeth, Susanna Gough. Exec: Jane Gough. (Maryland Probate Records, 1674-1774).
>
> This is what I think and not what I know. Matthew Daft married one of the daughters of Benjamin Gough.
>
> Another issue raises it's ugly head. What happened to William Daft, Matthew's son? The distribution of the estate of Matthew Daft shows only distribution to daughter, Eleanor (Daft) Roach and son, John Daft, age 15. I would have to say that this William died between 1743 and 1751, therefore my thought that I'd married Elizabeth Gough to the wrong William Daft must be right!
>
> The will of Elizabeth (Bloomfield) Daft says:
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> Will of Elizabeth Dafft, SMC, 3/26/1743-8/3/1743. To: Son-in-law, William Dafft, land father James Bloomfield now lives on. In event of his death with (should be without) heirs, to pass to son-in-law, John Dafft. Wit.: Enoch Combs, Mary Combs, William Dafft. Note: This will is written with permission of testator's husband, Matthew. (Maryland Calendar of Wills).
>
> Since this will names William first, my belief is that he was older than John.
>
> Elizabeth (Bloomfield) Daft was the daughter of James Bloomfield and first wife, Mary _____. She could not have been the daughter of Ann Daft, James Bloomfield's second wife because that would have made her a half niece of her husband, Matthew Daft. Didn't happen.
>
> Now to round out all of this mess, Matthew Daft turns up as one of the sureties on the estate of Stephen Nottingham.
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> 11/10/1746: Admin. accts. of Stephen Nottingham, SMC. Sureties: Matthew Daft, John Cole. Exec: Athanasius Nottingham.
>
> Did Matthew Daft marry third, a daughter of Stephen Nottingham? The other possibility is that Mary, sister of Stephen Nottingham, was the first wife of Matthew Daft. Another possibility is that Mary ____, first wife of James Bloomfield was Mary Nottingham. At this point, I don't know.
>
> Sure would like some feedback!
>
> Linda Reno
- NAME: William Daft LIBER: JJ #2 FOLIO: 229
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