THE DALLAM LINE
David E. Dallam in the “Dallam Family” published by George Buchanan Co., of Philadelphia, PA, 1929 says the first legal record of Richard Dallam was in 1701 and from this date until his death he held prominent legislative positions. “On 6/22/1714 it was reported to the House of Delegates, Richard Dallam had died”. He was a pewholder in All Saints Parish, Calvert County, Maryland, June 2nd, 1702, a vestryman in 1704 and as late as 1713. His wife Betty Martin Dallam filed administration papers 5/4/1715 as Elizabeth Smith.
Betty Martin was a daughter of William Martin of the “Clifts”, a landowner in Calvert County in 1677. William Martin died in 1690 and his will was proved 8/31/1690, and he devised to a daughter Elizabeth Martin under 16 years of age. On May 1st , 1712 Elizabeth had received a bequest form the same party 5/1/1702 as executor for her guardian John Scott. Betty Martin Dallam married William Smith before 5/4/1715. William Smith died 1/11/1731 and his will was proved in Harford County, Maryland 3/4/1731. Elizabeth Martin Dallam Smith lived at Cranberry Hall and died there 12/31/1778 at a advanced age. There were three children of the Smith marriage. Elizabeth who married John Paca, Frances who married Dr. William Middlemore Dallam son of Josias William Dallam and Elizabeth Johnson and Winston who married Priscilla Paca.
The Dallam Genealogy at the Peabody Library, Baltimore, MD differs with the above, it says “The ancestor of the Dallam family was one of the sons of Richard Dallam, an attorney from Hertfordshire, England, and was said to be a nephew of Sarah Jennings the first Duchess of Marlborough. That Richard Dallam came to America about the beginning of the eighteenth century and settled at Joppa, formerly the County seat of Baltimore County, (MD). Shortly after his arrival in America he married Elizabeth Martin, who came to America in the same vessel, and she was known as “Betty Steptoe”. Richard Dallam died 9/17/1726. Richard Dallam, the son who married Frances Wallace was at the Annapolis Convention of 6/22/1774 with John Love, Jacob and Thomas Bond, John Paca and Edward Hall.”
A book “Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough” written by Campbell, pages 22 and 23 to be found in the History Section of the Pratt Library, Baltimore, throws some light on the family background of Richard Dallam. “A Sir Richard Jennings of Hertfordshire, England had a son Richard who married Frances. Richard and Frances had three daughters and two sons. Of the daughters, Sarah married John Churchill, Frances married Richard Dallam and Barbara remained single.”
The two genealogies mentioned are not, as said before, in complete accord. Together they give this picture:
Children of Richard and Elizabeth Martin Dallam (1):
ELIZABETH DALLAM (2) married Samuel Webster 2/22/1726
CHRISTIAN DALLAM (2) married Richard Caswell, supposed to be a nephew of William Smith
JOSIAH WILLIAM DALLAM (2) died 9/21/1761 married 1/10/1737 Elizabeth Johnson born 1719
RICHARD DALLAM (2) married Frances Wallace and their children:
WILLIAM DALLAM (3) born 11/13/1735
RICHARD DALLAM (3) who never married
WINSTON DALLAM (3) who married 1/9/1772 Margaret Cover
JOHN DALLAM (3) who married 1st Susan Cole, 2nd Mary Wilson
SAMUEL DALLAM (3) who married Joseph Toy 5/29/1770
ANNE DALLAM (3) born 12/10/1739
Elizabeth Smith daughter of William and Elizabeth Dallam Smith married John Paca born 1712 son of Aquilla Paca, and became the parents of William Paca born 1740, Governor of Maryland, 1782-85, Delegate to the Continental Congress, State Senator, Chief Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was present when George Washington resigned he commission at Annapolis 1783 and was President of the Maryland Chapter, Order of the Cincinatti and was United States Judge from 1789 until his death. (Paca Genealogy, Maryland Historical Society).
THE DESCENDANTS OF JOSEPH AND FRANCES DALLAM TOY
JOSEPH TOY (4) son of Elias and Elizabeth Wood Toy was born in Chester Township, Burlington County, New Jersey 1748 and was 14 years of age at the death of his father. He married 5/29/1770 Frances daughter of Richard and Frances Dallam (2) of Bush River at St. John’s Episcopal Church. (Spesutia). He married 2nd 3/27/1788 Mary Sparrow. (Brumbaugh’s Early American Records, M.H.S.)
Joseph Toy was by vocation an Educator. Previous to his marriage he had been teaching in Burlington, but in 1771 moving to Trenton he conducted a boys’ school with high educational standards, and continued this until 1776, when he moved to Abington, Maryland at Bishop Avery’s request. The Maryland Historical Society of 1952 # 47, p. 138 reveals that on July 3rd, 1784, John Paca for the sum of five (5) shillings, conveyed lot # 40 in Abington to Richard Dallam, Joseph Toy, James Wetheral, James Lytle, Stephen, Walter, and Henry Watters, Bernard Preston and Thomas Kell. On this site the first Methodist College in America was founded in 1875 and was called Cokesbury for Bishops Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury. The first President was Dr. Jacob Hall and the professors appointed with him were Rev. Joseph Hargrove, Joseph Toy and Charles Tait.
As a silversmith Rev. Toy was well known both in New Jersey and Maryland and was what was known in those days as a journeyman, in other words, a silversmith who had learned his trade. Some of his handiwork can be found at the Baltimore Museum of Art and is among the choice items owned by collectors of early American silver. His trademark Y T (Yosef Tay). Joseph Toy died 6/28/1826 and was buried from his residence 47 Front St. 8/301826 according to the Baltimore American and Daily Advertiser, Newspaper Files, found at the Peabody Library.
Preston in his history of Harford County says Joseph Toy served as a private in Captain Stewart’s Company, 51st Regiment, 1776 and served as an overseer of the State Road in 1784. According to the Land Record Office, Belair, MD Court House on 12/1/1780 Joseph Toy, the Silversmith bought lots # 9 and # 26 at Abington form John Paca (JGD D-39). Following this purchase he bought at least two other properties at Abington. On October 9, 1786 he sold a lot to Philip Henderson with the consent of Frances, his wife (JGD J-472). The last recorded piece of property was sold to William Allen 9/5/1816 and was located in Abington (JGD Z-312). In 1798 we find Joseph toy conducting a school at the rear of the Methodist Meeting House, on Light Street, Baltimore.
The United States Census of 1790 records only one family by the name of Toy in Maryland, that of Joseph Toy of Harford County, consisting of “Two white males, including the head of the house, four white males under sixteen, and two white females.” Unfortunately Joseph Toy left no estate, his 2nd wife Mary died 3/10/1825, (Baltimore American and Daily Advertiser). The Methodist Historical Society were unable to furnish the names or any records of his children. By following every clue the names of his children and some fact about each was uncovered. They were:
Isaac Nicholas Toy (5)
John H. Toy (5)
Joseph Toy, Jr. (5)
Dr. Richard Dallam Toy (5)
James Toy (5)
William Peter Toy (5)
Anne Toy (5)
Frances Toy (5)
ISAAC NICHOLAS TOY (5) born 5/30/1771 died 11/3/1834 married 3/18/1793 Frances Dallam, a cousin, daughter of John Dallam and Mary Wilson (Marriage License Bureau, B-1, p. 22, Court House, Belair, MD). She was born 3/10/1773 and died 4/18/1836. The will of Isaac N. Toy is filed in B-15, p.158 at the Register of Wills, Court House, Baltimore, Maryland, and the will of Frances his wife is filed in B-16, p. 43 in the same office. Isaac N. Toy learned the art of the silversmith from his father Joseph Toy and the Old Baltimore Directories indicate he had many and varied business interests. In 1796 we find him a Trunk and Umbrella Maker at 127 W. Baltimore St., in 1803 a schoolmaster on Bank St., 1810 a grocer at Pratt and Sharp streets, in 1814 a clerk at 51 Front St., and finally in 1829 as a member of I. N. Toy and W. R. Lucas, Stationers, and at this time he was also a Bookkeeper for the Franklin Bank, at 47 N. Front St. According to their will Isaac N. and Frances toy left 3 children:
JOHN DALLAM TOY (6) born 6/28/1794 (First Presbyterian Church Records, Maryland H. S.) died 2/4/1875 married 11/11/1819 Margaret Smith by Rev. Joseph Toy. She was born in 1779 and died 2/25/1863. John Dallam Toy was the noted Baltimore printer. (See the Diehlman File, Maryland H. S. )
JOSEPH NICHOLAS TOY (6) born 3/10/1800 died 2/4/1848 married 12/161821 Eliza Ann Allen born 3/10/1808 died 12/10/1886. Joseph N. Toy was the Bookseller, Baltimore and Holiday Streets. (Mr. Dielhman’s File, Maryland H. S., Maryland Marriages, Court of Common Pleas and Old Baltimore Directories)
SUSANNAH DALLAM TOY (6) born 10/16/1798. (First Presbyterian Church Records, Maryland H. S.) (In the will of her parents she is mentioned as Susannah Smith.)
JOSEPH TOY, Jr., (5) is listed in the Old Baltimore
Directories of 1812 as a Grocer located at 107 N. Howard St. The list of
letters in the Baltimore Post Office advertised in the Baltimore American and
Daily Advertiser of 1/5/1816 contains the name of Joseph
Toy, Jr., Maryland Marriages, Court of Common Pleas registers his marriage to
Sarah Owings 2/26/1811.
DR. RICHARD DALLAM TOY (5) died 8/9/1827 and was buried from 47 N. Front St., the former residence of his father. (Baltimore American and Daily Advertiser)
JAMES TOY (5) is listed in the Old Baltimore Directories 1796 as an Innkeeper, at 52 Market Place.
WILLIAM PETER TOY (5) is first found in a land record dated 1803 filed in the Record Office, Baltimore Court House (WO 92 L F B-13 LRO). 2nd in the office of the Register of Wills, Baltimore Court House, the Orphans Court Docket (B-4, F-463), the ward W. Peter Toy. Guardian appointed Isaac N. Toy, Securities: William Dallam, William Toy, John D. Toy and Joseph N. Toy, 12/5/1826. The Baltimore Directories of 1827-29 list William Toy as a Merchant of Dry Goods, 11 Baltimore St. and 65 Front St. Mr. Diehlman;s File, Maryland Historical Society records the death of Julianna Toy, consort of William in New York City 4/3/1837.
ANNE TOY (5) was married by Minister Bond of the Lovely Lane Meeting House 12/24/1794 to David Shipley (Maryland Marrieages),
FRANCES TOY (5) as also married by Minister Bond 4/12/1796 to Lewis Nathan (Maryland Marriages).
JOHN H. TOY (5) born 1772 married 2/4/1793 Mary Anne Carlin daughter of George Carlin of My Lady’s Manor, Harford County. (Marriage License in B-1, p. 22, Court House, Belair, Maryland)
TO SUPPLEMENT THE DALLAM LINE. Throwing further light on Frances Wallis or Wallace who married Richard Dallam (2). The Parochial Records of All Saints Church, P. E., of Calvert County, p. 103 at the Maryland Historical Society incorporates the names of two vestrymen from the 6th Precinct on 6/2/1729, as Samuel Wallace and Richard Dallam. This Richard Dallam was #2, as his father had died in 1714. In the will of Arthur Young of Calvert County probated 7/25/1711, we find his daughter Frances married to Frances Young. Later from the records of St. George’s P. E. Church, Bush River, Harford County at the Maryland Historical Society that Richard Dallam (2) and Frances his wife and Samuel Wallace and Cassandra his wife were living at Bush River because the following births are registered in the church records:
WILLIAM DALLAM born 11/13/1735 son of Richard and Frances Dallam,
SAMUEL DALLAM born 10/13/1737 son of Richard and Frances Dallam,
ANNE DALLAM born 12/10/1739 daughter of Richard and Frances Dallam,
JOHN WALLIS born 5/12/1732 son of Samuel and Cassandra Wallace,
MARY WALLIS born 11/24/1734 daughter of Samuel and Cassandra Wallis,
SAMUEL WALLIS born 4/21/1736 son of Samuel and Cassandra Wallis.