Tabitha Brumbley (ca. 1732-aft. 1806)
Tabitha Brumbley was born around 1732 to Nathaniel and Tabitha Brumbley. The surname Brumley (also spelled Bromley) is composed of two Saxon words brōm (broom) and lēah (woodland clearing), meaning a clearing where broom grew. When surnames became popular in England after the Crusades, some large, landed proprietors with extensive broom fields adopted this surname. The towns were named after the families that originally settled there.[1] The surname also appears as Brownbill and Brumble in court documents and tax records.
Tabitha’s Parents
Fortunately, land records confirm the names of Tabitha’s parents. On April 12, 1765, Nathaniel Brumbley sold Jacob and Tabitha Pain 100 acres of a tract of land called Old Berry for 5£. In the deed, Nathaniel expressed his love and affection for his daughter.[2] When her mother, also named Tabitha, wrote her will, she bequeathed one pewter dish and one shilling sterling to her daughter Taby Pain.[3]
Nathaniel Brumbley first appeared in Somerset County, Maryland, court records when he witnessed the will of John Jones in 1718.[4] On May 13, 1720, he purchased 300 acres of land known as Piney Heap from Benjamin and Sarah Aydelotte.[5] He appeared on the tax lists for Mattapany Hundred in Somerset County, Maryland, from 1723 to 1740.[6]
There are no records identifying Nathaniel Brumbley’s parents or where he was born. On November 17, 1744, he purchased 100 acres of land called Rotten Quarter from Henry Brumbley.[7] While some researchers believe that Henry was Nathaniel’s father, it’s more likely he was his brother. Henry also appeared on the tax lists for Mattapany Hundred, and in 1734, a dependent of his named John appeared for the first time.[8] This suggests that Henry had a son born around 1718, making it more likely he was Nathaniel’s brother rather than his father.
Probate records for Nathaniel Brumbley’s estate after his death in 1765 confirm that his wife’s name was Tabitha.[9] Tabitha’s will, dated February 12, 1766, provides further evidence that Nathaniel Brumbley was married to a woman named Tabitha.[10] Unfortunately, there is no evidence of Tabitha’s surname. Some researchers believe her surname is Littleton because she named her youngest son Littleton. This would be consistent with naming conventions at the time.
Tabitha’s Second Husband
When Jacob Paine died in 1773, Tabitha was left with five young children to care for. Her youngest son, John, was a newborn. Twenty years later, after all her children had grown, she married John Chaille in either March or April 1793. On March 13, 1793, Tabitha was listed as Tabitha Pain for debts owed to the estate of John Shelby.[11] On April 26, 1793, she was identified as the wife of John Chaille when they sold part of Old Berry to Tabitha’s son Jeptha.[12] They sold another section of Old Berry to Tabitha’s son Jacob on November 24, 1798.[13]
It appears that John Chaille had a difficult life. On March 19, 1767, his house caught fire, and his then-wife and another woman were severely burned. They were probably injured while trying to save a young child who perished in the flames.[14] John Chaille must have struggled financially, as evidenced by his sale of two enslaved persons to Robert Mills for 55£ on July 24, 1783.[15] On February 28, 1784, he transferred all his property to Major Jones, the husband of Tabitha’s daughter Mary, to settle debts owed to the heirs of Jacob Paine.[16] On June 1, 1784, he sold items to John Purnell to pay off debts he owed.[17]
Tabitha’s Death
Tabitha died sometime after January 18, 1806, when she and John Chaille sold part of Old Berry to Stephen Chaille.[18] I could not locate a will for Tabitha or any probate records.
Footnotes
[1] Bromley, Viola A. The Bromley Genealogy: Being a record of the descendants of Luke Bromley of Warwick, R.I., and Stonington, Conn. (New York: Frederick H. Hitchcock Genealogical Publisher, 1911) xi.
[2] Maryland, Worcester County. Land Records Liber F, 1763-66, pp. 330-333 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS1K-F9F2-N.
[3] Maryland, Worcester County. Wills Liber J.W. No. 3, 1759-69, 111-112 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9TBJ-9H19.
[4] Baldwin, Jane. The Maryland Calendar of Wills, 1713-1720, Volume 4.(Baltimore MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1914) 195.
[5] Maryland, Somerset County. Land and Court Records, 1719-1731, p. 60 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89XH-XXGD.
[6] Maryland, Somerset County. Tax Lists 1723-1759. Maryland State Archives C1812 https://guide.msa.maryland.gov/pages/series.aspx?id=C1812.
[7] Maryland, Worcester County. Land Records, Liber A, 1742-47, pp. 257-259 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QZ-CQWT-H.
[8] Maryland, Somerset County. Tax Lists 1723-1759, 1734 Tax List https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/coagser/c1800/c1812/html/tax1734.html
[9] Maryland, Worcester County. Administrators Bonds Liber J.W. No. 6 1762-71, pp. 115-116 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9T1V-2WZ.
[10] Maryland, Worcester County. Wills Liber J.W. No. 3, 1759-69, pp. 111-112 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9TBJ-9H19.
[11] Maryland, Worcester County. Unreadable, pp. 68-69 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYH-Y3SM-N.
[12] Maryland, Worcester County. Land Records, Liber P, 1792-94, p. 75-76 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK4-89JN-S.
[13] Maryland, Worcester County. Land Records, Liber T, 1798-1800, p. 64 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK4-8916-8.
[14] Maryland Gazette. Thursday, March 19, 1767, page 2 https://www.newspapers.com/image/590944211/.
[15] Maryland, Worcester County. Land Records, Liber I, 1771-76, p. 566 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSGD-19RZ-B.
[16] Ibid, p. 613 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSGD-19RC-4.
[17] Maryland, Worcester County. Land Records, Liber L, 1784-86, p. 3 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK4-D9FC-K.
[18] Maryland, Worcester County. Land Records, Liber Y, 1806-07, pp. 8-9 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSG6-HC84.
