James Smallwood was a very early settler to what is now the United States, coming to what is now Maryland from England in 1664. He was a man of prominence and on April 8, 1692, he resided in Charles County in Maryland and was appointed to deal with Indians as he was a near neighbor to and well acquainted with most or all of the Indians of the that county. In various records he is listed as a lieutenant and a major, but his name is most often associated with the title of colonel. From 1692 unitl his death he represented Charles County in the Maryland assembly and the archives of that period are replete with references to him. Colonel Smallwood's will is dated Sep 16, 1712, and was probated in Charles County, Jan 12, 1714. He styled himself as of Charles County, yet his will indicates that he was living at that time on his plantation, "Beau Plains" in Prince George County, Maryland.
He was twice married. His first wife was Mary Thompson and his second wife was Hester Evans. With Hester Evans, he had eleven children: John, Ledstone, James, Mary, Matthew, Thomas, William, Pryor, Benjamin, Byne and Sarah. It is from Ledstone that I am descended. Additionally, both the names Ledstone and Smallwood became attached to several later ancestors.
Most of the information in the last two paragraphs is taken from the Truman Library website. However, there is quie a bit of information about Col. Smallwood and his descendants available on the internet. The Smallwood name is attached to many places in Maryland. In earlier research, I found that Col. James Smallwood owned several plantations and one of his great-grandsons, William Smallwood, was an important general in the Revolutionary War and later a governor of Maryland.
Last revised on August 2, 2023.