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Henry Poole grew up in an area known as the "Western Falls of the Patapsco," a reference to the upper reaches of the Patapsco River, which forms the border of Howard and Carroll Counties in north-central Maryland (formerly parts of Anne Arundel and Baltimore Counties, respectively).
Before settling in Frederick County, Henry Poole lived for a time on Hopsons Choice, a tract straddling the county line, owned by his father-in-law, Luke Mercer.
Although proof is lacking, compelling evidence suggests that Henry Poole, Sr. was the son of Basil and Lois (Shipley) Pool/Poole. Basil Pool (with alternate spellings of "Basill," "Bazill," and "Poole") owned a tract of land called Pools Chance adjacent to Hopsons Choice in what is now Howard County. Significantly, Henry named a son Basil. Another son was named Brice, perhaps for Lois's sister-in-law, Abigail Brice.
There remain some lingering doubts regarding Henry's the connection to Basil and Lois Pool. Mention of Henry is conspicuously missing from Basil's will, which names two other sons, Samuel and Charles. However, a 1773 deed refers to Henry Poole of (then) "Ann Arundel County," placing him on the portion of Luke Mercer's property immediately adjacent to Basil Pool's
land. . On balance, it seems reasonable to conclude that Basil and Lois Pool were indeed
Henry's parents.
According to family Bible records, Henry was born about June 1740. Assuming he was the son of Basil and Lois Pool, he was probably born in Elk Ridge in Howard County, about 10 miles south of Baltimore. When Henry was about 3 years of age, the family moved further west to Pools Chance, a tract patented by his father south of the Patapsco River near Bridge Branch. On
one side of Pools Chance was a tract known as Mercers Friendship (later called Hopsons Choice), patented by Luke Mercer. On the other side was Shipleys Adventure, patented by Lois's brother, Richard Shipley.
The 1790 census indicated that Henry Poole Sr.'s family included the
following: 7 free white males, 16 or over; 3 free white males, under 16; 5 free white females; and 10 slaves.
By 1775, the year he remarried, Henry Poole and his family had moved to the Woodville District in Frederick County, about 15 miles west of the Western Falls of Patapsco area. In 1783 and 1784 he was an overseer of a road leading from the "upper part of Col. Dorsey's Quarter to the extent of the County."
In 1778, Henry purchased from John Dorsey 214 1/4 acres of a tract called Mt. Pleasant, and another 250-acre section in 1787. In 1793, he patented a 1022 + acre tract known as Pools Industry, which apparently incorporated his portions of Mt. Pleasant. And in 1795, Henry purchased from William Cumming part of the tract known as Friendship.
Friendship, which is located on the south side of Linganore Creek, is the location of the Poole House, a grand structure of stone and stucco which exhibits extraordinary craftsmanship. A number of outbuildings are adjacent to the house, including a spring house, a smokehouse (dated 1827), and a log cabin which probably predates the house. Tax records from 1798 refer to
a "stone dwelling & kitchen" on the Friendship property. Indeed, the ruins of an outdoor kitchen are still visible adjoining the north wall, which is believed to be the newer portion of the house. Thus, the oldest part of the house may well date from the time of the Revolutionary War.
However, this is not the only Poole home remaining in Frederick County. A few miles away, on Pooles Industry, stands another home once owned by the Pooles, where Charlotte's brother Brice raised his family in the early 1800s. The original log cabin portion is believed to date from 1780, which is just 2 years after Henry Poole made his first land purchase in the area. Tax records from 1798 indicate Henry Poole owned "2 log dwelling houses, barn and outhouses" on this property. Because Pooles Industry predates Henry Poole's purchase of Friendship, the family may have lived there before moving to the stone house on Linganore Creek. In fact, this may well be the house where Charlotte and some of her siblings were born. It contains an attic, loft, basement, and signs of a "borning room."
Henry Poole, Sr. apparently made his living as a tobacco farmer, as documents refer to him as a "planter" and to his tobacco crops. Millstones still on the property suggest the Pooles may have operated a mill, presumably on the banks of Linganore Creek. Within the village of Linganore
are remnants of a stone building known as Poole's Store which once serve as a post office.
In 1778, during the Revolutionary War, Henry Poole took an "oath of fidelity and support." Although there is no record of his taking up arms, this document entitles descendants to claim membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In 1776 and again in 1796, Henry Poole was listed as a voter in Frederick County. On July 14, 1810, the following notice appeared in the Frederick-Town Herald: "Henry Poole, Sen., living on Linganore, offers reward for negro Davy, 5 ft 5 inch, 29, born nr Annapolis."
Henry Poole, Sr. died on March 10, 1815, presumably at the Poole home in Linganore. No gravestone has been found, but it seems likely he was buried in an unmarked grave in the family cemetery on a bluff overlooking the Poole House, where Henry, Jr. is buried. It appears that Henry never learned to read and write, as he signed the will with only the letter "H."
Henry Poole Sr.'s will extends for 10 pages, and his accounts indicate a net worth of over $17,000, a quite substantial amount for his day. His extensive landholdings were given to his wife and sons Henry Jr., Dennis, Brice, and Frederick. Charlotte Marquam was given 386 pounds, and different amounts were given to Basil, Barbara, Sarah, and Elizabeth.
Most of the 12 Poole children married and raised families. Here is what we know about them:
Henry, Jr., b. 11/26/1764, d. 3/8/1822; m. 1790, Margaret James;
ch: Daniel J., Margaret, Lucy, Matilda, Bushrod, Joseph James, Henry,
Thornton
Barbara, b. ca. 1765; m. 1789, James Wagers
Luke, d. before 1809
Dennis, b. 3/31/1769, d. 1/2X/1832; m. 2/2//1794, Henrietta Gaither; ch: Elizabeth Gaither, William Henry, Kitty, Ann, Henrietta Hanson, Thomas Ephraim Davis, Martha Gaither, Dennis, Richard D.
Frederick, d. ca. 1815; m. 12/9/1806, Mary Wood; ch: Achsah
Ann, d. before 1815; m. 2/28/1792 or 3/13/1792, Vachel Dorsey and 1796, Lyde Griffith ch: (by Dorsey) Harriet, John Henry; (by Griffith) Elizabeth, Rachel Warfield.
Brice, b. ca. 1771, d. 1820?; m. 12/11/1795, Achsah James; ch: Pamela, Rodney, Elizabeth, George Washington, Susannah.
Peregrine, d. after 1/1830
Elizabeth, b. ca. 1774, d. 12/4/1814; m. 9/27/1796, Michael Dorsey.
Sarah, b. ca. 1780; m. 1807, Augustus Learned.
Charlotte, b. 9/8/1784 (or possibly 1782), d. 1849; m. 1/22/1807, Philip Winchester Marquam; ch: Elizabeth, William Earl, Sarah Ann; Pamelia; Charlotte, Alfred, Henry, Philip Augustus, Mary Jane, Louisa.
Basil, d. ca. 1815-16; m. 1813, Sarah Harrison.
Bible and family records identify Sarah Mercer as the mother of Dennis and Frederick Poole. All of the children born before 1775 were presumably Sarah's and were probably born in Howard Co. Those born after 1775 were Elizabeth's and were probably born in Frederick Co.
Charlotte Mercer Poole was born on September 8, 1784 in Frederick County, Maryland. On January 22, 1807, she married Philip Winchester Marquam, a young carpenter and cabinet-maker from England.
Charlotte came from a prominent Frederick County family. Her father, Henry Poole, Sr., owned a large estate on the banks of Linganore Creek in Frederick County. Her mother, Elizabeth Mercer, came from a well-to-do family in Baltimore County. At least three 17th- and early 18th-century
homes associated with the Pooles and Marquams are still standing today in Frederick Co.
BACK TO HOMEPAGE
POOLES OF ENGLISH ROYALTY
CAPTAIN EDWARD POOLE, first Poole in America
BASILL POOLE, of Anne Arundel County
THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN CONNECTION
BASILL POOLE, JUNIOR, of Anne Arundel County
BASIL POOLE III of Mongomery Co.MD & Trumbull Co. OH
MATTHIAS POOLE son of Basil III, with a list of descendants of Matthias
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