Person:Joseph Sim (1)

Liber 31, folio 585
12 Feb. 1762
SMITH, CHRISTIAN,[widow], Prince George's Co.
- To my son Thomas Sim Lee, mulatto boy Charles, his choice of 2 of the sons of my negro wench Bett, L 50 sterl., my large church Bible, silverware, & a colt.
- To my dau. Sarah Brooke Lee, negro fellow Cesar, negro Bett & her other child, silver teapot, 2 cows & 2 mares, & negro wench Sibb, to be maintained.
- To Mrs. Elizabeth Conee, wife of Theodore Contee, my tea chest & best set of silver.
- To my bro.-in-law Clement Smith, my large China bowl & case of bottles.
- To my sister-in-law Mrs. Catherine Sim, a large China dish, a glass salver, & 2 vols. of Herveys meditations.
- To Lucy Botelar, a bed, other hhold furn., & a cow & calf.
- To my sister Barbara Smith, 1/2 doz. deep China plates & a suit of mourning.
- To my friend Mrs. Ann Holliday, the vols. of Youngs Night Thoughts & my single China mug.
- To Mrs. Sarah Chitton, my plate basket & plates, a suit of mourning, & cancellation of all debts betw. us.
- To my bro. Joseph Walter Sim, a set of China mugs.
- The residue, except my 2 negro carpenters, to my dau. Eleanor Addison Smith, & she is to be under the care of Mr. Theodore Contee.
Extr: my bro. Joseph Sim.
Witn: Richd. Smith, Moses Orme.

24 March 1762, sworn to by Orme, & Thomas Brooke, age 44 yrs., who wrote the will, swore that he later learned that sd. negro Bett had but 3 chldn. & believes Mrs. Smith intended to give her son Thomas the choice of the 2 sons of Bett & the other 2 chldn.[sic] to her dau. Sarah.

[cos1776 Note: not all individuals have been identified at this time.]
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[Identifies Joseph as a brother of Mrs. Christian Smith.]

202. Colonel Joseph Sim (20) was born in 1725. He died on Nov 27 1793. Joseph Sim lived at "Sim's Delight" in Prince George's County until at least Jul 1779, and at "Addison's Choice" in Frederick County beginning before Nov 1781. He also engaged in mercantile pursuits, and owned a storehouse in Upper Marlborough about 1765. He was in partnership with his nephew Patrick Sim Smith in the firm of Sim and Smith in Frederick, Maryland, by the early 1780's and that firm was in financial difficulties by the 1790's, requiring Sim to sell off much land to pay his debts.

He served in the lower house of the legislature, representing Prince George's County, in 1771, 1773-74. he served in the Senate in 1776-81. He was a member of the executive council in 1777, elected to fill a vacancy, and was reelected in Nov of that year, but declined to serve. He was a clerk in the Prince George's County Court from 1749 until 1767. He was a major in the Prince George's County Militia by 1751 and was appointed colonel on May 5 1774. he was colonel of the 11th battalion of Prince George's County Militia in 1776-77, resigning on Sep 23 1777. In 1780 he contributed 500 pounds current money and four hogsheads of tobacco to support the Continental Army.

In Oct 1793, Sim agreed to resurvey and sell his Frederick County plantation, consisting of about 1511 acres, in exchange for the purchaser satisfying all outstanding liens and judgments against it. He died the following month, leaving a personal estate of 1234.14.9 current money, including twenty-nine slaves. he also still held about 150 acres in Prince George's County. He was married to Katharine Murdock before 1754.
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20. Edward C. Papenfuse, et al. A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature, 1635-1789. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1979, 1985.