Person:Joseph Belt (2)

From Kathy Davis at worldconnect Was the Captain of the ship "Matilda" in the MD Navy, Baltimore privateer 22 guns and 70 man crew, ship owned by John Dorsey & Co. 1. Genealogical Records of MD, Vol 1, 1941-2, NSDAR Library 2. IGI-Belt-MD 3. Will, dtd 14 June 1761, proved 14 September 1761 ++++ in the MARYLAND GAZETTE: of July 2, 1761 carried the following notice: Died: Friday night last at his plantation in Prince George's County, aged 86 years, Col. Joseph Belt whose death is supposed to be occassioned by grief for the death of his son a few weeks before. The place of Joseph's burial cannot be located by any known stone. "THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY STORY" published by the Montgomery Co., Historical Society- Vol XII No 3 May, 1969 +++++ In 1727, after Hester's death, Col. Joseph Belt m. widow Margery Sprigg, daughter of Captain John Wright (FMMB, 49-50). ++++++ His estate was called "Chevy Chase". Joseph took the name of his estate from "The Ancient Ballad of Chevy Chase". According to the Ballad, a battle took place in the Cheviot Hills close to the border between Endgland and Scotland. It contained 560 acres at first, but was later enlarged to 1000 acres. According to the patent, Joseph was to: "have and to hold the same # forever to be holden of us and our heirs as of our Manor of Calveton in free and common soccage by fealty only for all manner of services Yielding and Paying therefore yearly unto us and our heirs at our receipt at the City of Saint Marys at the two most usual feasts in the year (viz) the feast of th Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Michael the Arch Angel by even and equal protions the rent of one pound two shillings and five pence Sterling in Silver or Gold". At the time no doubt the price was normal, but compared with the price of the land in Chevy Chase today, Joseph got quite a bargain. In 1725 Joseph built the Chevy Chase Manor house. It stod until 1907. The name, which he subsequently adopted for the entire new subdivision, can be traced to the larger tract of land called "Cheivy Chace" that was patented to Colonel Joseph Belt from Lord Baltimore on July 10, 1725. It has historic associations to a 1388 battle between Lord Percy of England and Earl Douglas of Scotland. At issue in this "chevanchec" (a Scottish word describing a border raid) were hunting grounds or a "chace" in the Cheviot Hills of Northumberland and Otterburn. Part of the land patented in 1725 to Colonel Belt was sold in 1815 to Assistant Postmaster General Abraham Bradley. It was later acquired by businessmen and speculators, and then sold to the Chevy Chase Land Company. ++++++++ Col Joseph Belt Will June 14 1761- Sept 14 1761 Book 1 p 539 P.G.Co.

Margerey Belt wife dwelling plantation Chelsea, 10 Negroes Humphrey Belt S dwelling plantation Chelsea Joseph Sprigg Gr son 4 slaves Rachel Sprigg mother of Joseph Tobias S Slaves Thomas Sprigg Jr. Son of Rachal Osborn Sprigg Son of Rachal Mary Pindle D 10 lbs Margery Lyles D 5 shillings Jeremiah Sprigg S 2 tract in P.G.Co. Good Luck and Addition to Richard Belt Gr son Son of Jeremiah Slaves. Thomas Belt son of Joseph Belt Jr. tract Chevy Chase equally divided, Senecca Hills Fred Co, Watermill on Collington Branch William Belt son of Joseph Belt Jr. tract Chevy Chase equally divided, Watermill on Collington Branch Josph Belt son of Joseph Belt Jr. Tract called Friendship in Frederick Co. Ann Belt Negroes Elizabeth Belt Negroes

Charles Belt Negroes

Ann Belt daughter in law Thompsons Lot wife of Joseph Edward Sprigg Exec. J. Sprigg Wit Joseph Ray Wit John Perry Wit +++++++++++++++ 1717 at death of Col. Ninian Beall, Joseph Belt awarded part of "Good Luck" in PG County, 243 acres +++++++++++++++ Maryland Heritage-A Family History by Katherine Beall Adams On page 82: Chevy Chase....was patented (by Col. Jos. Belt) on January 12, 1721, a 550 acre tract which later became one of the most fashionable suburbs of Washington, (D.C.) ++++++++++ The arms of Col. Joseph Belt: Argent (silver), a fess checky or and azure (gold & blue) between three lions' heads erased, gules (red). Crest--on a wreath, a hand and arm in armor, bent at the elbow, grasping a sword proper, pommel & hilt or.

Motto: Tempus Edax Rerum. +++++++++++++++ Col. Belt had three sons and 8 grandsons in the American revolution, later generations included governors and a United States Senator. FROM C.C. Magruder, Jr's book on COLONEL JOSEPH BELT: "A number of Col Belt's descendants figured in the Revolutionary War and later in state and national government. Son James was a Naval Commander of the Johnson, The Montgomery and the Lively. Sons Tobias and Humphrey were Captains of Militia. Grandson Henry Claggett was a volunteer soldier. Among his Sprigg family grandchildren were Frederick Sprigg, Major; Thomas Sprigg, Captain; and later a member of Congress; Osborn Sprigg, Jr. a signer of the ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND FREEMEN, dated one year-less three weeks- before the Declaration of Independence, of his Belt grandchildren, Humphrey Belt served as a marine and Tobias Belt as a First Lt. John Sprigg Belt personally recruited fifteen members of a company of which organization he was made a 2nd Lt, and fought at White Plains, where his brother Richard Belt fell mortally wounded. His service continued throughout the war under General John Edgar Howard, Col Otto H Williams and Col John Stewart, participating in the battles on Monmouth, Germantown, Camden, Guilford Court House and Eutaw Springs". "Col Joseph Belt was the great grandfather of Samuel Sprigg, Governor of Maryland 1819-1822, and of Thomas George Pratt, born in the city of Washignton in 1805, Governor of Maryland 1844-1848 and United Senator from Maryland 1851-1857". See, "Historical Papers of the Society of Colonial Wars in the District of C olumbia, No. 5, 1909, "Colonel Joseph Belt by C.. Magruder, Jr. can be found in The Texas State Library in Austin, Texas designated as E 186 3 D64 No. 5. See "The Montgomery County (Maryland) Story" Published by the Montgomery County Historical Society Volume XII May 1969 No. 3 on Col Ninian Beall and Col Joseph Belt by Martha Sprigg Poole. See, " About Colonel Joe" from "The History of Belt Junior High School" By Viola Bleckley. The school built in 1956 is located at the corner of Goodhill and Weller Road in Wheaton, Maryland. A plaque erected by the DAR honoring Colonel Joe is displayed in the school's lobby. (The building may now be abandoned). SUMMARY OF HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CAREER OF COLONEL JOSEPH BELT" (1)He represented Prince George's County in the Maryland House of Burgeses from 1725-1727 (2) In 1725 he was made a Lt Col of Militia and was a Colonel from 1728 until he died in 1761 at age 86. (3) From 1726-1728 he was a Gentleman Justice of Prince George's County (4) He was one of the seven Visitors (trustees) in Prince George's County for the school to be established there by the Act of 1723, "An Act for the Encouragement of Learning". Under it's provisions one school was to be provided in each County FOR THE LIBERAL AND PIOUS EDUCATION TOF THE YOUTH OF THE PROVICE AND IMPROVING THEIR NATURAL ABILITIES AND ACUTENESS (WHICH SEEMS NOT TO BE INFERIOR TO ANY). (5) In 1726 Joseph voted on the question of the location of the Parish Church of Rock Creek Parish +++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXACT COPY OF A PORTION OF A FAMILY HISTORY REPORT PREPARED IN 1949 BY HARRY W. NEWMAN ON ONE BELT FAMILY LINE. Much will dupicate herein but it is worthy of copy here, in my opinion, as Mr Newman was the eminent family historian of the time! (Copy contributed by Mrs Beverly Watts of Willows, CA). "JOSEPH BELT, (son of John Belt and Elizabeth Tydings Belt), born in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 1680; died at CHELSEA, Prince George's Co., 28 June 1761. Through inheritance, grant and purchase, JOSEPH BELT became the owner of FRIEND'S CHOICE, BELT'S DISCOVERY, GOOD LUCK, BELT'S HUNTING QUARTER, ADDITION TO GOOD LUCK, ORONOKA, SENECA HILLS, FRIENDSHIP, ARTHUR'S SEAT. THOMPSON'S LOT BELT'S PASTURE, CHELSEA. In 1725 he patented CHEVY CHASE now apart of the District of Columbia and Montgomer Co., Md which remained in the family until the death of the late Charles R. Belt, U.S.N., since which time it has become the most beautiful of the national capital's suburbs. The manor house, erected about 1725, stood until the fall of 1907, when it was razed to clear the way for modern convenience. JOSEPH BELT was Gentlman Justice for Prince George's County, 1726-28; member of the House of Burgesses, 1725-37; Lieutenant-Colonel, 1725; Colonel, 1728; member of Col. George Bealls Troop of Horse, 1748; one of the founders of Rock Creek Parish, 1726. This is the oldest glebe in the district of Columbia, and the Parish Church, St Paul's, erected between 1773 and 1775, is th oldest sacred structure. He married (firstly) HESTER (ESTHER) BEALL, daughter of Col. NINIAN and RUTH (MOORE) BEALL...""Most references, including Ref 1, below, say that JOSEPH's second wife was Margery (Beally) Sprigg, sister to his first wife and widow of Thomas Sprigg. This is incorrect and fthe following information sent by Dr. Anderson should clear up this matter. He says: "In the book by Colonel Fielder Montgomery Magruder Beall, THE BEALL AND BELL FAMILIES" printed by Chas. H. Potter * Co., Inc. Washignton, D.C., 1929/1930: Pages 48-50, the children of COL. NINIAN BEALL and his wife RUTH MOORE are listed as : John; Charles; Ninian; Rachel; Thomas; Jane; HESTER (Who married COL JOSEPH BELT); Mary and George. Please note- NO MARGERY. Col. F.M. M. Beall, the author, further states on page 50; "Fiction Writers have made the following two statements: (1) That Ninian Beall married Elizabethe Gordon in Scotland, where she had two sons, John and Thomas; she died in Scotland. (2) That Ninian Beall had two daughters in Maryland Named Sarah and Margery. These two inventions are of their imagination, as they offer no proof of accuracy". Pages 49-50 COLONEL BELT married (2)1727, widow Margery Sprigg, daughter of Captain John Wight, Page 90 COL. JOSEPH BELT married (2) 1727, Margery, wiow of Thomas Sprigg, Jf., and daughter of Captain John Wight. She died 1783. See Maryland Historical Magazine for 1913, folio

Colonial Families of the United States of America: Volume 2 Issue by 1st m.

I. John, b 13th Mar. 1707; m 4th Mar. 1728, Margaret QUEEN. II. Anne, b. 1709; d. 1762; m. (firstly) Thomas CLAGETT; (secondly) Ignatius PERRY. III. Rachel, b 13th Dec. 1711; m. 11th July, 1727, Osborn SPRIGG. IV. Joseph, b. 19th Dec 1717; d. 1761; m. Anne SPRIGG. V. Tobias, b. 20th Aug 1720; d. 1785; Captain Revolutionary Army; m. Mary GORDON. VI. Mary, B. 24th Dec 1722; m. (firstly) Edward SPRIGG; (secondly) Thomas PINDEL. VII. Jeremiah, b. 4th Mar. 1724

Colonial Families of the United States of America: Volume 2 Issue by 2d m. VIII. James, b 23d July, 1727, Naval Service, Revolutionary War.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Kathy Davis.