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- Colonel Thomas Sprigg (Royal Lancers) was born c1630 in Kettering, Northamptonshire, and died in December 1704 in Northampton, Prince George's County, Maryland. He (and probably the Nuthalls) settled first in Virginia; Thomas first appears in Maryland in March 1651, already married to a widow, Catherine Graves Roper (there were stepchildren, Verlinda and Nathaniel). They probably came to Maryland with Catherine's brother-in-law, the newly appointed governor, William Stone. They were living on a plantation called "Resurrection Manor" in Calvert County in 1656, shortly after which Catherine died. There was one child, Thomas (1659-1739) who has many descendants (largely in West Virginia). Thomas Sr. must have been a widower for some years, as his second wife was only about nine when his first wife died. He was a justice for many years in Prince George's and Calvert Counties, and sheriff of Calvert County 1664-1665. His larger plantation "Northampton" stayed in the family until 1865. In 1814, President Madison briefly took refuge there when Washington was burned by the British; Pierre L'Enfant is supposed to have designed the gardens. The house burned down in 1909.
From the Baltimore Sun, 1909:
"In Prince George's County, some six or seven miles inland from the grant steel highway, along which travelers between Annapolis and Washington are borne swiftly to their destination, there stands an old Manor House, encircled by a plantation of 800 acres. "Northhampton" was built by Thomas Sprigg, Colonist and Gentleman, from England, whose death occurred in 1704. A full length portrait of that worthy gentleman, still in the possession of descendants represents a handsome man in full court costume, while the archives of Maryland give abundant proof that the original was a gentleman of official distinction and social importance. The manor house is a frame, about 125 feet front, and such portion as is of the original architecture, is put together without nails. The drawing room, library and dining rooms, all with high chimney places and wide open fireplaces, face the front and in the rear according to the fashion of 200 hundred years ago, are bedrooms with tall gothic windows, and other rooms now used as pantries. The place is well wooded and about the residence are elm and willow trees, also flowering magnolia trees, white fringe trees, trailing their delicate blossoms. There is a real lover's walk, winding between a hedge of old fashioned lilacs, that being in clusters of purple and white send their fragrance through the early spring sunshine. Here was spent the youth of Governor Samuel Sprigg, who became the heir of his uncle Osborne Sprigg and from him inherited "Northhampton". Here was brought in 1811 the Governor's bride and here was born in 1811 the Governor's little daughter, Sally whose baby helplessness was the safeguard of "Northhampton from destruction by the British, when the latter's troops advanced along the Patuxcent River to attack Washington. Governor Sprigg was in hiding at the time and the house was examined but owing to the young baby and its mother, the homestead escaped injury, or pillage beyond the seizure of wines and provisions."
Most sources say Thomas' parentage is unknown, but some claim his father was Thomas Sprigg (born c1604, died a1679, Kettering), who married Katherine Griffin (born c1610-1661) - see Spriggs, Kenneth W., "Spriggey, Sprigge, Sprigg, Spriggs from 145 AD to 1997 AD", page 37.
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Genealogy of the Bryan and Martin Families
1630 - 1704 (74 years)
(Age 34 years)