A letter written by

FINNEY W. SOMERS

to

Hiram T. Somers of West Beach, MD

Dated January 9th 1956

The letter was typed as it is here in reply to a query written by Hiram T. Somers to Finney W. Somers concerning the Somers Family. It is now in the possession of John R. Somers of Princess Anne MD and posted here with his permission. Submitted by Gail M. Walczyk, Peter's Row, Coram, NY.

NOTE: The below information was not checked against original sources.

SOMERS SUPPLY CO.

WHOLESALE GROCERS

"Eastern Shore's First Cash Wholesale Grocery"

PARKSLEY, VIRGINIA

January 9th. 1956

In reply to your letter of Dec. 27th. I will be glad to give you the information that I have on the Somers lineage of the Eastern Shore.

Benjamin Somers (Summers-Sommers) first came to Accomack County, Va. in 1655. At this time the Calverts were making offers to attract settlers to Md. In 1661 Benjamin Somers moved to Emmex (Annamessix, which later became Crisfield, Md.) with Stephen Horsey and Others.

Benjamin Somers secured a patent for 300 acres of land from Charles Calvert, Lieutenant General of the Province of Md. on Dec. 22nd. 1666. This same Benjamin Somers desposed of this land in a will dated Feb. 1709. This was probated in Somerset County on December 22nd. 1715. His will shows that he left his property to his three sons: William Sommers-Thomas Sommers and John Sommers. This is the spelling as it is given in the will, was in the patent. But we know that the original way of spelling the names was Somers, as was used in Yorkshire and Herfordshire England, the ancestral home of the Somers.

Benjamin was married three times. His first wife was Isabel Wale (later spelled Whaley) whom he married Jan 29th. 1667. Isabel died in 1675. On April 18th. 1676 a marriage band was published between Benjamin Somers and Deborah Wooldridge. It would seem that Deborah became the mother of our generation and line of Somers, as her son John later had a daughter whom he named Deborah (Deborah Starling, later Sterling.)

John Somers, son of Benjamin and Deborah Somers, and husband of Iona Somers died in 1760. His will was dated Aug. 13th. 1758, which was probated Nov. 1st. 1760. In this will it seems that this was the same land as that in the will of Benjamin Somers. In this will he leaves his property to his son David Somers: his daughter Mary Ward: his son Lazars Somers: his daughter Deborah Starling: his wife Iona Somers: and his grandchildren, Isaac Somers and Grace Starling. (I omitted the names of John and Iona Somers' children, his sons and daughter, Richard-Isaac and Betty Somers by mistake.)

Isaac Somers, son of John and Deborah Somers mad a will on Sept. 15th. 1821 which was probated on Sept. 16th. 1824. Leaving to his wife Mary Roach Somers, and children Rebecca Maddox-Molly Somers and Betsy Hickman and daughter Fanny Bailey: and to his sons Dicky Somers and Horsey Somers, whom he appointed sole executors of his will.

Horsey Somers, son of Isaac, and wife Nancy Rew Somers had the following children as taken from the family Bible in the hands of Mrs. Jno. L. Byrd, Mearsville Va.

Records of the Somers Family
Mary Rew Somers, born Nov. 6th. 1895
Isaac Somers, born Feb. 15th. 1798
John Somers, born Jan. 12th. 1799, died in Jan. 1856
Horsey Somers, born Oct. 14th 1802.
Betsy Somers, born May 18th. 1804.
Sarah H. Somers, born Oct. 7th. 1807.
William Somers, born Feb 14th. 1810.
Salley Somers, born Jan. 29th. 1813.
Nancy Somers, wife of Horsey died March 10th. 1836.

John, son of Horsey had several sons, Richard-John-William-George and Samuel.

Samuel had four sons; Samuel W. Albert Beauregard Horsey-John Henry and Richard Rew Somers.

The writer is the son of Albert B. H. Somers.

You will notice that much data which I have given to you bears on the direct line of our family. However, all the Somers in Accomack County and Somerset county Md. are direct decedents of the original Benjamin Somers who went to Md. from here.

The generation of my family beginning with Benjamin in 1655 are as follows. Benjamin-John-Isaac-Horsey-John-Samuel-and Albert B. H. Somers.

Information taken from the records in the archives at Princess Anne, Md. and Annapolis show that Horsey and Richard fought in the Revolutionary War. And our records show that after the war Horsey and Richard and a sister Jane (all children of Isaac) came back to Accomack County (from Somerset County MD.) and spent the remainder of their lives here. We the Somers of Accomack Co. all stem from this line beginning with (Horsey) here. The records at Annapolis show that the War Dept. later paid Horsey a pension for services rendered in the Revolutionary War.

All the Somers in Somerset County are unquestionably the decedents of the original Benjamin.

"On Sunday Oct. 24th. 1954 Benjamin Somers of Crisfield MD. aged 97 died in the house where he was born" and still owned 105 acres of the original grant made to the original Benjamin.

Now I do not know the line of his decent, not of the other Somers in the Crisfield area. but we are all the same stock, no question about it.

I do not know where West Beach Md. is located, but if you ever come this way I hope you will look me up. Also if you have any contact with Ronald Tyler, his wife Ethel or his father Mr. Tyler Sr. I should like to be remembered to them, as they were all very nice to me when they were at Pocomoke. My relationship with them was very pleasant.

With kind wishes, and hoping to see you sometime, I am,

Very sincerely yours,

Finney W. Somers

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