The Dashiell house stood a little west of the line of Huidekoper Place, at about 39th and Calvert, probably at the highest point.
George Warren Dashiell, was the first teacher at Georgetown Lancasterian School, in 1811, but his career was as a Treasury clerk. He died in 1847, near Baltimore, in a railroad accident.
His nephew, Thomas Grayson Dashiell, inherited the farm. In the 1850 census the twenty-year-old was listed as the head of household; his father, Thomas Bennet Dashiell, a retired Treasury clerk, is living with him.
In 1854 Thomas Grayson Dashiell was ordained as an Episcopal minister, and––newly married to the daughter of his teacher––assigned to his first parish in Virginia. When his first wife died, he married her sister.
When his father, Thomas Bennet Dashiell, died in 1859, Thomas Grayson Dashiell sold the farm on Georgetown Heights to Jacob and Lewis Kengla. In 1866, Thomas Grayson Dashiell was the founder of St. Mark’s Church, in Richmond.
Notes and Sources
George Warren Dashiell, 1801-1847
Born 1801, Somerset County, Maryland
Father:
Robert Handy Dashiell, born 1766, Somerset County, Maryland
Mother:
Mary Grayson, born 1776, Somerset County, Maryland;
1801 Sarah Dashiell (a sister?) sells household goods to her children Lucretia and Warren.
(DC Liber G7 (1801) f.174/232)
Auction of furniture of Miss Sally Dashiell on Pennsylvania Avenue
(Intelligencer, September 13, 1805)
“the house formerly occupied by Miss Dashields near the centre Market”
(Intelligencer, December 2 1805)
Miss Lucretia Dashiell, dies, age 16, daughter of Mrs. Sarah Wilson of Washington.
(Intelligencer, October 7, 1808)
Margaret Grayson Dashiell was also daughter of Sarah (Dashiell) Wilson, as was Sarah Stone, in 1828 the widow of Judge Stone of North Carolina. Thomas Tudor Tucker’s will names Margaret Grayson Dashiell and Sarah Stone.)
George Dashiell, 1810 first teacher at Georgetown Lancastrian School
(Proctor, Sunday Star, November 6, 1932: Twenty-fifth Report of the Board of Trustees of Public Schools of the City of Washington, 1871-72, p.119)
1811 George Dashield of Georgetown sells household goods and slave Violet to Joseph Milligan
Indentures George Washington University
Either
Married Deborah Beale, about 1818;
Or
Married Peggy Ann [Margaret], May 9, 1818, Somerset County, Maryland
1816 George W. Dashiell, Treasury
1825 “
1840 “
For rent, small farm, 37 acres, on road leading from Rockville to Washington City. ––George W. Dashiell, Treasury Department, or at his residence near Six Buildings.
(National Intelligencer, January 6, 1825)
George W. Dashiell, secretary, Company of the Steamboat Tiber
(National Intelligencer, August 21, 1827)
Dashiell, George Warren. January 1, [1847], near Baltimore, Maryland, [railroad accident?]
(Raleigh Register and North Carolina State Gazette, January 7, 1847)
Thomas Bennet Dashiell, 1797-1859
Born 1797, Somerset County, Maryland
Father:
Robert Handy Dashiell, born 1766, Somerset County, Maryland
Mother:
Mary Grayson, born 1776, Somerset County, Maryland
Miss Lucretia Dashiell dies, age 16, daughter of Mrs. Sarah Wilson of Washington.
(Intelligencer, October 7, 1808)
Margaret Grayson Dashiell was also daughter of Sarah (Dashiell) Wilson, as was Sarah Stone, in 1828 the widow of Judge Stone of North Carolina. Thomas Tudor Tucker’s will names Margaret Grayson Dashiell and Sarah Stone.)
Thomas B. Dashiell lives at Mrs. Willson’s, Capitol Hill
(Intelligencer, March 5, 1810)
Thomas B. Dashiell marries Keziah A. Cousins, both of Washington.
(Intelligencer, May 18, 1810
Died, April 22, 1811, Mrs. Keziah Dashiell, consort of Mr. Thomas B. Dashiell, after a lengthy illness.
(Intelligencer, April 25, 1811)
Thomas B. Dashiell, director for the Benevolent Society of Young Men.
(Intelligencer, September 12, 1811
Slave Transactions
August, 1818
William Cooper of the City of Washington promises 600 dollars to Thomas B. Dashiell, also of the City of Washington for “negro girl Eliza aged about eighteen years… being the same girl which the said Thomas B. Dashiell purchased of Benjamin Berry… of Price Georges County”.
The document provides that Eliza would be freed after fifteen years of service, but that any children that Eliza might bear would remain slaves of William Cooper.
(Document offered at auction, Sale 127, Lot 43, Sloans and Kenyon auction house, Chevy Chase Maryland, February 3-4, 2018, from the Estate of Jim Graham, former DC Councilman.)
Thomas B. Dashiell, bought slave Celia Ann, bill of sale from Theresa C. Redmond of the county. (DC Liber WB8 (1823-4) f.321/202)
Thomas T. Tucker, bill of sale from Edward DeKraft, Sale recorded July 7, 1823: Dekraft sells Tucker a colored woman supposed to be 21, and her child about 4 months old. (DC Liber WB9 (1823-4) f.78/53)
Thomas Tudor Tucker (1745-1828), Treasurer of the U.S. (1801-1828), lived at Thomas B. Dashiell’s house (1827 directory), and George and Thomas Dashiell were witnesses of his will. Tucker bought a slave named Eliza, and her child Anna Maria, to prevent their being sold south, and separated from the father, a slave named Richard. Tucker authorized them to look for a more suitable master, and in 1826, deeded Thomas B. Dashiell the service of slave Eliza until 1832, and of Anna Maria until 1845. (Dorothy S. Provine, District of Columbia Free Negro Registers, 1821-1861, vol.1, 1996)
Thomas B. Dashiell, Treasury Dept., married to Mary M. McCobb, eldest daughter of Captain John McCobb, of Alexandria, by Rev. Ryland. (National Intelligencer, April 1, 1825)
John McCobb, ship captain, Alexandria 1779-1848
Wife, Sarah Weston
Thomas B. Dashiell, clerk, Treasurer’s office,
Dwelling corner 18th and I NW
(1827 directory)
1816 Thomas B. Dashiell, treasury
1825 “
T. B. Dashiell removed as clerk of State Dept. in 2nd Jackson administration.
(National Intelligencer, September 27, 1832)
Richard Parker, eldest son of T. B. Dashiell, died, age 4.
(Intelligencer, February 8, 1833)
1840 Thomas B. Dashiell, treasury
1841 “
Thomas B. Dashiell, clerk, treasurer’s office, $1000 salary
(1843 directory)
Thos. Dashield’s child 2/1/1843
William King’s Mortality Books, Vol. 2
Thos. Deshield’s colored man 2/24/1850
William King’s Mortality Books, Vol. 2
Died, 1859, Baltimore, Maryland
Thomas Grayson Dashiell, 1830-1893
Born December 15, 1830, in Virginia.
Parents:
Thomas B. Dashiell and Mary M. McCobb
He apparently inherits Dashiell farm from his uncle George in 1847; his grandfather, John McCobb (1779-1848), is his guardian.
He is the 20-year-old head of household in the 1850 census:
Thomas G. Dashiell, 20……..Farmer………..Va. …………..3000
Thomas B. Dashiell, 62 ……..“with son” …..Md.
Mary Dashiell, 45 ……………………………….Va.
Inexplicably, the Boyce family, associated with Ellerslie/Montrose/Montrose Park property north of R Street in Georgetown, is living with the Dashiells:
William M. Boyce, 48………Coast Survey …..Md. …………..15,000
Mary M. Boyce, 40 ……………………………… Pa.
Emily Boyce, 20 ………………………………….Pa.
Edward Boyce, 18 ………………………………..Pa.
William Boyce, 16 ………………………………..Pa.
Bessy Boyce, 12 …………………………………..Co.Wash.D.C.
There is also a staff of 6 persons; given that Boyce is 5 times as wealthy as Dashiell, it is likely the staff is mostly Boyce’s:
Johanna Connor, 50 ……………………………Ire.
John McEnally, 25 ……..Gardener …………..Ire.
Bridget McEnally, 24 ……………………………Ire.
David Murphy, 25 ……… Assistant …………..Ire.
Harriet Price (B), 40 ……Cook ………………..Md.
Alfred Reed (B), 21 ……..Waiter ……………..W.C.
1850 slave roll shows Dashiell has one slave.
1854, Thomas G. Dashiell, ordained as Episcopal minister, Virginia Theological Seminary
Arrived at his first posting, autumn 1854: Cople Parish and Yeocomico
Married Wilhelmina Sparrow, Alexandria, Virginia, July, 1854
She was the daughter of his Professor William Sparrow,
Virginia Theological Seminary, 1841 to 1874, Dean from 1868 to 1874
Nicholas Burke Boyle, Junius J. Boyle to Charles Wallach, 1849?
Charles Wallace to Thomas G. Dashiell
DC Liber JAS60 1853 f.174/147
Thomas G. Dashiell from Charles Homiller: Thomas Grayson Dashiell, of Washington County, buys of Charles and Catherine Homiller, who own BH299, a right of way, commencing at the SW corner of BH297, into Back Street, and then thru 266 (around Benton Street?)
(JAS105 (1855) f.194/139)
Thomas Grayson Dashiell’s Property in 1855
Sally, 20, $500
Mary, 30, $400
Maria, 9, $250
Tom, 6, $200
Lucy, 50, $250
Julia, 2, $100
34 acres, $4,250
house, $600
horse, $50
2 cows, $50
(Assessments, January-February 1855, General Assessment Books for the County of Washington, 1855-1864 and 1868-1879, Entry 193, Record Group 351, Records of the Government of the District of Columbia, National Archives and Records Administration. Research by Tim Dennee and the Friends of Freedmen’s Cemetery, “Enslaved Persons in the 1855-1862 Tax Assessments of Washington County, DC”.)
1859 Boschke map: J.G.Dashiel
1860 slave rolls, 4th ward, Georgetown
Mrs. T.B. Dashields, 5 slaves
Left Washington:
John McCobb to Thomas Grayson Dashiell [Dashield];
McCobb, late guardian of Thomas Grayson Dashiell, in 1846 got two notes of indenture, from Michael and Ellen Stone, and from John Kurtz. John McCobb seized in fee of that part of Alliance starting near The Cedars to Henry Kengla’s land, along boundary of Georgetown, and Thomas Grayson Dashiell now at age of majority gets title. Thomas Grayson Dashiell, of Richmond, and Wilhelmina, his wife, then sell to Jacob and Lewis Kengla for $4080. Jacob makes over his part to Lewis C. Kengla.
(DC Liber JAS198 (1860) 446-9/395-6)
1862-65 Richmond?
1865 assessments, Grayson Dashiell, lot 299, BH
Wilhelmina Dashiell died in 1861
Married Catherine Sparrow, Staunton, Virginia, December, 1864
Founder of St. Mark’s Church, Richmond, 1866
Died March 18, 1893, Colon [Panama?], South America
These books are available on Google:
Dashiell, Thomas Grayson, A Pastor’s Recollections, 1875
Dashiell, Thomas Grayson, A Digest of the Proceedings of the Conventions and Councils in the Diocese of Virginia. Richmond, Va.: William E. Jones, 1883.
In memoriam. Rev. Thomas Grayson Dashiell, D.D.: Born December 15, 1830. Died in Colon, South America, March 18th, 1893, Volume 201
___________________________________________________________
Carlton Fletcher
The citation and acknowledgement of my research is greatly appreciated.
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