The Somervell name, although we associate it with Scotland, is actually Norman French in origin from the town of St. Omer Ville. The family moved over to England and eventually Scotland at the time of William the Conqueror and the Norman invasion (1066). Motto: Fear God in Life.
To give a little background: In 1688, the "Glorious Revolution" in England overthrew the Catholic Stuart king, James II, king of England, Ireland, and Scotland (the great-grandson of Mary Queen of Scots and son of the recently beheaded Charles I) and replaced him with his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange.
The Scots Catholics, naturally enough, did not take kindly to being dumped from the throne and by 1715, there was a full-fledged Jacobite uprising determined to put their man James Stuart (the Catholic son of James II) on the throne in place of the German Protestant George I. (Note to self: Avoid religious wars at all costs. They are very messy, and neither side ever seems satisfied with the result.)
The final battle of this effort took place at Preston in Lancashire England. It was a rout for the Scots; almost 1000 Scots Jacobites were taken prisoner, including one 27-year-old cadet James Somervell. The defeated soldiers drew lots to determine if they would be hanged or sent into exile in the colonies. Family history says that James refused to draw and one of the officers drew for him, to which James said "If you draw hanging, I trust that you will hang for me."
Fortunately for James and his descendants, he drew banishment and was supposed to be shipped off to Maryland.
(Just as a matter of interest, some of our Weems ancestors are also said to have been at the Battle of Preston, leaving behind orphaned children who were sent to an uncle in Maryland. So, this battle was significant for our family in more ways than one. Scotland's loss was Maryland's gain.)
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| Battle of Preston 1715 |
However, while James' name is on the passenger manifest for that ship to Maryland (the Goodspeed), it seems that he wasn't actually on the ship. Family history reports that James escaped to the continent and studied medicine there before making his way to Maryland in 1719 to cast his lot with the rest of his fellow exiles.
Dr. James Somervell was born in Ayrshire Scotland about 1688. Family history says he was married in Scotland and his wife died of a broken heart when he was exiled; sounds pretty romantic, but it could be true. We know for sure he settled in Calvert County MD about 1719 and married Sarah Howe, the daughter of Thomas Howe and Rebecca Mauldin, in 1722.
Dr. Somervell is said to have brought quite a bit of silver with him to Maryland and was soon the owner of several large properties in Calvert County. He served as Justice of Calvert County and High Sheriff in the 1740's. He died in Calvert County in 1750. His wife, Sarah Howe Somervell died in Calvert County in 1755.
James and Sarah had a daughter and three sons:
*Rebecca Somervell, born 1724, married Jesse Jacob Bourne in Calvert County and died there about 1750. She had a daughter Sarah Bourne who was named in her grandfather's will.
*John Somervell, born 1726, died in Calvert County about 1762.
*James Somervell Jr., born 1731 in Christ Church Parish, married Susannah Dare in 1755 and had five children with her: James, John, Sarah, Howe, and Susanna Somervell. James died in Calvert County MD in 1773.
*Alexander Somervell, my 6X-great grandfather, born 1734 in Christ Church Parish, married Rebecca Dawkins, the daughter of William Dawkins, in 1759. Alexander and Rebecca had four children: Thomas, William Dawkins, Rebecca, and Sarah Somervell. My 5X-great grandfather, William Dawkins Somervell, married Elizabeth Ireland in 1795. My grandmother, Elizabeth Dent, is descended from this line.
Alexander Somervell served as a Lt. Colonel in the Calvert County militia and later in the Continental Army. He was the Sheriff of Calvert County from 1768-1772 and later served in the Maryland Assembly representing Calvert County.
He helped to rebuild Christ Church at Port Republic in 1772 (The stucco-covered brick building is still in use today.) and a plaque there commemorates Alexander and his wife Rebecca.
He was a planter and merchant and owned a warehouse at St. Leonard's Creek.
Alexander Somervell died in Calvert County MD in 1783.
And in case you really want to celebrate our Scots heritage, here is the Somervell tartan:
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