Thursday, July 15, 2010

MORE OF CHAPTER III - HISTORY OF SEAFORD

Samuel Laws and George P. White: Third decade Seaford residents:
Another of Seaford's early citizens was Samuel Laws whose family had but three children. They were William, Catherine and John. Samuel did not remain in Seaford long as he bought the Curtice Jacobs farm at Horsey Crossroad and moved to it. He did live to an old age and died in Bridgeville, None of the children ever lived in Seaford and have been deceased many years.
George P. White, also a citizen of Seaford in its third decade, was a very worthy Christian young man and highly esteemed. He became associated with Mr William Cannon, who later became Delawares Governor, in the commercial business in Bridgeville.
The Wright's:
Brothers Terpin, Jacob and Charles figured pretty largely in the business enterprises of third decade of the history of Seaford, came about 1826 from their old homestead down the Nanticoke near State Line. They built and operated vessels, hauling corn and lumber; They kept a general supply store,and did not neglect a stock of rum and whiskey. As their place of business was on the corner of North and Water Street, near the residence of my father I well remember the demoralizing scenes witnessed almost every day.
At that time there was little temperance sentiment outside the churches and all merchants, except conscientious Christians and strict moralists, sold intoxicants under the regular county and state license,
Jacob Wright married the daughter of Curtis Jacobs and built a house on Water Street and lived there all the time he lived in Seaford. This house is also known as the John Scott house.
Terpin and Charles married sisters from Georgetown. Terpin built the house now standing midway between the corners of West and Market Streets. It was considered the finest dwelling in or about Seaford. He later bought and moved to Oyster Shell Point farm in Dorchester where he died at an old age.
Charles lost his first wife about a year after they married and remarried Sophia Martin and moved to a farm he bought a mile above Seaford which was poor land and the common gazing ground for Seaford. There, he built a home and brought the land to a high state of cultivation. He died there and his wife survived him many years.
Jacob Wright engaged in the Negro Trade in 1836, buying them like cattle around the country and shipping them to Georgia. Many were the tears around Seaford that year because of the cruel separation of husbands and wives, parents and children, for the Negros ha feeling even if they were chattels. After this he soon moved to Talbot county Maryland, had one son, Joseph. No one lives now to perpetuate his name.

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