Basil Soper

This son of John Soper, Jr. and his wife, Martha, was born in Prince George's county, Maryland, c. 1742, and died there c. 1825. He was married there to Mercy Busey, a daughter of Samuel Busey (1705-1774). She is mentioned in the Will of her father, signed February 28, 1774 in Frederick County, Maryland. The Will of Basil Soper is dated February 28, 1825, probated April 30, 1825, and recorded in Liber 0 at Folio 159, and re-recorded in Liber 3, at Folio 274 in the Register of Wills Office for Montgomery County.

He leaves various bequests to his children, and names one granddaughter, Priscilla Browning. He was a slave holder, mentioning six of them by name in his Will, with the provision that each was to be set free in a specified number of years following the date of his Will.

According to the Biographical Cyclopedia of Representative Men of Maryland and District of Columbia, published in 1879, it said of Basil, "was born in Prince George's County in 1742. He married Miss Mary Busey (Note: Her name is more likely Mercy Busey as reported here), and removed to Montgomery County, where he pursued the occupation of farmer and planter, and died in 1825. He was a slave holder, but provided in his Will that all his slaves should be free on arriving at a specified age. His religious belief was in accord with the early Methodists, and the itinerant preachers often found a temporary home under his hospitable roof. The early advantages of William H. Soper were not superior, but as he grew older this defect was compensated for by diligent study, and he commenced life as a teacher. For many years he was connected with the public education of the State of Maryland and perhaps did as much as anyone to advance that cause. In 1856 he was elected Secretary and Treasurer of the Board of School Commissioners of Baltimore County, to which position he was re-elected eleven times by unanimous vote of the Board. His services were highly appreciated, and are well remembered by the people of the county. From 1865 to 1868 he was Secretary of the Maryland State Board of Education, and aided largely in the first-named year in the preparation of the State school law, which is the basis of the present school system of the State. He visited Europe with his son in the summer of 1876, and returned to Baltimore where he now resides, in the autumn of the same year.

A small portion of his will reads as follows:

"SOAPER, BASIL, Sr.

Son: Basil Soaper - pts. 'Busey's Adventure', 'Ball's Addition, 'Mercy's Inheritance' containing 45 a.

Son: Ignatius Soaper - 106 a. pt. 'Mercy's Inheritance'

Son: Samuel Soaper - pts. 'Mercy's Inheritance', 'Resurvey on Content', 'This or None' containing 100 a.

Daus: Mercey Buxton, Priscilla Ward, Susanna

Son: John Soaper and his children

Granddau: Priscilla Browning

Ex: Samuel Soaper

Wit: Charles Mackelfresh, Asa Hyatt, Christopher Zeigler.