Caleb Polleckfield Litton, Sr.

Birth 1678 in Ottery St. Mary, Devonshire, England Death 1763 in Tweed Park, Rockville, Frederick Co MD

• 1st Generation CALEB POLLECKFIELD LETTON/LITTON and GRACE BURTON of MARYLAND

Caleb was a merchant, farmer, and constable in Devonshire England, 1678-1700. He was baptized on 24 Apr. 1678 in the Anglican Church at Ottery, St. Mary, Devon, England. After the death of his first wife, Dorothy (Teller) Letton, he came to Maryland (still Colonies then) as soldier in the British Army in 1700 and served until 1720. He married Grace Burton on 23 Mar. 1722. Grace was born 30 Apr. 1703. For his service, he was given a warrant for 405 acres and obtained a patent in Rockville, Prince George's Co., MD (now Montgomery Co.). He had the land surveyed in 1722 and named it Oatry/Autre (after his place of birth in Ottary). Caleb began spelling his name "Litton" after his 2nd marriage. His will was probated 12 May 1763 in Frederick Co., MD. (Note: That area of Prince George’s Co. became Frederick Co. in 1748 and then Montgomery Co. in 1776).

Caleb and Grace had 9 children: Caleb II, John Richard, Sarah Ann, Elizabeth, Joanna Polleckfield, Samuel, James B., Michael Montgomery, and Grace.

Per his gravestone, Caleb died in 4 Aug 1763 in Rockville (Montgomery) MD; Grace died in 1791-1792, also in Rockville. They are buried in Twinville Cem., Rockville (Montgomery) MD. According to this memorial, there is an article about the cemetery in April, 1917 National Genealogical Society Quarterly. See a translation of his will on his findagrave.com memorial .

Last Will & Testament of
CALEB LETTON
Ca 1678 - 1763

Liber A, No 1, Folio 187, Frederick County, Maryland.
Dated April 21, 1759 - Probated May 12, 1763.

In the Name of God, Amen! I, Caleb Letton of Frederick County in the Province of Maryland, Planter being of weak Body but of sound memory Blessed be God do this twenty first day of April & in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and fifty-nine make and publish this my last will and Testament in manner following..

That is to say, first I give to my Wife Grace Letton the following four Negroes Viz, Old Oatry, and his wife Sue, Young Oatry and a Negro Girl named Dinah. Also to my wife all my Goods Household Stuff & chattels except what in this my will may be otherwise given. Also I give to my said wife my part of the corn grain of what I lend so ever & Tobacco now preparing and to be made this present year or any other year wherein I may dye, my son Michael Letton having a share in the corn, grain and Tobacco aforesaid. Also I give to my wife Grace Letton to hold to her during her life, the plantation I now live on, including the said plantation one hundred & eighty six acres of Land more of less, which is the moity or half unsold of a Tract of Land called Oatry, originally laid out for four hundred & five acres, she making no willfull Waste of destruction thereon and after her decease I give and devise to my son Caleb Letton & the heirs of his body lawfully begotten the said dwelling plantation with all improvements thereon, containing as aforesaid one hundred & eighty six acres being the half unsold as aforesaid of the Tract of Land called Oatry & for Default of such issue I then give & devise the said Moity or half of the aforesaid Tract of Land called Oatry, unto my Son Michael Letton & the heirs of his body lawfully begotten & for want of such Heirs I then give and devise the same to my Daughter Grace Letton now Summers & the Heirs of her Body lawfully issuing & for default of such issue to my own right Heirs forever.

Also I give and devise to my son Michael Letton & the Heirs of his body lawfully begotten the other half of the said tract of land called Oatry being one hundred & eighty six acres of land
more or less & for default of such Issue I then give and devise the said Half of the Tract of Land called Oatry as aforesaid containing one hundred & eighty six acres of land more or less as aforesaid unto my son Caleb Letton & the Heirs of his body lawfully begotten & for default of such issue I then give the half of the said Land called Oatry, containing as aforesaid to my daugthter Grace Summers & the Heirs of her body lawfully issueing and for default of such issue to my own right Heirs forever. Also I give to my Daughter Grace Summers for her whole & sole use a Negro boy called Nace & a negro girl called Sukey.

Also I give to my son John Letton five shillings and no more.

I give to my daughter Johannah Hall five Shillings Current money & no more.

Also I give all the Rest & Residue of my personal Estate except what is before given in this my will unto my Loving Wife Grace & I make & ordain her my said Wife my Whole & sole Executrix of this my Last Will & Testament. In Witness whereof I the said Caleb Letton have hereunto set my hand and seal the day & year above written.

Caleb Letton (seal)

Witnesses:
Daniel Cleary
James Johnson
Thomas Butler
Benjamin Johnson

  Not only did the Littons have a variety of spellings of their name, but the cemetery itself has gone through several names as well. Throughout the years it has been known as the Litton Family Cemetery, the Summers Cemetery, the Willow Tree Graveyard, and finally as the Twinbrook Cemetery.

According to family history and an article in the April, 1917 National Genealogical Society Quarterly , the cemetery is the site for the burial of Caleb Litton the elder, Grace Litton (his wife), and Michael Litton (their son). As the family grew, the cemetery began to include those related through marriage, such as John L. and J. N. Summers (grandsons of Caleb the elder, and inheritors of the Litton property), Mary & Charles Crabb, Thomas Linstead, and Ann Marie Wilson (born Litton). Presumably, Ann Marie's husband is also there. Since John L. Summers is in the cemetery, I would guess that his parents, Grace Litton Summers and her husband Benjamin are also there. The fact that the cemetery holds so many people is a reasonable argument that the Littons were a fairly wealthy and influential family.
1st wife:

Dorothy Teller 1683 x 1718 died in England

2nd WIFE: MARRIED: 3-23-1723 Rockville, Montgomery, Maryland
GRACE HARTLEY BURTON.

CHILDREN of CALEB & GRACE:

1. Caleb 1-27-1724 Rockville, Montgomery, Maryland x 12-1784 Montgomery County, Maryland
(m) Mary Wilcoxen

2. John Richard 7-4-1726 Rockcreek, Prince George, Maryland x 1-1-1804 Elk Garden, Russell, Virginia
(m) Sarah Anna Wilcoxen

3. Sarah Ann 6-22-1728 Rockville, Montgomery, Maryland x 5-20-1754 Clarksburg, Frederick, Maryland
(m) John Holmeade

4. Elizabeth 6-30-1730 Rockville, Montgomery, Maryland x
1-1-1825 Bourbon, Pulaski, Kentucky
(m) William Richards

5. Johannah Polleckfield 7-7-1732 Rockville, Montgomery, Maryland x 5-30-1820 Barron County, Kentucky
(m) Leonard Hall

6. Burton 1734 Prince George County, Maryland x 1810 Washington, Virginia

7. Samuel 1735 Prince George County, Maryland x 1797 Washington, Virginia
(m) Ann Crawford

8. James B 1736 Rockcreek, Prince George, Maryland x 12-1798 Lincoln, North Carolina
(m) Sarah OsBourne

9. Michael Montgomery 4-4-1740 Rockville, Montgomery, Maryland x 6-19-1819 Rockville, Montgomery, Maryland
(m) Mary Willet

10. Grace 12-31-1742 Rockville, Montgomery, Maryland x 4-30-1783 Sugar, Boone, Kentucky
(m) Benjamin Summers

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Sep 30 2023, 12:07:28 UTC