Captain Thomas Sprigg lll
1630-1704
Capt. Thomas Sprigg was born circa 1630 at supposedly, Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. He married Eleanor Nuthall, daughter of John Nuthall and Elizabeth Bacon, in 1667/68. Thomas SPRIGG, b. about 1630; d. 1704; probably came from Northamptonshire, England, and first settled in Northampton Co., Va., where he and John NUTHALL signed the 'Submission to Parliament' in 1651. He probably came to Maryland with Gov. William STONE. He was a party to a suit against John NEVILL in the Provincial Court in Oct. 1657. He lived at first on or near Resurrection Manor in the part of Calvert Co. which was afterwards included in Prince George's Co., and later at 'Northampton,' which is still in the possession of a descendant, Lord FAIRFAX of Cameron. He was one of the Justices of the Peace and of the Quorum for Calvert Co. in 1658-61-67-69-70-74; commissioned High Sheriff of Calvert Co., 1st Apr. 1664, and held office until 4th May, 1665. Was Justice of the Peace and of the Quorum for Prince George's Co., 1696. His first wife was Katherine, d. after 17th Aug. 1661, probably without issue. He m. (secondly) prior to 1668, Eleanor NUTHALL, dau. of John NUTHALL and Elizabeth HALLOWAY (née BACON). John NUTHALL was a son of John NUTHALL, and was granted 300 acres of land in Northampton Co., on 27th July, 1645. [Colonial Families vol. 2].2 Capt. Thomas Sprigg died between 9 May 1704 and 29 December 1704 at Northampton, Prince George's, Maryland.2,3
From "The Pedigree of Fletcher Garrison Hall," by Garrison Kent Hall, Boston, NEHGS, 1979, page 239. ". . . nr. Northampton City, VA. 1651; nr. Resurrection Manor, Calver Co., Md.; Northampton Manor, Md. "Thomas Sprigg, the colonist and Lord of Northampton Manor, probably came from Northamptonshire, England, and first settled in Northampton County, Virginia, where he and John Nuthall signed the 'Submission to Parliament' in 1651. He probably came to Maryland with Gov. Stone. He was a party to a suit against John Nevill in the Provincial Court in October 1657. He lived at first near Resurrction Manor in that part of Calvert County that was afterwards called Prince George's County and later at Northampton, which in 1910 was still in possession of the descendant Lord Fairfax of Cameron.
"Sprigg was one of the Justices of the Peace and of the Quorum for Calvert County in 1658-1661-1667-1669-1670-1674, commisioned High Sheriff of Calvert County April, 1664, and held the office until May, 1665. He was Justice of the Peace and of the Quorum in Prince George's County in 1696. Thomas Sprigg's first wife, Catherine, died after August 17, 1661, probably without issue.
"He built Northampton Manor house, encircled by a plantation of 800 acres, prior to 1661. His direct descendants have owned and occupied this manor though seven generations. The full length portrait, in which Thomas Sprigg is in full court costume, ks still in the possession of his descendants. No other family other than the Sprigg family and their kindred ever owned the manorial rights of Northampton Manor although the Fairfax family about the end of the Civil War, 1865, became owners of the land."
Thomas Sprigg's biographers said he was "an officer in the Royal Lancers." Sharon Doliante's book (cited before) says they are unable to confirm this, but that in 1653, in Virginia, he "signed himself as 'Leift. Sprigge,' meaning he was an officer in the military. He came to Virginia as a "Cavalier" and left England "immediately after the execution of Charles I in 1649 . . . " Burke’s Landed Gentry says this for the lineage of a James Cresap Sprigg: "Lieut. Thomas Sprigg of Kettering, Northamptonshire England, b. 1630, officer with Royal army, left Great Britain to settle in America before 1650 . . . .”