The Minor Family of Somerset

Name Prefix:<NPFX> Major General

DWARD LLOYD (II)
THE PRESIDENT
1670-1718
When Edward Lloyd (I), the Puritan, died in the city of Lon
don, in the year1695, at an advanced age, he devised the planta
tion that was his home when inMaryland, but then in the occupan
cy of his widowed daughter-in-law HenriettaMaria (Neal, Bennett
) Lloyd, reliet of his son Philemon (I) to his eldest grand-so
n Edward (11). It is of this Edward Lloyd, the second of the nam
e, that it is now proposed to recite the life-story as far as ve
ry imperfect records and doubtful tradition have preserved the i
ncidents. He was born Feb. 7th,1670, and probably at Wye House
, the residence of his father Philemon (I) the Indian Commission
er. He was but fifteen years of age at the death of his father
, and therefore his early education devolved upon his mother, th
at ladyupon whose tombstone, filial affection has inscribed, wi
th questionable propriety, that she had "Abigail's wisdom." Hi
s first lesson in "good letters " may have been received from on
e of those teachers who were often brought fromthe transport sh
ips, as indentured servants; but as it was the custom of theda
y for people of condition to send their sons to the old countr
y for theireducation, and as his grandfather was a wealthy merc
hant of London, it is greatly probable Edward Lloyd (II) receive
d his academic and perhaps a professional training in the school
s and inns of court of the metropolis. He may havetaken his sea
t upon a form at Eton or Harrow, and even matriculated at one o
f the great universities. It is very certain his education was s
uch, however and wherever acquired, as to qualify him for the hi
ghest stations in the province.
The first authentic information we have of Ed. Lloyd (II)
, after hehad attained his majority is of his having been commi
ssioned, Jan. 16th, 1697, by Governor Francis Nicholson one of t
he Worshipful Commissioners and Justices of the Peace. He is spo
ken of as Colonel, so that he had received the acolade of provin
cial knightHood before he had been invested with the judicial er
mine. He was also named in the Commission as one of the Quorum
, a fact that seems to indicate that he was versed in the law. H
e continued to hold his seat upon the bench until Aug. 19th, 170
1.23 Soon after, in 1702, he was madeone of the Governor's Coun
cil, and as such he was still qualified to act as aCounty Justi
ce and preside in court when present; but he does not seem to ha
ve exercised this right.
In the year 1697 the General Assembly was dissolvedby proc
lamation of the Governor, and writs were issued, Jan. 11th, 1698
, for a new election of Delegates, at which Col. Lloyd was chose
n to be one to represent the freemen of Talbot, the Upper Hous
e or Council being composed ofthe appointees of the Governor. H
is associate delegates were Col. Thomas Smithson (who was made S
peaker of the House), Mr. Richard Tilghman and Mr. Will.Hemsley
. The last named gentleman died in 1699, and a brother of Mr. Ll
oyd,Philemon (II) was chosen in his place. During the time of M
r. Lloyd's service in the Lower House the most important measur
e that occupied its attention was the establishing of the Churc
h of England as the Church of the province. In 1692 Maryland ha
d been made a Royal province, and Baltimore deprived of hisPala
tinate rights. The bill for the establishment of the English chu
rch, first passed in 1694, had met with more than one mishap, an
d was not finally approved by royal assent, until 1702. It encou
ntered most stringent oppositionfrom two classes of citizens, t
he Roman Catholics and the Quakers, the lastof whom were numero
us and influential in this county. Whether this bill had Col. Ll
oyd's approval is doubtful, for he could not have been unmindfu
l of the people of his excellent mother's faith, 24 and the Frie
nds were too strongto have their protests disregarded by a poli
ti