Our Family History

Captain George Athy (1642-1709)
First Athy in our line to come to America
7th Great-Grandfather of Glenn Cook


Now George Athy (Athey - Athee) being the 2nd son, would not inherit anything, as it ALL went to the eldest son (Walter), so George (& his brother John) entered into the service of Thomas Dent (of Maryland) as Indentured servants for 7 years. They came to Maryland in 1661/62.

After George served his seven years, he bought land in Charles County. Maryland (1674), he became a Tobacco Planter. He was married twice. His 1st wife Ann Moorewood (or Martin) born 1645 - died bef 1686 in Nanjemy, (now known as Nanjemoy) Charles Co., MD. They were married in 1670 in Maryland. They had two children: 1. John Athey 2. Elizabeth

His 2nd wife - Sarah Marsh born 1666. They had at least two children: 1. Thomas, 2. George.

In 1696 George Athey became "CAPTAIN GEORGE ATHEY" . He was named Captain of Foot in Piscattoway Parish. (Militia of Prince George's Co., MD.) "At the time of the founding of Prince George's Co., these rangers patrolled the area beyond the Anacostia River, venturing as far north as Sugarloaf Mountains and then moving eastward to meet the Baltimore County's rangers."

George Athy was born in 1642 to Francis Athy of Galway, Ireland. He was the second male child, with an older brother, Walter, who was born prior to 1642, and a younger brother, John, born 1644. Also a sister Susannah who was probably the eldest.


Notes:



In 1661/1662 George Athy, now 20 years of age, and his brother, John 18 years, are shown as entering into indentured servitude. Only the eldest son Walter would be heir to the family merchant business, moving to the Castle at Oranmore. With nothing left for him in Galway, George entered into the service of Thomas Dent of Maryland , as an Indentured Servant (or Bond Servant), for a term of seven years.


George as a Freeman

Maryland land records show George as owning property in Charles County in 1674. His occupation was listed as, Tobacco Planter .

Property records for Charles County land tracts laid out prior to April 23, 1696, show George obtaining property with at least five variations of the spelling of the surname:
Athee, George / Athees Hopewell / Aug. 4, 1674
Athee, George / Hutton Lockerice / Aug 4, 1674
Athee, George/ Wakefield / June 14, 1675
Aythey, George / Leads / June 23, 1685
Althey, George/ Stony Hill / Mar 20, 1687
Aithey, George / Little Hall / Mar 23, 1687
Athy, George/ St. Johns / Apl.17,1689
This would lead one to believe that many of the variations of the Athy surname are the result of the record keepers writing the name as they heard it pronounced, and not as it was actually spelled.


Prince George's County

Prince George's County was erected on Saint George's Day, April 23, 1696, out of land that had previously been part of Charles and Calvert counties. The population then was probably no more than 2,000. Those settlers who lived along the Potomac River had been part of Charles County, while those along the Patuxent had been part of Calvert. The interior of the county was unsettled, and few had ventured north of the Anacostia River. Prince George's County was still Maryland's frontier, and, compared to the older counties, it was a land of small planters and farmers. A census in 1706, just ten years after the county's founding, revealed that there were 406 households in the county but only thirty-seven men who owned more than 1,000 acres of land. Because there were few large plantations, there were few African slaves. Indentured servants -- men and women from Great Britain and Ireland who surrendered their freedom for a few years in return for passage to the New World -- still satisfied most of the need for additional labor. Slaves would not be brought here in large numbers until the eighteenth century.


       Piscataway Village

In 1696 the white residents of the new Prince George's County shared their county with the Piscataway Indians, most of whom then lived in reserved lands along Piscataway Creek. Once these Indians had lived all over Southern Maryland, but as the region filled with white settlers, they withdrew to the Piscataway-Accokeek area. By the time Prince George's County was created, white settlement had leapfrogged beyond them. They could no longer hunt freely and were expected to observe the white man's property rights. For fifty years they had lived peacefully with the settlers, but by 1696 they decided to move on. Despite the entreaties of the Marylanders, who genuinely wanted them to stay, the Piscataways left the province in 1697. Thus, only one year after the founding of the county, Prince George's Piscataway Indians were gone. After some wandering, they eventually settled in Pennsylvania, where they were absorbed by other tribes.


"Captain" George

The Piscataways were not the only Indians the Prince Georgeans had to deal with, however. From time to time Senecas and other Indians came south into Maryland sometimes to trade, but sometimes to fight. The provincial government established companies of rangers to patrol the frontier and warn settlers of Indian movements. George Athey was named "Captain of foot in Piscattoway Parish". At the time of the founding of Prince George's County, these rangers patrolled the area beyond the Anacostia River, venturing as far north as Sugarloaf Mountain and then moving eastward to meet Baltimore County's rangers. The settlers behind this line -- the pioneers of Prince George's County -- undoubtedly were grateful for the protection, and many Prince Georgeans took part in the patrols. Still, from time to time hostile Indians slipped through, and from time to time families along the Anacostia River, Rock Creek, and the upper reaches of the Patuxent were harassed, and sometimes hurt. But there were never any massacres, and as the land beyond Prince George's County was settled, the threat of Indian raids disappeared.


Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1694 97.

Addison for Military & Civill Officers to be constituted & Whitehall appointed in Prince Georges County by Act of Assembly lately erected, the said List is as follows,
Vizt Military & A List of Civill & Military Officers for Prince Georges County, Viz ed for Prince Georges County Mr Wm Hatt Justices of the County

Civill Officers prsent..

Mr Wm Hatt Justices of the County Mr Thomas Holliday
Mr Wm Hutchison
W Wm Barton
Mr John White Quorum
Mr Robt Bradly
Mr Wm Taneyhill
Mr David Small Justices
Mr Robert Tylor

Militia Officers

Mr Tho: Holliday Lievtent Colonell
Mr Wm Barton Majr Whitehall
Mr John WFrite Capt of ifoot
Capt Richd Brightwell Capt of horse.
Mr Robt Wade Capt of horse in Piscattoway Parish
George Athey Capt of ifoot in the same.
Mr Thomas Greenfleid for Sherriff.

"Captain" George Athy (Athey), died in Prince George's County, Maryland in 1709. drg

The Athy Family of Galway

Estate Record: Athy

Tribes of Galway

The Book of Irish Families: Great & Small - Page 5

Captain George Athy's Family