Father: Francis Linthicum
Mother: Eleanor Williams

Spouse: Daniel Sherwood
  m: 1/Jan/1768 - Anne Arundel Co., MD

Child-1: Thomas Francis
          2: Hugh - b: 8/Mar/1770 - Talbot Co., MD
                         d: 17/Nov/1846 - Washington Co., IN - bur: Providence Cem.
                        m: Rebecca Field - 4/Nov/1790 - NC
          3: Elizabeth - b: 8/Nov/1773 - Talbot Co., MD
                              d: 14/Aug/1835 - Randolph Co., NC - bur: Timber Ridge Cem.
                             m: William G. Swaim - 17/Dec/1789 - NC
          4: Eleanor - b: 25/May/1776 - Talbot Co., MD
                            d: 18/Feb/1859 - Randolph Co., NC
                            m: Jeremiah Field
          5: Daniel - b: 21/Aug/1779 - Talbot Co., MD
                          d: 17/Aug/1850 - Washington Co., IN - bur: Posey Township Cem.
                         m: Mary Thompson - 15/Jul/1800 - Guilford Co., NC
          6: Benjamin - b: 21/Aug/1783 - Guilford Co., NC
                               d: 20/May/1866 - Marion Co., IA - bur: Indiana Chapel Cem.
                              m: Sarah Elizabeth Swaim - 24/Dec/1804 - Guilford Co., NC - div: Oct/1841
                              m: Mrs. Mary Wallace Shelton - 4/Jan/1848 - Marion Co., IA
          7: Priscilla - b: 17/Mar/1787 - Guilford Co., NC
                            d: 22/Oct/1864 - Davidson Co., NC - bur: Sandy Creek Cem.
                           m: Michael Swaim - 24/Feb/1804 - Guilford Co., NC
          8: John - b: 25/Sep/1791 - Guilford Co., NC
                         d: 1865
                         m: Edith Vickery - 1/Mar/1811 - Randolph Co., NC

Biographical Details:

As is usual with most women in eighteenth century colonial America, little specific is known of the life of Frances Linthicum.  Even so, it is known that she was born in November of 1749 in All Hallows Parish, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and was the daughter of Francis and Eleanor Williams Linthicum.  All Hallows Episcopal Church still exists and is located at 3604 Solomon's Island Road, Edgewater, Maryland, which lies approximately ten or fifteen miles southwest of Annapolis.  Almost certainly, Frances spent her childhood and adolescence in this locality.  Accordingly, she married Daniel Sherwood on January 1, 1768, in Anne Arundel County.  However, it sseems that she and her husband moved to Guilford County, North Carolina, in the late 1770's or early 1780's.  The motivation for this move is not clear, although it was likely for economic reasons.  In any case, they eventually settled at Plumb Run, which is about ten miles south of Greensboro, North Carolina.  Here, it seems they remained for the rest of their lives.  Frances Linthicum Sherwood died in May of 1806 and was buried in Pleasant garden Methodist Church Cemetery.¹

1. "IN Remembrance of Frances Sherwood wife of Daniel Sherwood   She died on the 4th of May 1806 in the 57th year of her age.  Weep not if thou lovst me well, I am happier than thou."  Pleasant Garden United Methodist Church Cemetery, Guilford County, North Carolina (www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=1565142&CScn=Pleasant+Garden&CScntry=4&CSst=29&CScnty=1691&, continuously updated).
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2. "Benjmain and Sally (Sherwood) settled in Rowan County, N.C., now Davidson Coutny, eight miles west of Lexington, on a farm called Cherry Hill.  He lived there for 28 years, leaving in the spring of 1832.  He stayed in Wilkes County for two years and three months, leaving on 14 July 1834 for Indiana.  In Oct. 1841, Benjmain Sherwood divorced Sally and on 4 Jan. 1848 he married Mary Shelton, widow of James Shelton.  In Jan. 1867 Michael Swaim Sherwood writes that he had just heard of the death of Benjamin Sherwood. (family tradition)
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3. "Marion County, Iowa August 10 A.D 1862 Beloved grandson:
I have one occurrence that transpired during the time of grandfather Francis Linthycum's active life, handed down by tradition through the agency of my mother, that if I was in possession of the facts on paper from the pen of grandfather; money would not take that paper from me and I suspect that some of your descendants will possess a share of a like taste.  The facts alluded to were as follows: Grandfather had several colored persons in his family whom he treated more like children than like slaves:  He also had a brother who was just the reverse of himself -- the brother was a coward, a tyrant, was worthless and mean:  This brother got grandfather's black man within his power and whipped him -- the faithful man hastened home and related to his humane guardian the treatment received -- grandfather procured a good rod, started in pursuit of his brother, taking the black man along as a witness -- arrested the defendant -- acted in the capacity of Sheriff, jury, and judge -- found the culprit guilty and carried the sentence of the court into execution by giving his own brother a severe flogging with his rod.  If I do not misremember, the black man himself related to mother the occurrence.  Mother probably was unborn when the flogging took place: she was the youngest member of the family. Grandmother died shortly after her birth-grandfather when she was a small girl".  (Letter of Benjamin Sherwood to Benjamin Sherwood Hedrick, 10 Aug 1862. Benjamin Sherwood Hedrick Papers, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.)
     As with all stories of this kind, all of the facts are probably not revealed.  Of course, there were undoubtedly some "good masters" and, evidently, Francis Linthicum may have been one, nevertheless, that does not compensate for the reality that slavery was an umitigated evil for which there can be no moral excuse. Predictably, this account states that slaves were treated kindly, like children.  This would not be unusual as in the case of Mr. Jefferson at Monticello, several of his slaves were, indeed, his own children.  Moreover, even if they were not, adulthood was legally and socially precluded for a slave who must, therefore, remain a perpetual "child".  Of course, slavery was a complex institution that bedeviled the whole country precipitating a ruinous civil war and with effects that still remain apparent in present society.  Of course, it would be comforting to feel that our ancestors were exceptions to the general rule of degradation of African-Americans by slavery, nevertheless, it still must be recognized that they were slaveowners, with all the baggage that entails.
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Additional Citations:

4. Providence Cemetery, Washington County, Indiana (www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=86482&CScn=Providence&CScntry=4&CSst=17&CScnty=879&, continuously updated).

5. Timber Ridge Cemetery, Randolph County, North Carolina (www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2358484&CScn=Timber+Ridge&CScntry=4&CSst=29&CScnty=1726&, continuously updated).

6. Indiana Chapel Cemetery, Marion County, Iowa (www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=211630&CScn=Indiana+Chapel&CScntry=4&CSst=14&CScnty=609&, continuously updated).

7. Sandy Creek Cemetery, Davidson County, North Carolina (www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=48689&CScn=Sandy+Creek&CScntry=4&CSst=29&CScnty=1679&, continuously updated).

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