| Name | Street | Town | State | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West, Stephen | Woodward, Frederick county | Maryland | 1777 | 1783 |
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Stephen West, a merchant, importer of goods and slaves, member of the
Maryland Legislature, and Revolutionary War provider. "In January of
1756 “Darnall’s Delight” with its brick mansion was sold to another
important figure in Maryland’s early history. His name was Stephen West.
Woodyard Plantation became West’s residence and remained such until his
death in the 1780s. West was a member of the Provincial Council and it
was he who at least a year before the Declaration of Independence foresaw
the need for gathering together arms and ammunition to aid the colonials
in a struggle against the British. Stephen West felt so strongly about
this need that he hired a gunsmith out of his own funds to manufacture
weapons. Even before July 4, 1776 West was engaged in the manufacture of
arms and their subsequent sale to the colonial militia. He continued
those activities throughout the Revolution. Whether or not West’s manufacture
of armaments took place at “The Woodyard” is not known at this time.
However, it remains a distinct possibility, for in his diary on
May 21, 1777 Ebenezer Hazard described a number of other industries that
were going on at West’s home, “The Woodyard”. Mr. West has here a manufactory
of Linen both flaxen and hempen, Cottons & Wollens; a small Brewery, Distillery,
etc. Among his machines for manufacturing is one for spinning Cotton, in which
one wheel turns 22 spindles & as many Threads are spun at once. . .” 2 1 Wills. Liber 13, folios 223 – 232. Maryland Hall of Records, Annapolis, Maryland. 2 Maryland Historical Magazine. Vol. 46, p. 50. Archives of Maryland Journal of the Maryland Convention July 26 to August 14, 1775 Journal and Correspondence of the Maryland Council of Safety, August 29, 1775 to July 6, 1776 "To Mr. Stephen West 3d Feby 1776 Sir The Council of Safety have been informed that you have a Number of Gun Locks to dispose of, if that be the Case, you will be pleased to let them know by the first Opportunity what Number you have and the Price also whether they are single or double bridled Locks. You wrote for an Order on the Treasury for Powder delivered the Committee, — send up their Receipt for the Quantity delivered, and your Order will be made out at any Time when your Receiver may attend for the Cash." Archives of Maryland Journal of the Maryland Convention July 26 to August 14, 1775 Journal and Correspondence of the Maryland Council of Safety, August 29, 1775 to July 6, 1776 "Woodyard Monday 12th Feby 1776 Mr Gabriel Duvall Sir. I received your letter of the 6th by order of the Council of Safety respecting my powder and gun locks. As to the first a certificate & receipt with the other Papers were lodged some days past by my son with the Treasurer, who, as I wanted the money, was so civil as to pay it to my son, if any formality further is necessary, I must pray the favour of the Honourable Council of Safety to grant it the Powder & lead upon pro- ducing my receipt and their order will be instantly delivered, mean time it is under the care & eye of the Committee, the quantity 575l powder, 1600l of lead & shot. As to gun locks, I was desired when I was at Annapolis to keep what I had & what cuttoe knives also. I sent up an account of both vizt 92 gun locks, price from 7/6 to 16/6 the avera. 13/3, which I believe you'l find among the secret committee papers, the qualities are various some plain, some S. bridle, some double, but all pretty good as those prices can afford. We have some locks hereabouts that cost 18/ stg. at London and I have seen some at 37/6 stg. those I have will I believe do pretty well. I could have sold them to better advantage to the Virginia Agents but as I suppose some time or other our people would prepare for defence and my Smiths repairing fire arms & wanting locks I kept them. I am very indifferent about selling them but if the Honourable Council of Safety desire it to have them they are at their service. I believe I may have 100. I bought most of them in the South Branch of Virginia. As to cuttoes, I have 231 as you'l see by the account My brimstone unhappily cost me more then the Publick offers. [1 lost] not a moment in com- municating the letter directed to T. C. S. W & W. T. W. and setting engines to work, and I believe we shall succeed but we want money to exchange — of this more hereafter. My best respects attend the Honourable Council and I am Sir, Your very hble. servant, Stephen West. To Mr Gabriel Duvall elk of the Council of Safety. Archives of Maryland Journal of the Maryland Convention July 26 to August 14, 1775 Journal and Correspondence of the Maryland Council of Safety, August 29, 1775 to July 6, 1776 Woodyard 14th Feby 1776 Dr Sir. In my way down called on Mr West & viewed his Gun Locks, some of which are tolerable good, but not equal to the English Musket locks those at 7/6 are good at the price, & might answer the militia; at this critical time I think it wou'd be well to engage the whole, as they are a very scarce article. Knives will be much wanting in the purchased out of their pay or allowed by council &c he has 231 cutters wh youll judge of the expediency of taking I am with much Regard, Sir. Your very obedt Hble Servt W. Smallwood. To the Honble Danl of St Thos Jenifer Prest of the Council of Safety. Archives of Maryland Journal of the Maryland Convention July 26 to August 14, 1775 Journal and Correspondence of the Maryland Council of Safety, August 29, 1775 to July 6, 1776 "John Hall Esqr Woodyard 4th May 1776. Dear Sir: I received your esteemed favour relative to my Muskett which I apprehend suffered from the rain, it is by no means equal to many that I have & shall have, yet I believe it is much better than what you generally get. I am warranted to say so by the People Officers & Soldiers from your City. I send you one much better finished than that you have got and I desire that it may be compared with those you get. I defy all your People to produce such a Bayonet, Rammer, or a barrel so well turned off, or such a Barrel of their make, light, plain well poized and Proof, yet these Barrells are by no means so good as the rest that I have which are larger and better, if my opinion was worthy of notice I woud deliver the lightest Arms to the Officers, the largest and heavyest to the Privates for very obvious reasons but you cannot expect good Arms or the Art to be carried to perfection unless you give liberal Encouragement. I have many that will be worth 5 Guinnies at least, and those I send you really stand me £5.. 7.. 6 without a great Profit or allowance for my own time, Expence, and Collecting Materials. Your Rammers and Bayonets of your Country-made Arms I am told are rough Trash, & the Rammers fly out in Exercise, mine will not, they are kept by a fine spring in the lower pipe, people who are good Judges declare that my Arms on an Average are well worth fitted & finished as I do them 4 Guinnies, my own Carbine from London, not equal any way to the one I now send you cost me 4 Guinnies out of Jn Baziers shop. We cannot make them so cheap as they do, the price I have asked to indemnifye me is 6£ of our Paper not equal to 3 1/2 guineas, here, and I affirm in the face of the sun they are well worth it: I prove all the locks, and if any way defective finish them with the best steel, many Guns that I have seen are fitt only to beat Homminy with, not for men to trust their lives to. pray have you summed up the price your Musketts will come to, from piece work from your favourite Harriss try them fairly and see what they will amount to and then when they are really finished as well as mine which I do not believe all your workmen together can do, please to sum up the amount.
Order of the Council of the State of Maryland, October 30, 1781 "the Armourer deliver to Stephen West, 200 gun locks and 200 bayonets to be applied to repairing the Public Arms in hie hands" |
