Oxon Hill in Prince George's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The DeButts Family Comes to Maryland
Oxon Cove Park
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, October 30, 2011
1. The DeButts Family Comes to Maryland Marker
Samuel DeButts was born in Ireland in 1756. He began a career as a doctor in England and there met and married his wife, Mary Welby, in 1785. Samuel’s medical practice was difficult, unprofitable, and kept the couple apart for weeks at a time. Like hundreds of thousands of other European families, Samuel and Mary DeButts decided to immigrate to the United States.
They arrived with their two children, Richard and Mary Ann, in 1791. They lived in Baltimore, then Washington County, and for a time with Samuel’s brother, John, in St. Mary’s County. Mary gave birth to their third child, John Henry, in the United States.
Samuel and Mary had inherited some wealth and land from their families. In the early 1800s, Samuel decided to add to his income by farming on this land while practicing medicine in Washington, D.C. With this comfortable house and productive farm overlooking the Potomac River, the DeButts family established itself in the society of well-to-do families of the Chesapeake.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1756.
Location.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Mount Welby (here, next to this marker); The Burning of Washington, D.C. (a few steps from this marker); Wheat and Tobacco (within shouting distance of this marker); Root Cellar (within shouting distance of this marker); War Comes to Mount Welby (within shouting distance of this marker); Why a Brick Stable? (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rockets on the Hill (about 400 feet away); Two Centuries of Farm Buildings (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oxon Hill.
Also see . . . Richard Earle DeButts' Mount Welby II. (Submitted on November 2, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
Additional keywords. Oxon Cove Park; tobacco plantation; slavery; "big house"
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, October 30, 2011
2. "The DeButts Family Comes to Maryland" and "Mount Welby" Marker Panels
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, October 30, 2011
3. The hexagonal outbuilding and boxwood trees referred to in the text.
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, October 30, 2011
4. The Mount Welby House, Oxon Hill Farm
Credits. This page was last revised on April 5, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,339 times since then and 84 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 1, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 2, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
