Snowden-Tysons Family

Rachel Snowden-Tyson born in 1798 was the daughter of John Snowden born 1730. John Snowden was the youngest son of Richard Snowden III, the Ironmaster. Rachel was the sister of Anna Marie Snowden-Hopkins, Dr. Gerald Hopkins-Snowden, John T Snowden, Margaret Snowden, and Rezin H Snowden. 

Richard Snowden, III 1688-1763 was the grandson of Richard Snowden Sr. 1640-1711, one of Maryland’s early colonists, who arrived in 1658. 

On July 5, 1705, Richard Snowden, III founded the Patuxent Iron Works one of Maryland’s first industries, and settled the land now known as Laurel and Sandy Spring, Maryland. 

In 1719, Richard Snowden, III was granted over 9,000 acres in Maryland. On May 8, 1745, "Snowden's Manor Enlarged" including the original "Snowden's Manor" was resurveyed and totaled 9,265 acres. 

Rachel Snowden-Tyson married John Shoemaker Tyson and had four children, Cornelia Tyson, Anna M Tyson, John Snowden Tyson, and Ida Tyson. Her husband, John Shoemaker Tyson was the nephew of Elisha Tyson 1750-1824 and John became a judge in Baltimore City where they lived.

Elisha Tyson was an American colonial millionaire and philanthropist who was active in the abolition movement, the Underground Railroad, and African colonization movement. He helped Black people escape slavery by establishing safe houses, and Underground Railroad stations, on the route from Maryland to Pennsylvania. He purchased the freedom of Black people at slave auctions. He also initiated lawsuits for kidnapped Black people and created a group of vigilantes to prevent Black people from being kidnapped and enslaved. He financed and returned kidnapped Black people from Liberia and returned them to their home country.

When he died, thousands of Black people followed his casket to its final resting place at the Quaker burial ground in Howard County. Elisha Tyson had ten children. His son Nathan married Martha Ellicott. Martha wrote the first biography of Benjamin Banneker, the first black astronomer, and was a co-founder of Swarthmore College.

Rachel’s sister Anna Maria Snowden married and became Anna M Hopkins.  She died March 27, 1864, and she left her entire estate to her sister Rachel Tyson and Rachel’s children. “Anna Hopkin’s Land,” a 73-acre tract of land in Montgomery County and parts of Snowden Manner Enlarged was sold exclusively to and for Black people through a Power of Attorney conveyed to Philip T. Stabler. 

Philip T. Stabler was born on September 21, 1831, in Sandy Spring Maryland. His father Edward Stabler was born September 29, 1794, and was the brother of Caleb Bentley Stabler and his grandmother, Edward’s mother was Deborah Brooke Stabler born November 25, 1763. Philip was a farmer and an Attorney. He was the attorney of record for all recorded Deeds of Rachel Tyson and her children to the early settlers of what is now Holly Grove, Silver Spring Md. Philip, and his wife Corneila Stabler had four children. He died on March 30, 1916, in Ashton Maryland.

Shadrach Nugent (1790-1891)

Born near Rockville, Maryland. Son of Mary and Bob Nugent. Three siblings: Eli Nugent, Millie Nugent-Snowden, and Nellie Nugent. Married Rebecca (ca. 1805 - before 1880) in the early 1830's. Six children: Shadrach Nugent Jr. (ca. 1833 - ca. 1864); Meshach Nugent (b. 1836); Elizabeth Nugent (b. 1840); Alice (b. 1843); Rebecca Nugent (b. 1846). Died in Washington D.C. 

Shadrach Nugent was a Freeman who was born near Rockville, Maryland around 1790. By the time he was nineteen, Nugent had moved north to Brookeville, Maryland to join his sister Millie. By 1810, Nugent found employment quarrying stone for the construction of Triadelphia, a neighboring cotton mill complex. 

Nugent stayed in Brookeville throughout the War of 1812. When James Madison fled the capital during the burning of Washington in August of 1814, he sought refuge in Brookeville. Nugent's brother, Eli escaped with his family and successfully found his brother and sister among the throng of refugees in Brookeville. Shortly after the war ended, Nugent relocated to Washington. 



He lived most of his life in Washington D.C. and was well known among the free black community. He was a founder of the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, the first black church in the nation's capital in 1816: the first congregation in the District of Columbia to specifically serve the black community. Nugent continued to claim a position of high regard in his community for the next several decades. In the 1850s, he purchased a few houses in his neighborhood.