Good afternoon. I am trying to find more information on the family of Elijah Dorsey. He is listed in the 1840 & 1850 (Freedom District) census. The 1850 record states that he was born in PA. The 1850 census shows:

Elijah Dorsey age 48 born PA
Ann age 47 born MD
Andrew J age 17 born MD
Ruth (?) A age 13 born MD
Catharine age 10 born MD
George T W age 6 born MD
Winfield S age 2 born MD

Elijah died before 1860 - census records show Ann in her daughter Catharine's household (Catharine's husband is listed as John Berry - a hotel keeper).

Andrew J Dorsey is nowhere to be found until the 1880 census in Montgomery County and disappears again after that. His wife is shown as Martha E (maiden name unknown).

I am interested in any information anyone may have on Elijah & Ann's parents and siblings. Also, any information on their children, specifically Andrew J and his wife.

Thank you for your help.

Dianna Raiford Andersen

Dianna, I have a Ridgely family connection and wondered if you had any information whether your Elijah had a middle name of Ridgely. Both families intermarried over the generations and that often makes tracing their lines of descent very complex

I do not know what this Elijah's middle name is. His son Andrew J's son is Elijah Ridgely Dorsey (m Sarah Virginia Grimes), my g-g-grandfather. As of this time, we have been unable to directly tie this line into any of the Dorsey/Ridgely(Ridgley) lines of the Balt,How,Carroll county areas.

dianna

Elijah Ridgely Dorsey was my great grandfather. My grandmother was Edith Dorsey Rosenberger and my mother is still living. My email is sjgmvbg@yahoo.com for more infor.

Hi Dianna,
My own search of a branch of my family in Anne Arundel has led me to the place I grew up...coincidentally, Gosnell, MOount Airy, Maryland (Mount Olive UMC) area. I was able to find a link to the Dorsey and Gillis families and am still researching. I attended Mount Olive UMC and lived on Davis Road off of Gillis Falls Road, Mount Airy, MD. I knew many of the old timers of these original families and attended school with their descendants. While looking for info on the Dorsey family I found this web sight. I hope it will be helpful. http://www.contexo.info/Andrew&PatienceDorsey/DorseysPro...

Caran

For those searching for Dorsey's in Maryland, there is a very very old cemetery in Howard County that is all but forgotten. It is in the most unlikely place. If you know where Apple Ford is and where Lone Star Restaurant is or was (not sure if it is still there), the cemetary is right off the Lone Star parking lot. There are a bunch of bushes in the distance and once, I walked out there and discovered it is a family cemetery for the Dorsey's. The stone's are all very old, dating in the 1700s and 1800s. And all of them are Dorsey's or married Dorsey's. It is a very big family in Maryland and so many places are named after them. Not sure if any of you knew of this place. I can try to make a trip out there at some point and take pictures of all the graves. Not sure if this has already been done and posted on find a grave. I will double check. Thanks!
~ Tracy Christy in Marriottsville, Carroll County, Maryland

Sounds like this might be the same one that is on Findagrave.com. It is listed as the Dorsey-Owings-Waters Cemetery.

Dianna Raiford Andersen

Hi Dianna,
I don't think so. There are only Davis' there. But I think you have just put me on the path to find another one in the area. Waters is a local name. I was just past one of tge original waters homes on Saturday. I grew up two miles from it and went to school with a member of a family who lives there. It's a very lovely old house and a rambling property. I'll ask if there is a cemetery there. There is also another Waters property close by. Watersville Road rund parallel to Davis Road where I grew up and are both connected by Gillis Falls Road. All three of these roads are named after prominent original families to the area.
I may be related to Ridgelys and Grimes also. I've run into both surnames quite a bit while researching.

Caran

there are only Davis's where?

Here is the link for the Dorsey-Owings-Waters Cemetery (there are no Davis's listed here):

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GRid=37...;

dianna