1818 MD Estate Note | Francis Scott Key Cousin Eliza | Upton Bruce State Senator

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1818 MD Estate Note | Francis Scott Key Cousin Eliza | Upton Bruce State Senator:
$1295.00

Original 1818 Maryland estate promissory note, executed February 19, 1818, documenting a substantial financial obligation administered at the highest levels of early-Republic Maryland politics, banking, and society.

This sealed note promises payment of $613.32, a very large sum for the period, and is explicitly written “for use of Eliza Key Scott,” tying it directly to the settlement of a prominent Maryland estate.

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⭐ Notable Historical Figures Identified

• Upton Bruce

Maryland State Senator and bank president, serving here as payee and fiduciary. Bruce later signs an authorization empowering the heir to receive payment, confirming his role in estate administration and financial oversight.

• Eliza Key Scott (Elizabeth Maynadier Key)

Named beneficiary and signer. First cousin of Francis Scott Key, author of The Star-Spangled Banner, and daughter of Philip Barton Key II. This document captures her inheritance in motion under her late father’s will.

• Moses Farquhar

Frederick County Quaker landowner who soon migrated west, becoming a pioneer of Berlin Township, Knox County, Ohio, where he built mills and helped organize local government.

• Hugh Shaw

Identified Annapolis cabinetmaker, part of the skilled artisan class serving Maryland’s political and financial elite.

• Jesse Cloud

Likely a Frederick County Quaker farmer and voter, part of the extended Cloud family with deep Quaker roots and community involvement.

• John Camelby (also spelled Camerby)

Named legal witness, reflecting standard spelling variation of the period.

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📖 Why This Document Matters

This is not a routine IOU. It is a bank-administered estate instrument involving:

• A Maryland State Senator & bank president

• A Key family heir, directly related to Francis Scott Key

• Documented Quaker landowners and early western pioneers

• Formal execution with seals, witness, and estate authorization

The phrase “for use of Eliza Key Scott” indicates the note was held in trust for her benefit, with Bruce later releasing control once probate conditions were satisfied.

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🖋️ Key Details

• Date: February 19, 1818

• Location: Maryland

• Amount: $613.32

• Type: Sealed promissory note with estate authorization

• Condition: Original period paper, legible text and signatures (see photos)

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🎯 Collector Appeal

Ideal for collectors of:

• Francis Scott Key–related material

• Early Maryland political & banking history

• Estate and probate documents

• Quaker history and westward expansion

• Early American financial manuscripts