Richard Dwyer was born near Unity, MD., on 30 May 1816, according to his family bible.

He married Elizabeth Emily Crockett of Cracklintown, now Laytonsville, MD.  She was the daughter of Henry and Susannah Hilton Crockett, who ran a tavern near the crossroads.  This tavern is called the "old brick tavern" in land records.  This place, according to the family, was an inn as well as a tavern.  The Crockett daughters were supposed to be good quilters, but none of their work or their pattern preferences have survived. When the land and buildings were purchased by John Layton, the Crocketts moved to Georgetown.

Richard and Elizabeth were married in Georgetown, Washington, DC, on May 14, 1850 by the Rev. Mr. Remick.  Why they went to Georgetown is uncertain, but there are quite a few records of Crockett marriages in the D.C. between 1847 and 1853.  Afterwards they went to live in Mt. Airy, MD, with Elizabeth's sister Juliet and her husband William Hood, for several years.

Later they moved back to Cracklintown and lived in the old brick tavern building, across the street from the Layton house.  Richard's occupation was listed as gauger or plasterer.  (Click here to learn lots more about the job.)

The Dwyer children recalled John Layton as a scary figure with a black coat and a cane who drank heavily, shouted, and shook his cane at them.  Or perhaps they were pretty annoying kids.
 

Child	Ages from family bible
William	April 26, 1852 - October 12, 1863
Edward	June 29, 1854 - February 11, 1929, died in Winnipeg, CA, buried in Laytonsville Cem.  Married Maria Taxis Slaughter
James	Jan 9, 1857 - drowned at Tridelphia on July 21, 1878, buried in Laytonsville Cem.
Emma	May 26,1859 - Died of a fever July 28, 1872, buried in Laytonsville Cem.
Franklin	June 13, 1860 - Died 1947 Married Maggie Weeks
Fanny	July 10, 1864 - April 10, 1865
Elizabeth	June 5, 1867 - buried in Laytonsville Cem. Married Tom Clark

 

In October, 1871, Richard Dwyer bought an acre of land from Francis L. and Amanda Bell.  He and Elizabeth built a house at the southern end of the acre on the land, now 21521 Laytonsville Road.  Later this house was lifted and moved to the back of the lot, and the present house was built closer to the road. Most of the rest of the property was used for a large garden. (Click for the larger photo.) Richard's son Edward, known as Ned, built a house on the northern end of the property, now 21529 Laytonsville Road.  This house was considerably smaller than the present day home.  In 1889-1890 Richard and Elizabeth sold this house, the outbuildings, and 1/4 acre to his older sisters Mercy Ann Walker and Mary Dwyer. Mary died December 13, 1893, at the Rockville home of her younger brother Henry, who perhaps had cared for her at the end.  By then her brother Richard had died (Sept. 29, 1893), and her sister-in-law Elizabeth was an invalid. Mary left her interest in the house to Henry.  Mercy Ann Walker died October 16, 1894, widowed and childless, without leaving a will.  The house was rented to a Benson, and Henry seems to have assumed that he owned it outright. Henry Dwyer was sued by his surviving brother and sisters -- Ellen Griffen of Baltimore County, Eliza Knode of PG County, and William Dwyer of Baltimore County -- for their share.  Later the grandchildren of the other siblings were brought into the suit.  The resulting equity case is a great genealogical help because the court requires all heirs to be named and located, and the data has to be corrected (Liber JA 13/folio 134 and liber JA 15/folio 497).

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