Source Wikipedia entry for Nicholas Gaswaie:
Nicholas Gaswaie was born to a Welsh merchant family belonging to St. Margaret's parish Westminster in London, England. He emigrated to the colony as a professional plantation manager around 1650 and settled south of Londontowne, a southerly district of Annapolis, Maryland today. Within a decade he was the owner of a sizable plantation exporting to his Gaswaie family back in England from his dock at the neck of the South River on Chesapeake Bay. He served as an officer in the Provincial military, rising rapidly to th rank of Major during skirmishes with local indigenous peoples. He died one of the largest landholders in the Maryland colony.
Nicholas Gassaway was a politician and jurist in addition to his military role in the colony. He was named a Gentleman Justice of the Quorum while still a Major. He was promoted to Colonel in 1672 and was named as a Commissioner of Londontowne in 1683. He became a Commissioner of the Peace in 1686 and was appointed one of the Committee of Twenty who governed the Maryland Colony pending the arrival of a Royal Govenor from late 1689 to 1691. Additionally, he sat as a Justice of the Provincial Court in his final years.
Nicholas' son Captain Thomas, who provided Gassaway land for the Old South River Club and All Hallows Church, would carry on the family tradition of both military and civilian leadership serving as Lord High Sheriff for Anne Arundel County from 1711 through 1714. His son, Captain John Gassaway, in turn served as High Sheriff of Annapolis.
All of his sons those holding rank followed Colonel Nicholas as officers in the Maryland Provincial Forces.
Three of Colonel Nicholas Gassaway's great grandchildren continued the tradition of colonial military service as officers in the Maryland Line of the Continental Army. They were Lieutenant Henry Gassaway, Lieutenant Nicholas Gassaway and Captain John Gassaway. Great-great grandson Colonel Gassaway Watkins of Morgan's riflemen also gained distinction in the Revolution and served as president of the Maryland chapter of the prestigious Society of the Cincinnati.
One of the many notable descendants of Colonel Nicholas Gassaway is Henry Gassaway Davis, a railroad tycoon from West Virginia who served as Senator from that state (1871-1783) and ran for Vice-President of the United States in 1804. The town of Gassaway, West Virginia is named after the late Senator.