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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 370   View pdf image (33K)
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GRA BIOGRAPHIES

9th, 1776 (Elections, Claims, Loan Office); Senate,
Western Shore, Term of 1776-1781: 1777 (elected
on March 18, 1777, to fill vacancy in the 1777 As-
sembly; qualified on March 25, 1777; appointed to
the Loan Office Committee on April 14, 1777 to
replace Turbutt Wright), 1777-1778, 1778-1779
(did not serve; died before the 3rd session). OTHER
PROVINCIAL OFFICES: naval officer, Pocomoke, in
office 1754-1755; surveyor general, Eastern Shore,
in office 1754-1755; 5th Council of Safety, West-
ern Shore, 1776-1777 (declined). LOCAL OFFICES:
sheriff, Calvert County, 1755-1756; justice, Cal-
vert County, 1756-1779 (quorum, 1766-1779);
trustee for building All Saints' Church, Calvert
County, in office 1774; justice, Orphans' Court,
Calvert County, 1777-1779. STANDS ON PUBLIC/-
PRIVATE ISSUES: served on a committee of the
General Assembly to protest the Stamp Act, 1765;
protested the Fee Bill promulgated by Gov. Ro-
bert Eden in 1772. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME.
LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 1,044 acres in Calvert
and Frederick counties (195 acres in Frederick
County held jointly with John Cooke); jointly
held a mortgage with David Arnold on a lot in
Lower Marlboro, Calvert County. SIGNIFICANT

CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION

AND DEATH: obtained 103 acres in Anne Arundel
County through a defaulted mortgage, 1763; ca.
2,906 acres in Baltimore County by purchase and
patent of resurveys in 1776 (this was his share of
the land held originally in partnership with Wil-
liam Lux and James Dick). WEALTH AT DEATH.
DIED in 1779, probably in Calvert County. PER-
SONAL PROPERTY: size of estate unknown. LAND:
at least 952 acres in Calvert and Anne Arundel
counties, and possibly 2,906 acres in Baltimore
County.

GRAHAME (GRAHAM), JOHN (1760-1833).
BORN on August 8, 1760, in Lower Marl boro,
Calvert County; only surviving son. NATIVE: sec-
ond generation. RESIDED: in Lower Marlboro, Cal-
vert County, until 1788; "Rose Hill Farm," Fred-
erick County, 1788-1833. FAMILY BACKGROUND.
FATHER: Charles Grahame (ca. 1721-1779).
MOTHER: Aesneath Hutton. SISTERS: Aesneath
(Asenath, Azenath) (by 1758-?); Ann (?-by 1790),
who married Thomas Mackall (1751-1799). MAR-
RIED in January 1788 Anne Jennings (1759-1835),
daughter of Thomas Johnson (1732-1819); grand-
daughter of both Thomas Johnson (1702-1777), of
Calvert County, and Thomas Jennings (?-1759),
of Annapolis; niece of Baker Johnson (1747-1811).
Her brothers were Thomas Jennings; James; and
Joshua. Her sisters were Elizabeth; Rebecca; and

Dorcas. CHILDREN. SON: Thomas J. (1794-1827),
who married his first cousin Caroline Worthington
Goldsborough (1803-1831), daughter of Baker
Johnson (1747-1811). DAUGHTER: Ann Rebecca
(1798-1816). PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: at-
tended, but did not graduate from, the College of
New Jersey (later Princeton University), 1777. RE-
LIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican, All Saints' Par-
ish, Frederick County. SOCIAL STATUS AND AC-
TIVITIES: Esq., 1795. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE:
merchant in the firm of John Graham & Com-
pany, Calvert County, 1785; president of the Fred-
erick County Bank, 1818-1833; planter. PUBLIC

CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House,

Calvert County, 1783, 1784 (Claims), 1785
(Claims), 1786-1787, 1787-1788 (Claims 1); Sen-
ate, Western Shore, Term of 1796-1801: 1796,
1797, 1798, 1799, 1800. OTHER STATE OFFICE:
associate justice, Fifth District Court, appointed
1793. LOCAL OFFICES: justice, Calvert County,
1782-1787 ("desires to be left out"); justice, Or-
phans' Court, Calvert County, commissioned 1786
and 1787; All Saints' Parish Vestry, Frederick
County, in office 1812; Maryland Senate elector,
Frederick County, elected 1816. MILITARY SER-
VICE. 2nd lieutenant, Calvert County Militia, com-
missioned 1778. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PER-
SONAL PROPERTY: assessed value £117.0.0,
including 3 slaves, 1783; 11 slaves, 1790; 19 slaves,
1800; 29 slaves, 1810; 16 slaves, 1825; 6 slaves,
1833. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: at least 263
acres in Calvert County (inherited from his fa-
ther). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN

FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH: obtained 225 acres
through his wife's dower, "Rose Hill Farm,"
Frederick County, 1788; owned 1 lot in Cumber-
land, Allegany County, 1793; obtained 2,419 acres
in Frederick County, 1793-1829 (136 acres as a
gift from his father-in-law; 849 acres probably in-
herited from his sister). He sold 1,298 acres in Cal-
vert and Frederick counties, 1816-1829. All of his
remaining land was mortgaged in 1829 and re-
mained so until his death. He sold 687 acres of the
mortgaged land in Frederick County in 1830. AD-
DITIONAL COMMENTS: Grahame suffered severe
financial reverses later in his life. In the mid- 1820s
he was forced to start selling slaves and land. In
1829 he took out a $20,000 mortgage on "Rose
Hill," continued his land sales, and mortgaged his
remaining slaves and stock. WEALTH AT DEATH.
DIED on March 20, 1833, at "Rose Hill Farm,"
Frederick County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV,
$1,524.72 (including 6 slaves, all of whom were
mortgaged for the sum of $5,800.00); FB,
$1,145.68 as recorded in the final accounting of

370



 

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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 370   View pdf image (33K)
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