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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 769   View pdf image (33K)
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BIOGRAPHIES STE

WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST ELEC-

TION: ca. 1,550 acres. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED:
will probated November 13, 1669, in Calvert
County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, at least
122,048 pounds of tobacco (including 7 servants).
LAND: ca. 1,450 acres, and a house in London.
His residual heirs were the sons of his brother,
John Stanley.

STANSBY (STANDSBY), JOHN (?-ca. 1682/83).
IMMIGRATED: by 1658, as an indentured servant.
RESIDED: in Baltimore County. MARRIED first, by
1667, Anne (?-by 1675), daughter of Richard Wells
(?-1667) and wife Frances. Anne was the niece
of Jerome White (?-by 1677). Her brothers were
Richard; Benjamin; George Wells (?-1696); John;
Robert; and William. Her sisters were Mary (?-
1699), who married first, Thomas Stockett (?-1671);
Martha; Frances; and Elizabeth. MARRIED sec-
ond, ca. 1675, Mary, widow of Godfrey Harmer
(?-1674), an Indian trader and interpreter in New
Sweden and Maryland, daughter of Oliver Spry
(?-ca. 1669) of Baltimore County and wife Jo-
hanna (?-1675). CHILDREN. STEPDAUGHTERS:
Sarah Harmer; Elizabeth Harmer; and Mary
Harmer, who married first, Benjamin Gundry (?-
by 1687), and second, James Maxwell (1662-1727/

28). PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RE-
LIGIOUS AFFILIATION: probably Protestant. SO-
CIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: arrived as a servant
to Francis Stockett (ca. 1634-1687), from whom
he undoubtedly acquired some medical skills. OC-
CUPATIONAL PROFILE: servant; physician. PUBLIC

CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House,

Baltimore County, 1676-1678 (resigned before
the 3rd session of the 1676-1682 Assembly to
become sheriff). LOCAL OFFICES: justice, Balti-
more County, 1675/76-1679; sheriff, Baltimore
County, 1679-1682. MILITARY SERVICE: captain,
by 1676/77-death. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: be-
tween November 1682 and February 6, 1682/83,
in Baltimore County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV,
47,835 pounds of tobacco (including surgical in-
struments, drugs and medicines, and debts due
him of 40,671 pounds of tobacco); FB, estate
overpaid 8,693 pounds of tobacco.

STEELE (STEEL, STEELL), HENRY (ca. 1715-
1782). BORN: possibly on July 22, 1715, in White-
haven, Cumberland County, England. IMMI-
GRATED: from Whitehaven, Cumberland County,
England, in 1740. RESIDED: near Vienna, Dor-
chester County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER:

possibly Isaac Steele of Whitehaven, England.
MOTHER: possibly Elizabeth Beeby of Winscales
at St. Michael's, Workington, England. BROTH-
ERS: possibly John (1704-?), the eldest; three
others (names unknown). SISTER: possibly one
(name unknown). MARRIED ca. 1757 Ann, daugh-
ter of Maj. James Billings (?-1747) of Oxford,
Talbot County, a merchant, and wife Ann Rider
(1713-1756). Ann was the stepdaughter of Go-
vert Lockerman (?-1753) of Dorchester County,
a mariner. She was the granddaughter of John
Rider (1686-1739/40) and the stepgranddaughter
of Covert Lockerman (ca. 1681-1728). She was
the niece of Dorothy Rider (1725-?), who mar-
ried John Henry (ca. 1714-1781). She was the
stepniece of Ann Hicks, who married Henry Trav-
ers (?-1765); Sarah Lockerman (?-by 1745), who
married Joseph Cox Gray (?-1764). Her brothers
were Thomas (ca. 1730-1753); James (ca. 1727-
1747); and John (1729-1729). Her first cousins
were Francis Jenkins Henry (?- 1796); John Henry y
Jr. (ca. 1750-1798); Charlotte Henry, who mar-
ried William Winder, Jr. (?-1808); and Dolly
Henry, who married Isaac Henry (?-ca. 1802).
CHILDREN. SONS: James Steele (1760-1816); Peter
(1762-?); John (1765-?); Charles (1767-?); Isaac
(1769-1806); and Henry (1772-?). DAUGHTER:
(first name unknown) (ca. 1758-1768). PRIVATE

CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILI-
ATION: Protestant. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVI-
TIES: Gent., by 1761. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE:
merchant, by 1756; in partnership in trade with
John Henry (ca. 1714-1781) in 1761 in Vienna,
Dorchester County; probably also planter. PUB-

LIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House,

Dorchester County, 1763 (elected to the 2nd ses-
sion of the 1762-1763 Assembly to fill vacancy).
1768-1770 (Elections 1; Accounts 1; Claims 1-
3), 1771 (Public Offices), 1774 (elected to the 3rd
session of the 1773-1774 Assembly to fill va-
cancy); 1st Convention, Dorchester County, 1774;
Lower House, Dorchester County, 1777 (elected,
but did not attend; resigned on June 16, 1777).
LOCAL OFFICES: justice, Dorchester County, 1757-
at least 1777; justice, Orphans' Court, Dor-
chester County, appointed 1777. WEALTH DURING

LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: 91 slaves, 1776.

LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 2,621 acres in Dor-
chester County, a half interest in 2 lots in Vienna,
Dorchester County, and control of 2,227 acres in
Dorchester County for his son James Steele (1760-
1816) (2,571 acres was the remainder of 2,604
acres acquired through marriage; the land con-

769



 

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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 769   View pdf image (33K)
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