John Winder (1745-1822)
MSA SC 3520-1395

Biography:
Born: on January 19, 1745, in Somerset County.
Native: fourth generation.
Resided: in Manokin Hundred, Somerset County, by 1783; Northampton County, Virginia, by 1794.

Family Background
Father: William Winder (1714/15-1792).
Mother: Esther Gillis (1724-by 1770).
Stepmother: by 1770, Mary (?-1799).
Aunt: Lean Gillis (1726-?), who married William Adams (?-1795).
Brothers: Levin Winder (1757-1819); William Winder, Jr. (?-1808); and possibly Thomas, who was lost at sea early in life.
Sisters: Jane; Leah (ca. 1760-?); Priscilla (ca. 1740-by 1779); and Esther (?-ca. 1790).
Niece: Esther Wilson (?-by 1792), who married William Morris (?-ca. 1799).
Nephew: Gen. William Henry (1775-1824).
Married: first, by 1770, Betty Jones.
Married: second, ca. 1782, Susanna (1755-1799), daughter of George Harmanson (?-ca. 1762) of Northampton County, Virginia, and wife Hannah. Her brother was John (?-1783), of Northampton County, Virginia. Her sisters were Elizabeth (Betsy), who married Caleb Teackle; and Mary.

Children
Sons: Dr. William (1770-1796); Dr. Thomas Jones (1772-by 1816) of Somerset County, who married Harriet, daughter of Levin Handy of Somerset County; John H. (1782-?), who married Comfort, daughter of Thomas Gore of Accomack County, Virginia; Levin Y. (1783-?) of Somerset County; Dr. George H.; Nathaniel J. (?-1844), a county clerk of Northampton County, Virginia, in 1821, who married Sarah; and Dr. Samuel.
Daughter: Mary Harmonson (1785-1862).

Private Career
Education: literate.
Religious Affiliation: Anglican, Somerset Parish, Somerset County, 1773.
Social Status and Activities: Esq., 1816.
Occupational Profile: physician; manufactured salt, 1782.

Public Career
Legislative Service: 3rd Convention, Somerset County, 1774; Lower House, Somerset County, 1779-1780 (Grievances 2, 3; Claims 1-3), 1780-1781 (Public Taxes 2), 1781-1782 (Elections 2), 1783 (elected, but did not attend, resigned on December 1, 1783).
Local Offices: trustee of Washington Academy, Somerset County, 1779; commissioner of the tax for Somerset County, appointed January 1783, December 1783, and January 1785.
Stands on Public/Private Issues: subscriber to Washington College, Chestertown, 1783; subscriber to Washington Academy, 1818.

Wealth During Lifetime
Personal Property: assessed value £781.0.0, including 27 slaves and 20 oz. plate, 1783.
Land at First Election: ca. 441 acres in Somerset County (probably given to him by his father).
Significant Changes in Land Between First Election and Death: obtained ca. 600 acres in Northampton County, Virginia, from his second wife, 1783; inherited at least 350 acres in Somerset County from his father, 1792; deeded all of his land in Somerset County to his son, Thomas Jones Winder, 1798.

Wealth at Death
Died: between November 28 and December 9, 1822, in Northampton County, Virginia. Buried with his second wife, at "Yeardley," the Harmanson home in Northampton County, Virginia.
Land: ca. 600 acres in Northampton County, Virginia.

Source: Edward C. Papenfuse, et al., eds. A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature, 1635-1789. Vol II. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985, p. 901-2
 

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