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Johnson (1732-1819) in the successful defense of
Joseph Hanson Harrison (?-1785) in a test case
concerning the Fee Bill, 1773. Supported Charles
Carroll of Carrollton (1737-1832) in his newspa-
per debate with Daniel Dulany, Jr. (1722-1797),
1773. Signer of the Declaration of Independence,
August 2, 1776. Opposed ratification of the Fed-
eral Constitution, 1788. WEALTH DURING LIFE-
TIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: received a £125.0.0
legacy from his grandfather, 1770. Property in
Annapolis valued at £969.13.4, including 5 slaves
and 268 oz. plate, 1783. In 1789 he declared him-
self privately indebted for £2,000, even after hav-
ing mortgaged all of his personal property; his
assets were "good debts," estimated at about
£1,200.0.0, plus "some fees"; at that time he
agreed to convey to Thomas Dorsey (?-1790) £600
current money, plus £3,400 worth of property, as
his share of the debts of John Dorsey & Co. Re-
ceived £643.15.0 current money, plus costs as his
commission as agent for the recovery of Mary-
land's bank stock in England, 1811 (this was
about one-half the amount he had requested). AN-
NUAL INCOME: lawyer's fees estimated at ca.
£374.0.0, 1765. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 2,886
acres in Anne Arundel, Frederick, and Dorchester
counties (1,318 acres by patent; 1,568 acres by
purchase, 1763-1765), plus one-half interest in
5,449 acres in Frederick County by patents with
Thomas Johnson (1732-1819) in 1764 and one-half
interest in 1,660 acres in Frederick County by pa-
tent with William Paca (1740-1799) in 1764.
Most of this land was acquired by speculating in
proclamation warrants and by buying land from
people unable to pay quitrents on their patents.
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST
ELECTION AND DEATH: continued to speculate,
especially on land in Frederick County, by patents
and purchases until 1776, obtaining an additional
6,000 acres by 1774. In 1769 sold William Paca
(1740-1799) his share of the land held with him,
plus some of the land patented with Thomas John-
son (1732-1819). Bought a lot in Annapolis in
1769, and began to build an impressive brick
house, but was overextended and forced to sell the
lot and unfinished house to Edward Lloyd (1744-
1796) in 1771. Sold 559 acres in Dorchester
County, and about 500 acres in Frederick County,
1771. Sold additional land in Frederick County,
including more of the land patented with Thomas
Johnson (1732-1819) in 1779. Invested heavily in
acreage in Anne Arundel County with Jeremiah
Townly Chase (1748-1828) in 1780, and began
buying confiscated British property with notes
secured by Jeremiah Townly Chase (1748-1828)
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and Allen Quynn (ca. 1726-1803) in 1781. By the
mid- 1780s Chase was in severe financial difficul-
ties and had to mortgage the confiscated British
property, plus 3,500 additional acres of land in
Anne Arundel County to Jeremiah Townly Chase
(1748-1828) and Allen Quynn(ca. 1726-1803). He
sold over 1,100 acres in Anne Arundel County to
pay a debt owed to John Beale Bordley ( 1726/27-
1804); sold his share of the land bought with Jere-
miah Townly Chase (1748-1828) to pay debts
owed to him; and conveyed over 500 acres in
Anne Arundel County to pay debts owed Allen
Quynn (ca. 1726-1803), and to secure further
credit from him. Upon a petition from Chase in
1787, the state agreed to void his purchase of the
confiscated British property, and in 1795 Jeremiah
Townly Chase (1748-1828) and Allen Quynn (ca.
1726-1803) were able to release the mortgage.
During the 1780s while he was selling land in
other areas, Chase was acquiring land in
Baltimore Town, and for the next ten years he
continued to sell land in Frederick County while
concentrating on the development of his holdings
in Baltimore Town. He sold at least 10 lots and
leased at least 23 others between 1801 and 1810.
Shortly before his death, Chase conveyed at least
15 lots in Baltimore City to his sons and 21 acres
to Jeremiah Townly Chase (1748-1828). WEALTH
AT DEATH. DIED, on June 19, 1811, in Washing-
ton, D.C.; buried at Old St. Paul's Cemetery,
Baltimore City. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV,
$14,866.01 current money (including 15 slaves, 1
share in Washington Tontine, plus leases held on
26 acres on Whetstone Point valued at $80.00 and
5 acres in Baltimore City valued at $4,620.00); FB,
estate overpaid $1,740.62 with additional debts
filed later in Chancery Court litigation. LAND: 1
lot and 2.75 acres, including "Chase's Wharf,"
and 6 acres on Whetstone Point, Baltimore City,
plus ground rent on at least 10 lots in Baltimore
City and possibly as much as 2,500 acres in Anne
Arundel, Baltimore, and Frederick counties. ADDI-
TIONAL COMMENTS, income at time of death in-
cluded $1,177.00 per year from ground rents, plus
his $769.29 salary from the U.S. government.
CHESELDYNE, KENELM (1640-1708). BORN,
in 1640 at Brauston Manor, Lincolnshire, En-
gland; second son. IMMIGRATED, in 1669 as a free
adult. RESIDED on the Eastern Shore; St. Mary's
County, by 1677. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER:
Kenelm Cheseldyne (1603-1677), vicar of Blax-
ham, of Lincolnshire, England. MOTHER: Grace
Dryden. MARRIED first, in 1669 Bridget Faulkner.
MARRIED second, by 1677 Mary, daughter of
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