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tion. RESIDED: in George Town Cross Roads,
Kent County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. Although
information on immediate family background is
uncertain, it is known that the original immigrant
and great-great-grandfather of the legislator, also
named Cornelius (?-1708), arrived in America in
1652 and settled near Jamestown, Virginia. He
moved his family to Chestertown, Kent County, in
1661 to escape the persecution of the Puritans in
Virginia. MARRIED by September 29, 1780, Sophia
Charlotte, widow of (first name unknown) Mas-
sey; daughter of Peregrine Brown (?-1777). Her
brother was Peregrine Brown, Jr. CHILDREN.
DAUGHTER: Anna Maria (?-1857), who married
on April 3, 1804, Dr. Edward Scott. PRIVATE CA-
REER. EDUCATION: literate. SOCIAL STATUS AND
ACTIVITIES: Gent., 1805; Esq., 1805. OCCUPA-
TIONAL PROFILE: planter, 1780; merchant, partner
in firm of Comegys & Vansant, 1 800. PUBLIC CA-
REER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House, Kent
County, 1788, 1790, 1797, 1806. OTHER STATE
OFFICE: clerk, Treasury Department, assigned
duty of preparing and signing Continental cur-
rency, appointed 1778. LOCAL OFFICE: justice,
Kent County, 1803-at least 1810. MILITARY SER-
VICE: sergeant, Flying Camp, 1776; reenlisted as
an ensign under George Washington. WEALTH
DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed
value £50.0.0, including 3 slaves and 3 oz. plate,
1783; assessed value, including real property,
$2,983.00, 1806. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: at
least 1,049 acres in Kent County (almost all from
his wife's dower). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN
LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH:
purchased 460 acres in Kent County, 1788-1800.
He then divided the land into one-half- to ten-acre
lots, eventually selling seventeen of them. WEALTH
AT DEATH. DIED, in 1817 in Kent County. PER-
SONAL PROPERTY: TEV, at least $1,345.98 current
money; assessed value of combined real and per-
sonal property, $2,045.00. LAND: ca. 589 acres in
Kent County.
CONNER, PHILIP (ca. 1615-1660). BORN: ca.
1615, probably in England. IMMIGRATED, by 1636
as a free adult. RESIDED: in Kent County. MAR-
RIED Mary, widow of John Philips. She subse-
quently married by 1667 John Wright. CHILDREN.
SON. Philip (ca. 1653-1703), a justice of Kent
County from 1680 to 1685, and in 1694. DAUGH-
TER: Sarah (?-1666). PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCA-
TION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant.
SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: no title On ar-
rival; Mr., by 1647. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE:
planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE:
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Assembly, present 1641/42, present 1647/48,
Kent County, 1649 (Accounts); Lower House,
Kent County, 1658. LOCAL OFFICE: justice, Kent
County, 1647-1660. MILITARY SERVICE:
commander, 1652-1658. STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRI-
VATE ISSUES: apparently cooperated with the Par-
liamentary Commissioners; continued as a justice,
but was removed from his military post after the
proprietary party regained control of the govern-
ment in 1658. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. LAND
AT FIRST ELECTION 100 acres in 1640; acquired
500 additional acres in 1658. WEALTH AT DEATH.
DIED: by August 7, 1660. PERSONAL PROPERTY:
included 4 servants. LAND: 600 acres.
CONTEE, ALEXANDER (ca. 1691-1740). BORN:
ca. 1691 in Barnstaple, Devonshire, England. IM-
MIGRATED: ca. 1703. RESIDED: in Charles County
to ca. 1720; in Prince George's County thereafter.
FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER Peter Contee (?-
ca. 1714), of Barnstaple, Devonshire, England, a
physician. MOTHER: Catherine. STEPMOTHER:
Francis, widow of Capt. William Hopkins. UNCLE:
John Contee (?-1708). BROTHER: John (?-ca.
1712). HALF BROTHER: Peter. STEPBROTHER: An-
drew Hopkins (ca. 1690-?). OTHER KINSHIP: his
great-nephew was Thomas Sim Lee (1745-1819).
MARRIED ca. 1721 Jane (?-1779), daughter of Col.
Thomas Brooke (ca. 1659-1730/31); granddaugh-
ter of Thomas Dent (ca. 1630-1676). Her brothers
were Nathaniel; John; Benjamin; Baker; and
Thomas (1717-1768). Her half brother was
Thomas Brooke (1683-1744). Her sisters were
Mary (?-1758); Rebecca (?-1763); Elizabeth; and
Lucy. Her half sisters were Sarah (?-1724), who
married first, William Dent (ca. 1660-1704), and
second, Philip Lee (ca. 1681-1744); Priscilla
Brooke, who married Thomas Gantt (?-176 5). Her
nephews were Thomas Beall, of George (1735-
1819); Joseph Sim (?-1793). CHILDREN. SONS John
Contee (1722-ca. 1796); Alexander, Jr. (1724-
1732); Peter (1726-ca. 1779); Col. Thomas Contee
(ca. 1729-1811); Alexander (1734-1744); and
Theodore (1736-1764), who married Elizabeth
Skinner (ca. 1743-?), who subsequently married
John Lee Webster (ca. 1735-1795). DAUGHTERS:
Jane (1728-1812), who married in 1747 John Han-
son, Jr. (1721-1783); Catherine (1732-1831), who
married John Harrison; Grace (1738-?), who mar-
ried (first name unknown) Hollyday; Barbara
(1741-1796), who married in 1772 John Reed Ma-
gruder. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate;
attended school in Barnstaple, England. RELI-
GIOUS AFFILIATION Anglican. SOCIAL STATUS
AND ACTIVITIES: Gent. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE:
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