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including the "mansion house," outright to Na-
thaniel. Crauford sold several small tracts totaling
172 acres in Prince George's County, 1776-1781.
He acquired by purchase or patent 384 acres in
Prince George's and Montgomery counties, 1782-
1801, as well as additional lots in Upper Marl-
boro, Prince George's County, Georgetown,
Montgomery County, and Washington, D.C. In
1787 he gave his granddaughter Sarah Contee one-
half of a lot in Upper Marlboro on which a house
was being built. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED, be-
tween May 10 and May 27, 1801, in Prince
George's County. LAND: ca. 2,000 acres in Mont-
gomery and Prince George's counties, plus 11 lots
in Upper Marlboro, Prince George's County, 4
lots in Washington, D.C., and possibly 1 lot in
Georgetown, D.C.
CRAWFORD (CRANFORD), JAMES (?-1699).
IMMIGRATED, ca. 1675 as a indentured servant
from England. RESIDED: in Calvert County. MAR-
RIED by 1696 Katherine. PRIVATE CAREER. EDU-
CATION: literate; studied law in George Parker's
office. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant. SO-
CIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: arrived as a ser-
vant to George Parker; Gent, by 1688; his experi-
ence in Parker's office led to a prosperous legal
career. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: indentured ser-
vant, free by 1678; lawyer, admitted to the follow-
ing courts: Prerogative Court by 1684; Provincial
Court in 1694; Anne Arundel County by 1694;
Calvert County by 1694; Prince George's County
in 1696. Planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE
SERVICE: Lower House, Calvert County, 1696-
1697 (elected to the 5th session; Laws 7),
1697/98-1699 (Laws, 1-3; died during the 3rd
session). STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES: op-
posed the revolution of 1689; a controversial attor-
ney, he was disbarred from practice in August
1697 for an alleged dishonest administration of an
estate; he was supported by the Assembly, how-
ever, and readmitted to the bar soon after.
WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST
ELECTION: over 1,725 acres. WEALTH AT DEATH.
DIED: on July 13, 1699; he was killed when struck
by lightning at the State House. PERSONAL PROP-
ERTY TEV, £787.18.0 sterling (including 9 slaves,
3 servants, and 21 law books); FB, £51.18.0.
LAND: 1,725 acres.
CRESAP, THOMAS (ca. 1703-1788). BORN: ca.
1703 in Skipton, Yorkshire, England. IMMI-
GRATED: ca. 1718. RESIDED in Baltimore County,
1727; Prince George's County (later became part
of Washington County), ca. 1737; Western Mary-
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land (later became part of Allegany County), ca.
1740. FAMILY BACKGROUND. BROTHER: Robert
Cresap, of London, England. SISTER: Ann Dob-
son, of London, England. MARRIED first, by 1727
Hannah Johnson. MARRIED second, by 1783 Mar-
garet. CHILDREN. SONS: Daniel (1727/28-?);
Thomas (1732/33-1756), killed by an Indian; and
Capt. Michael (1742-1775). DAUGHTERS:
Elizabeth (1736/37-?); Sarah (1740-?). PRIVATE
CAREER. EDUCATION: literate, self taught. RELI-
GIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant. SOCIAL STATUS
AND ACTIVITIES: Gent., 1749; Esq., 1751. OCCUPA-
TIONAL PROFILE: planter, 1735; fur trader and
surveyor, ca. 1737; merchant, 1783. His home and
trading post at Old Town lay on the trail that the
Iroquois followed in their wars with the Southern
Indians. He acted as Maryland's agent in dealing
with the Cherokees and Iroquois, and often ad-
vised Virginia's Governor Dinwiddie on Indian
affairs. He was respected by both whites and
Indians from Canada to the Carolinas. A founder
of the Ohio Company in 1749, Cresap and his as-
sociates were instrumental in opening a road, sixty
miles in length, between the Potomac and the
Ohio rivers. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SER-
VICE: Lower House, Frederick County, 1757-1758
(Accounts 1, Cv, 2; Arms and Ammunition 1, Cv,
2); 1758-1761 (Accounts Cv 1, 1, Cv 2, 3, Cv 3;
Arms and Ammunition Cv 1, 1, Cv 2, 3, Cv 3),
1762-1763 (Arms and Ammunitions 2), 1765-
1766 (Arms and Ammunition 2; Grievances 2, 3),
1768-1770 (Arms and Ammunition 1-3; Griev-
ances 1). LOCAL OFFICES: justice, Prince George's
County, 1739-1748 (quorum, 1741-1748), Freder-
ick County, 1748-at least 1775 (quorum, 1748-at
least 1775); deputy surveyor, Prince George's
County, commissioned 1747; justice, Court of
Oyer and Terminer and Gaol Delivery, Frederick
County, commissioned 1751 and 1775; Committee
of Observation, Frederick County, elected 1774
and 1775. MILITARY SERVICE: captain, ca. 1732;
colonel, 1749. STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE IS-
SUES: By 1729 he had established a farm on Mary-
land's disputed northern border with Pennsylvania
under lenient terms offered by Lord Baltimore.
Supported by the proprietary government, which
made him a local magistrate and captain of militia,
Cresap stubbornly asserted Maryland sovereignty
in the area. His aggressive defiance of Pennsylva-
nia authority escalated the controversy into armed
conflict, the Conojacular War, and earned him the
respect of influential Maryland officials. The Penn-
sylvanians viewed him as the "Maryland Mon-
ster." WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL
PROPERTY: home burned by Pennsylvanians in
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