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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 263   View pdf image (33K)
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BIOGRAPHIES DEN

1704). MOTHER. Anne (?-1764), daughter of Wil-
liam Harbert (?-171 8). BROTHER. John Dent, of
George (ca. 1733-1809). SISTERS: Elizabeth, who
married second, Richard Harrison (?-1780); Ann;
Sarah; Rebecca (1714-died young); Letty (Letitia);
Mary; Eleanor; Margaret; and Rebecca (1735-
1770), who married Thomas Hanson Marshall
(1731-1801). MARRIED between 1746 and 1751
Eleanor, daughter of Henry Holland Hawkins
(1683-1751); granddaughter of both Henry Haw-
kins (?-1699) and Thomas Greenfield (ca. 1649-
1715); niece of Thomas Trueman Greenfield
(1682-1733). Her brothers were Samuel; Henry;
and Josias Hawkins (ca. 1735-1789). Her sisters
were Elizabeth; Martha Portase; Jane; Susannah;
and Ruth. Her first cousins were Thomas Green-
field (ca. 1715-1774); Marianne Greenfield, who
married John Stoddert (?-1767); and Francis War-
ing (1715-1769). CHILDREN. SONS Henry; George,
who married Elizabeth Yates. DAUGHTERS:
Elander (Eleanor) (?-1819), a spinster; Joanna
(Johanna) Greenfield; Jane (?-1827), a spinster;
Mary, who married first, Henry Alexander
Ashton, and second, Johannis Storke; and Anne,
who married Dr. John Parnham (ca. 1748-1813).
PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS

AFFILIATION: Protestant; his father was an Angli-
can. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Esq., 1781;

fourth generation legislator. OCCUPATIONAL PRO-
FILE: probably a planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGIS-
LATIVE SERVICE: Lower House, Charles County,
1757-1758 (Arms and Ammunition Cv, 2), 1758-
1761 (Arms and Ammunition 2), 1762-1763 (Ac-
counts 1, 2), 1765-1766 (Accounts 2, 4), Conven-
tions, Charles County, 2nd, 1774, 4th, 1775
(elected, but did not attend), 5th, 1775 (elected,
but did not attend). LOCAL OFFICES: sheriff,
Charles County, 1753-1756; justice, Charles
County, 1757-at least 1774 (quorum, 1766-at
least 1774); justice, Court of Oyer and Terminer
and Gaol Delivery, Charles County, 1773; judge,
court of appeals, appointed under the Act to Pro-
cure Troops for the American Army, Charles
County, appointed 1778; trustee, Charlotte Hall
School, 1778. MILITARY SERVICE: captain, 1757.
WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROP-
ERTY: assessed value £2,104.10.0, including 43
slaves and 16 oz. plate, 1783. LAND AT FIRST
ELECTION: 1,886 acres in Charles County (1,786
acres inherited from his father). SIGNIFICANT

CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION
AND DEATH, in April 1781 his home in Charles
County was burned by the British. In May 1781,
as part of the act to raise supplies for that year,
Dent was exempted from paying his taxes because

of the losses he had sustained at the hands of the
British. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: between Sep-
tember 12 and December 31, 1785, in Charles
County. LAND: He was charged with 1,383 acres
in Charles County in 1783. His will, two years
later, mentioned only 300 acres, but stated that he
had already provided for his daughters.

DENT, GEORGE (ca. 1758-1813). BORN: ca.
1758 at "Clarks Inheritance" on Mattawoman
Creek, Pomonkey Hundred, Charles County;
probably elder son. NATIVE: fifth generation. RE-
SIDED: in Pomonkey Hundred, Charles County,
1778; plantation near Augusta, Georgia, 1802 un-
til death. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER John
Dent, of George (ca. 1733-1809), son of George
Dent (1690-1754). MOTHER. Sarah (?-1795),
daughter of Thomas Marshall and wife Elizabeth
Bishop (1735-?). UNCLE: George Dent (?-1785).
AUNT: Elizabeth Dent (?-1781), who married
Richard Harrison (?-1780). BROTHER Thomas
Marshall (1761-1823). SISTERS: Ann Herbert
(1756-1813); Elizabeth (1754-died young). MAR-
RIED Anne Magruder, daughter of James Truman
(?-1789) and wife Elizabeth Gordon (?-ca. 1807).
CHILDREN. SONS: John Herbert (1782-?), who
married Elizabeth Anne Harry; James Truman
(1790-?), who married Catherine Anne Cooper;
George Columbus (1792-1815), who died in a
duel; and Dennis (1796-?), who married Martha
Beall. DAUGHTERS: Sarah Marshall (1783-?), who
married first, Edward Briscoe, and second, (first
name unknown) Fendall; Elizabeth Truman
(1786-1789); Maria (1788-?), who married John
Neilson; and Mary Ann, (?-died young). PRIVATE
CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIA-
TION: Anglican, St. John's Parish, Piscataway,
Charles County. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES:
Gent., 1789; fifth generation legislator. OCCUPA-
TIONAL PROFILE: possibly a planter. PUBLIC CA-
REER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House,
Charles County, 1782-1783, 1784, 1785, 1786-
1787 (Grievances 2), 1787-1788 (Elections 1;
Claims 1), 1788 (Elections), 1789 (speaker), 1790
(speaker); Senate, Western Shore, Term of 1791-
1796: 1791-1792 (president 2), 1792 (president;
resigned on December 21, 1792). LOCAL OFFICES
justice, Charles County, 1774-at least 1795; jus-
tice, Orphans' Court, Charles County, commis-
sioned 1778 and 1779; subscription officer,
Charles County, 1779. MILITARY SERVICE: 1st
lieutenant, Third Maryland Battalion, Flying
Camp, 1776; 1st lieutenant, Charles County Mili-
tia, commissioned 1778, then promoted to captain
and assigned to the Twenty-sixth Battalion. OUT
263



 

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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 263   View pdf image (33K)
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