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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 320   View pdf image (33K)
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FER BIOGRAPHIES

1820). CHILDREN. SONS: James (?-1823), who mar-
ried first, Mary Lancaster, and second, Teresa;
Edward, who was educated in France and became
a Dominican priest and the first Catholic bishop
of Cincinnati; Michael, who was educated in
France and who married Ann Anita Manning;
Thomas, who married Eleanor Young; Nicholas;
and Charles, who drowned at sea in childhood.
DAUGHTERS: Mary (?-died young); Sarah, who
married Nicholas Young. PRIVATE CAREER. EDU-
CATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Catho-
lic. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: planter. PUBLIC CA-
REER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Convention, St.
Mary's County, 9th, 1776. LOCAL OFFICES: jus-
tice, St. Mary's County, 1777-1784; commissioner
of tax, St. Mary's County, 1779-1784; justice, Or-
phans' Court, St. Mary's County, 1782-1784. MIL-
ITARY SERVICE: colonel, Lower Battalion, St.
Mary's County, by 1777. WEALTH DURING LIFE-

TIME. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: probably at

least 2,092 acres in St. Mary's, Prince George's,
and Charles counties (inherited ca. 1,000 acres in
St. Mary's County from his maternal grandfather;
at least 710 acres of the land in Prince George's
and Charles counties were held in trust for four of
his children under the terms of the will of their
uncle, James Cole). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN

LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH:

sold 86 acres in Charles County in 1780; pur-
chased ca. 10 acres in Prince George's County in
1778 and 417 acres in Charles County in 1783. He
also purchased additional land in St. Mary's
County in the 1780s. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED:
between March 16 and April 6, 1784, in St.
Mary's County. PERSONAL PROPERTY TEV, at
least £2,533.11.1 current money; FB, £2,140.7.10.
LAND: probably at least 2,500 acres in St. Mary's,
Charles, and Prince George's counties.

FERY (FERRY), JOHN (?-1698/99). IMMI-
GRATED: by 1691, probably much earlier, possibly
as a servant. RESIDED: Patapsco Hundred,
Baltimore County. MARRIED probably Ann,
widow of John Boring (?-1690), a justice of
Baltimore County in 1679. CHILDREN. Probably
died without progeny. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCA-
TION literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican.
OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: possibly a servant;
planter; merchant in partnership with Capt.
Thomas Todd, of Virginia. PUBLIC CAREER. LEG-
ISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House, Baltimore
County, 1694-1697, 1697/98-1698 (died before
the 3rd session). LOCAL OFFICES: justice,
Baltimore County, 1691-1698/99 (quorum, 1692-
1698/99); St. Paul's Parish Vestry, Baltimore

County 1693-1697. MILITARY SERVICE: captain,
by 1696. STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES: an
opponent of slavery. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: headed a household of 10
taxables in 1692 and 1694. LAND AT FIRST ELEC-
TION: at least 257 acres, plus 530 acres in trust for
his Boring stepchildren. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED:
will probated on March 11, 1698/99. PERSONAL
PROPERTY: TEV, £367.8.9 sterling, plus 9,666
pounds of tobacco (including 5 servants). LAND:
596 acres. IDENTIFICATION PROBLEMS. No defi-
nite determination of origins. There were two men
with the name John Fery. One was a servant who
entered in 1674; another with the same name im-
migrated in 1680.

FINNEY, WILLIAM (ca. 1637-1696). BORN: ca.
1637. IMMIGRATED: in 1670 as a free adult with
his wife and three daughters. RESIDED: in Talbot
County. MARRIED first, Mary. MARRIED second,
Katherine. CHILDREN. SON: William (?-ca. 1723),
who married Rachel, daughter of William Clayton
(ca. 1655-1721). DAUGHTERS: Elizabeth; Mary,
who married Joseph Semphill; and Susanna. PRI-
VATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RELIGOUS
AFFILIATION: Anglican. SOCIAL STATUS AND AC-
TIVITIES: transported three people to Maryland in
addition to family; Gent, on arrival. OCCUPA-
TIONAL PROFILE: attorney, admitted to the Talbot
County Court in 1678/79 (disbarred in 1678 for
fighting); planter; tanner and shoemaker. PUBLIC

CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House,

Talbot County, 1692-1693. LOCAL OFFICES: jus-
tice, Talbot County, 1687-1695/96 (quorum,
1692-1695/96); deputy commissary, Talbot
County, 1692-1694; St. Paul's Parish Vestry, Tal-
bot County, 1693-1695/96. MILITARY SERVICE.
major, 1692-1694; lieutenant colonel, 1694-

1695/96. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT
FIRST ELECTION: ca. 725 acres. WEALTH AT

DEATH. DIED: administration bond dated April 23,
1696. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, £221.13.6 ster-
ling (including 1 slave, 4 servants, and a parcel of
books). LAND: ca. 725 acres.

FISCHER (FISHER), ADAM (ca. 1736-1787).
BORN: ca. 1736. RESIDED: in Frederick Town,
Frederick County. MARRIED Margaret (ca. 1739-
1799). CHILDREN. SONS: John; Adam (1773-1835),
who married Elizabeth (1777-1860). DAUGHTERS:
Elizabeth; Amelia; Catherine; Christiana; and Bar-
bara. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: trained as a
surgeon. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Esq.,
1782. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: surgeon, 1767;
probably a planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE

320



 

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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 320   View pdf image (33K)
 Jump to  
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