|
garetta, who married Nicholas King, of Washing-
ton County. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: liter-
ate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican. SOCIAL
STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent., 1765; Esq., 1766.
OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: ironmaster, Fielderia
Furnace, Frederick County. Gantt testified in the
Chancery Court in 1804 concerning alleged illegal
and unethical practices by his business partner,
James Hunter, of Virginia, in the Fielderia Fur-
nace between ca. 1767 and ca. 1791. He stated
that his life had been ruined by Hunter, and that
his credit and reputation had never recovered.
PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower
House, Frederick County, 1765-1766, 1779-1780
(Grievances 1, 2; Tax Commissioners 1; Manufac-
tories 2), 1780-1781 (Grievances 1, 2). LOCAL OF-
FICES: justice, Frederick County, 1779-1785, 1786
(did not qualify); overseer of roads, Frederick
County, in office in 1788. WEALTH DURING LIFE-
TIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed value
£2,038.11.8, including 16 slaves and plate, 1778; 6
slaves, 1790. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 13,081
acres in Prince George's and Frederick counties
(inherited 400 acres from his father, 1765; pur-
chased and patented 12,681 acres). SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION
AND DEATH: mortgaged at least 9,179 acres in
1766 and 1767 to help pay business debts of the
Fielderia Furnace, incurred in part by his business
partner, James Hunter. By 1779 he contemplated
selling off his land in divided sections, but waited
until the 1780s for the price he wanted. WEALTH
AT DEATH. DIED: on November 14, 1807, on his
farm near Frederick Town, Frederick County.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, $1,223.00 current
money (including 3 slaves and 30 books); FB, es-
tate overpaid $5.72. LAND: at least 600 acres in
Frederick County.
GANTT, THOMAS (?-1765). BORN: by 1691 in
Prince George's County; elder son. NATIVE: sec-
ond generation. RESIDED: in Prince George's
County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Thomas
Gantt (Gaunt) (?-ca. 1691), of Calvert County,
immigrated as an indentured servant in 1654.
STEPFATHER: John Wight (?-1705). MOTHER: Ann
(?-1726). BROTHER: Edward. STEPBROTHER: John
Wight, who married Ann, daughter of Thomas
Greenfield (ca. 1649-1715). SISTERS: Ann;
Elizabeth (?-1718). HALF SISTERS: Margery
Wight, who married first, Thomas Sprigg, son of
Thomas Sprigg (ca. 1670-by 1739), and second,
Joseph Belt (ca. 1680-1761); Mary Wight, who
married Jeremiah Belt; and Feilder Wight, who
married John Powell. HALF NEPHEWS: Edward
|
Sprigg (?-?); Thomas Sprigg (1715-1781). MAR.
RIED first, by 1726 Priscilla, daughter of Thomas
Brooke (ca. 1659-1730/31). Her brother was
Thomas Brooke (1683-1744). Her sisters were Sa-
rah (?-1724), who married first, William Dent (ca.
1660-1704), and second, Philip Lee (ca. 1681-
1744); Eleanor. Her half sister was Jane, who mar-
ried Alexander Contee (ca. 1691-1740). Her neph-
ews were Richard Brooke (1716-1783); Richard
Lee (ca. 1707-1787); Arthur Lee (?-1760); and
Francis Lee (?-1749). Her half nephews were
Thomas Beall, of George (1735-1819); John Co n tee
(1722-ca. 1796); and Thomas Contee (ca. 1729-
1811). Her nieces were Hannah Lee, who married
Joseph Sprigg (1736-1800); Eleanor Brooke, who
married Samuel Beall (ca. 1713-ca. 1778). Her
half niece was Jane Contee (1728-1812), who mar-
ried John Hanson, Jr. (1721-1783). MARRIED sec-
ond, in 1737 Margery (?-1764), widow of Levin
Covington (?-1725); daughter of Thomas Hollyday
(ca. 1661-1702/3); niece of both Martha True-
man, who married Thomas Greenfield (ca. 1649-
1715), and Ann Trueman, who married John Big-
ger (ca. 1654-1714); half niece of Adderton Skin-
ner (ca. 1677-1756); stepniece of Robert Skinner
(?-1713). Her brothers were Leonard (1692-1741);
James Hollyday (1696-1747). Her first cousins
were Thomas Trueman Greenfield (1682-1733);
Jane Greenfield, who married Henry Holland
Hawkins (1683-1751). Her nephews were James
Hollyday (1722-1786); Henry Hollyday (ca. 1725-
1789). Her nieces were Elizabeth Hollyday, who
married Francis Lee (?-1749); Mary Hollyday,
who married Francis Waring (1715-1769). CHIL-
DREN. SONS: Thomas Gantt (ca. 1710-1785);
George (?-1779), who married Hannah; Fielder
Gantt (?-1807); and Edward Gantt (?-by 1783).
STEPSON: Leonard Covington. DAUGHTERS:
Elizabeth, who married Rev. Samuel Clagget; Pris-
cilla; and probably Ann, who married John Brome
(1703-1748). STEPDAUGHTER: Elizabeth Coving-
ton. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RELI-
GIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican, St. Paul's Parish,
Prince George's County. SOCIAL STATUS AND
ACTIVITIES: Gent., by 1726. OCCUPATIONAL PRO-
FILE: planter; owned a storehouse in Nottingham,
Prince George's County. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGIS-
LATIVE SERVICE: Lower House, Prince George's
County, 1722-1724 (Accounts 1-3), 1725-1727.
LOCAL OFFICES: justice, Prince George's County,
1719-at least 1732 (chief justice, by 1729); St.
Paul's Parish Vestry, Prince George's County,
1732-1733, 1735-1738, 1744-1746. WEALTH DUR-
ING LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: at least
784 acres in Prince George's and Charles counties
341
|
