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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 347   View pdf image (33K)
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BIOGRAPHIES GAS

tion in Anne Arundel County after a long illness.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, £3,006.7.1 current
money (including 54 slaves); FB, estate overpaid
£5.1.10. LAND: 1,360 acres in Anne Arundel
County. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: his obituary
characterized him as "an honest upright man."

GASSAWAY, NICHOLAS (1634-1691/92).
BORN: in 1634 in London, England. IMMIGRATED:
in 1649 or 1650 as an indentured servant or ap-
prentice to Richard Ewen (?-1660). RESIDED: in
Anne Arundel County. FAMILY BACKGROUND.
FATHER: Thomas Gassaway. MOTHER: Ann Coll-
ingwood. UNCLE: John Collingwood, of London,
England, a merchant. MARRIED first, (name un-
known). MARRIED second, by 1672 Anne, daugh-
ter of Thomas Besson (ca. 1617-1679). CHILDREN.
SONS: Nicholas, Jr. (ca. 1668-1699), a justice of
Anne Arundel County from 1691 to 1699, who
married Ann, daughter of James Saunders (?-
1707); John, who married Elizabeth Lawrence;
and Thomas Gassaway (1683/84- 1739), the sheriff
of Anne Arundel County from 1711 to 1714, who
married Susannah, daughter of Henry Hanslop.
DAUGHTERS: Hester, who married first, Nicholas
Gross, and second, Stephen Warman; Anne, who
married first, John Watkins, second, William Bur-
gess, son of William Burgess (ca. 1622-1686/87),
and third, Richard Jones (ca. 1671-1714); Jane (?-
1736), who married first, William Cotter (?-1702),
second, James Saunders, son of James Saunders
(?-1707); and Margaret, who married first,
Thomas Larkin, second, William Galloway, and
third, James Durham. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCA-
TION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant.
SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: achieved rapid
upward mobility. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: ser-
vant or apprentice; planter; merchant. PUBLIC CA-
REER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Associators' Conven-
tion, Anne Arundel County, 1690-1691/92
(elected to the 2nd or 3rd session), Grand Com-
mittee of Twenty, 1690-1691/92. OTHER PROVIN-
CIAL OFFICE: justice, Provincial Court, 1691-
1691/92. LOCAL OFFICE: justice, Anne Arundel
County, by 1679-1691/92 (quorum, 1685-
1691/92). MILITARY SERVICE: captain, by 1679-
1685; major, 1685-1690; colonel, 1690-1691/92.

STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES: his initial

response to the revolution of 1689 is unknown,
but he extended his support to the Associators by
the summer of 1690. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME.
LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: over 1,320 acres.
WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: between January 10
and January 27, 1691/92. PERSONAL PROPERTY:
TEV, £1,144.14.7 sterling, plus 109,898 pounds of

tobacco (including 20 slaves and 1 servant). LAND:
over 1,320 acres.

GASSAWAY, THOMAS (1683/84-1739). BORN:
on February 20, 1683/84, in All Hallow's Parish,
Anne Arundel County; third son. NATIVE: second
generation. RESIDED: in Anne Arundel County.

FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Nicholas Gassa-

way(1634-1691/92). MOTHER: Anne, daughter of
Thomas Besson (ca. 1617-1679). GUARDIAN: his
brother-in-law John Watkins. BROTHERS: Nicho-
las, Jr. (ca. 1668-1699), who married Anne,
daughter of James Saunders (?-1707); John. SIS-
TERS: Hester; Anne, who married John Watkins;
Jane (?-1736); and Margaret. MARRIED by Janu-
ary 7, 1702, Susanna (1682/83-?), daughter of
Henry Hanslap (?-1698), of Anne Arundel
County, and wife Elizabeth (?-after 1702). Her
brother was Joseph (?-by 1702). Her sisters were
Elizabeth, who married first, (first name un-
known) Battee, and second, Joseph Chew (?-
1716), a Quaker; Frances (?-by 1697), who mar-
ried Benjamin Wells. CHILDREN. SONS: John Gas-
saway (1707- 1762); Thomas (ca. 1710-1745), who
married first, Sarah Geist (?-1735), and second,
Sarah Watkins; Nicholas (?-1775), who married
Catherine (1720-1788), daughter of Thomas Wor-
thington (ca. 1691-1753); Hanslap (?-1717);
Henry (1723-1776), who married first, Rebecca
Chapman, and second, Dinah Battee. DAUGHTERS:
Anne (1705-1717); Elizabeth (?-1707); and
Elizabeth (ca. 1712-?), who married Capt. John
Howard, of Baltimore County. PRIVATE CAREER.
EDUCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: An-
glican. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent.,
1720. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: planter; merchant.

PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower

House, Anne Arundel County, 1739 (Elections
Cv; Aggrievances Cv; died before the 1st session).
LOCAL OFFICES: sheriff, Anne Arundel County, by
1715-1716; justice, Court of Oyer and Terminer
and Gaol Delivery, Anne Arundel County, com-
missioned 1715, 1716, 1717, 1718, and 1720; jus-
tice, Anne Arundel County, 1716-at least 1723
(quorum, 1720-at least 1723). MILITARY SERVICE:
captain, by 1721. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME.
LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 1,671 acres in Anne
Arundel and Baltimore counties, plus 1 lot in An-
napolis (1,030 acres in Baltimore County inherited
from his father in 1691/92; 400 acres in Anne
Arundel County through his marriage). WEALTH
AT DEATH. DIED, on September 12, 1739; buried in
All Hallow's Church Cemetery, Anne Arundel
County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, £1,654.16.6
current money (including 19 slaves and 4 ser-

347



 

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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 347   View pdf image (33K)
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