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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 355   View pdf image (33K)
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BIOGRAPHIES GIT

brook; Ruth (ca. 1716-?), who married William
Lewis; and Sarah (ca. 1724-?), who married John
Kennedy. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate;
his mother specified in her will that he be taught
writing and accounts to fit him for the "merchant
business." RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican; his
wife was a Quaker. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVI-
TIES: Gent., 1733; Mr., 1740. ADDITIONAL COM-
MENTS: after his mother's death, Gist lived with
his uncle Richard Cromwell. OCCUPATIONAL PRO-
FILE: merchant. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE
SERVICE: Lower House, Baltimore County, 1740-
1741 (elected to the 1st session to fill vacancy).
OTHER PROVINCIAL OFFICE: surveyor, Western
Shore, period of service unknown. LOCAL OFFICES:
justice, Baltimore County, 1727-1741 (quorum,
1737-1741); commissioner, Baltimore County,
appointed to purchase land upon which Baltimore
Town was to be built, 1729. JURY SERVICE: fore-
man, Baltimore County, appointed 1722. WEALTH

DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION

1,804 acres in Baltimore County, plus 1 lot in
Baltimore Town (including at least 100 acres ob-
tained through marriage). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES

IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH:

gave 216 acres in Baltimore County to his son
Thomas, 1738/39. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: on
August 22, 1741, in Baltimore County. PERSONAL
PROPERTY: TEV, £86.1.3 sterling, £1,189.17.11
current money, plus 8,420 pounds of tobacco; FB,
estate overpaid £274.6.5 sterling, £1,105.2.4 cur-
rent money, plus 5,315 pounds of tobacco. LAND:
ca. 1,538 acres in Baltimore County.

GITTINGS, JAMES (1735--ca. 1823). BORN: on
April 23, 1735; second son. NATIVE: at least sec-
ond generation. RESIDED: at "Long Green," Gun-
powder River Upper Hundred, Baltimore County.

FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Thomas GittingS

(?-1760). STEPFATHER Thomas Tread way.
MOTHER: Mary (?-1779), widow of James Lynch;
daughter of James Lee, of Bush River, Baltimore
County. BROTHER: Asael (1739-1776), of Kent
County, who married Mary. HALF BROTHER:
Thomas Gittings (?-1784), who married Hannah
Clark. HALF SISTERS: Margaret Gittings, who
married John Chamberlaine; Elizabeth Gittings,
who married (first name unknown) Gover; Mary
Gittings, who married Richard Wilmot; Susannah
Gittings, who married John Wilson; and possibly
Mary Lynch. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: his father's
first wife was Elizabeth Redgrave, of Kent
County. MARRIED Elizabeth, daughter of Dr.
George Buchanan (ca. 1697-1750) and wife Elea-
nor Rogers. Her brothers were Lloyd Buchanan

(1729-ca. 1762); Andrew Buchanan (ca. 1733-
1786); Archibald (1736-1785); George (1739-?);
James (1744-1783); and William (1748-?). Her
sister was Eleanor (1732-?). CHILDREN. SONS:
Thomas (ca. 1762-ca. 1804), who married Mary
Wilmot; Richard (1763-1830), who married Mary
(Polly), daughter of John Sterett (1750/51-1787);
James, Jr. (1769-1820), who married Harriett,
daughter of John Sterett (1750/51-1787); Archi-
bald (1776-by 1832), who married first, Elizabeth
Bosley, and second, Martha Rumsey. DAUGHTERS:
Elizabeth (1774-?), who married Lambert Smith;
Ann, who married William Patterson, Jr., Esq.;
Mary, who married Thomas Ringgold (1768-
1818), son of Thomas Ringgold (1744- 1776); and
Eleanor, who married James Croxall. PRIVATE

CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIA-
TION: Anglican, St. John's Parish, Baltimore
County. His wife and a least one son were Presby-
terians. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Mr.,
1772; Gent., 1774; Esq., 1783. OCCUPATIONAL
PROFILE: planter; active in the development of
Baltimore Town. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE
SERVICE: Convention, Baltimore County, 5th,
1775; Lower House, Baltimore County, 1789. LO-
CAL OFFICES: churchwarden, St. John's Parish,
Baltimore County, in office 1759-1760; St. John's
Parish Vestry, Baltimore County, in office 1762-
1765, 1767-1770, and 1780; justice, Baltimore
County, 1768-at least 1775 (quorum, 1772-at
least 1775); commissioner of tax, Baltimore
County, 1777-at least 1783; judge, Court of Ap-
peals for Tax Assessment, Baltimore County, ap-
pointed 1786 and 1787. MILITARY SERVICE: cap-
tain, Gunpowder Hundred Company, Baltimore
County Militia, elected May 6, 1776; 1st major,
Gunpowder Battalion, Baltimore County Militia,
commissioned May 25, 1776; lieutenant colonel,
Gunpowder Battalion, Baltimore County Militia,
commissioned August 30, 1777; called colonel,

1782. STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES: speci-
fied in his will that one slave be manumitted for
faithful service. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PER-
SONAL PROPERTY: inherited 3 slaves from his fa-
ther, 1760; assessed value £2,705.0.0, including 31
slaves and 84 oz. plate, 1783. LAND AT FIRST
ELECTION: 1,231 acres in Baltimore County (845
acres inherited from his father in 1760; remainder
resurveyed and patented, 1770). plus 1 lot in
Baltimore Town and a lease on 207 acres in
Baltimore Town. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN

LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH

patented 984 acres in Baltimore County in 1788,
and purchased an additional 1,210 acres in
Baltimore County in the early 1790s. After 1798

355



 

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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 355   View pdf image (33K)
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