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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 376   View pdf image (33K)
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GRE BIOGRAPHIES

current money (including 24 slaves); FB, £58.18.0
sterling, £476.5.7 current money. LAND: 6,194
acres, plus 5 tracts of unspecified acreage.

GRESHAM (CRASHAM), JOHN (ca. 1703--ca.
1752). BORN: ca. 1703, probably in Anne Arundel
County; eldest son. NATIVE: probably, if so, third
generation. RESIDED: at "Greshams Calledge,"
Kent County, by 1728. FAMILY BACKGROUND.
FATHER: John Gresham, Esq. (?-1723), of Annap-
olis; planter; sheriff of Anne Arundel County from
ca. 1722 until death; examiner general from 1722
until death; owned ca. 5,000 acres at death; son of
John Gresham (?-1713), of Anne Arundel County.
MOTHER: Sarah (?-1756), owned real estate in En-
gland at time of death. BROTHERS: Thomas (?-ca.
1731/32), died without progeny; Richard Gresham
(?-ca. 1773). SISTERS: Priscilla; Sarah, who married
Solomon Wooden; and Elizabeth, who married
Jacob Jones. NIECE. Sarah Gresham, who married
Thomas Smyth (1730-1819). OTHER KINSHIP: his
great-nephew was Thomas Smyth, Jr. (1757-1807).
MARRIED first, Hannah (1705-?), daughter of Na-
thaniel Hynson (?-ca. 1721/22). MARRIED second,
(name unknown), a widow. Her sister was Mary
(1711-?). CHILDREN. SONS: John (ca. 1742-ca.
1772); Richard Gresham (?-1780); and Thomas
(probably after 1750-?). STEPSON: William.
DAUGHTERS: Sarah (1730-?), who married by 1750
James Frisby; Mary, who married Richard Graves
(1739-1792). PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: liter-
ate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican. SOCIAL
STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent., 1728. OCCUPA-
TIONAL PROFILE probably a planter. PUBLIC CA-
REER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE Lower House, Kent
County, 1742-1744 (Arms and Ammunition 1, 2;
Elections 2), 1745 (Arms and Ammunition; Elec-
tions), 1745/46-1748 (Elections Cv 1, 1-3, 4;
Laws 3), 1751 (elected to the 1751-1754 Assem-
bly, but did not attend; died before the 2nd ses-
sion). LOCAL OFFICES: deputy commissary, Kent
County, 1727-1742; sheriff, Kent County, 1727-
1729, 1732-1735; justice, Kent County, 1729-at
least 1731. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT
FIRST ELECTION: 3,185 acres in Kent, Anne Arun-
del, and Queen Anne's counties, plus 1 lot in
Chestertown, Kent County (1,336 acres inherited
from father; 550 acres through marriage to first
wife; 1,299 acres by personal acquisition). SIGNIFI-
CANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELEC-
TION AND DEATH: acquired 1,222 acres in Anne
Arundel and Kent counties, 1743-1754; gave 400
acres in Anne Arundel County to his sister Sarah
and her husband Solomon Wooden, 1744.
WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: will probated in Janu-

ary 1752 in Kent County. PERSONAL PROPERTY.
TEV, £1,655.18.4 current money (including 34
slaves and numerous silver and gold items); FB,
£1,099.16.2. LAND: 3,399 acres (2,163 acres in
Kent County; 236 acres in Anne Arundel County;
1,000 acres in Queen Anne's County; plus 2 lots in
Chestertown, Kent County).

GRESHAM, RICHARD (?-ca. 1773) BORN
probably in Anne Arundel County, of age by
1729; younger son. NATIVE: third generation. RE-
SIDED: in Kent County. FAMILY BACKGROUND.
FATHER: John Gresham, Esq. (?-1723), of Annap-
olis; planter; sheriff of Anne Arundel County from
ca. 1722 until death; examiner general from 1722
until death; owned ca. 5,000 acres at death; son of
John Gresham (?-1713), of Anne Arundel County.
MOTHER: Sarah (?-1756), owned real estate in En-
gland at time of death. BROTHERS: John Gresham
(ca. 1703-ca. 1752); Thomas (?-ca. 1731/32), died
without progeny. SISTERS. Priscilla; Sarah, who
married Solomon Wooden; and Elizabeth, who
married Jacob Jones. NEPHEW: Richard Gresham
(?-1780). MARRIED Martha (1712-?), daughter of
Thomas Smith (1656-1719). Her brother was
Thomas Smith (1710-ca. 1742). CHILDREN. Possi-
ble natural SON: Thomas Gresham, son of Sophia
Whalen and grandson of Edward Whalen, to
whom Gresham devised a large part of his estate.
DAUGHTER: Sarah, who married Thomas Smyth
(1730-1819), of Chestertown, Kent County, mer-
chant. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RE-
LIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican, Chester Parish,
Kent County. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES:
Gent., 1743; Esq., 1748. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE:
merchant. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE:
Lower House, Kent County, 1742-1744, 1745
(Aggrievances), 1745/46-1748 (Aggrievances Cv
1, 1-3, 4), 1752-1754 (elected to the 2nd session
to fill vacancy), 1754^1757, 1758-1761, 1768-
1770, 1771. LOCAL OFFICE: justice, Kent County,
1760-at least 1769 (quorum, 1762-at least 1769).
WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST
ELECTION: 960 acres in Kent and Baltimore
counties (150 acres in Baltimore County remaining
from his inheritance from his father in 1723). SIG-
NIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST
ELECTION AND DEATH: patented 564 acres and
purchased 965 acres, plus parts of 2 lots in Ches-
tertown, all in Kent County, 1743-1773. Sold at
least 351 acres in Kent and Baltimore counties,
1743-1773. Inherited land in England from his
mother in 1756. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: be-
tween December 4, 1772, and January 6, 1773, in
Kent County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, at least

376



 

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A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.
Volume 426, Page 376   View pdf image (33K)
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