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SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: apprenticed to
Joseph Wickes (ca. 1620-1692) in 1655 after his
father's death; acquired the first land in his own
name in 1667; he was naturalized in 1671. OCCU-
PATIONAL PROFILE: apprentice, 1655; planter;
owned a gristmill. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE
SERVICE: Associators' Convention, Kent County,
1689-1692; Lower House, Kent County, 1692-
1693, 1694-1697 (Aggrievances 3, 4, 8), Cecil
County, 1697/98-1700. LOCAL OFFICES, justice,
Kent County, 1685-1697 (quorum, 1689-1697),
Cecil County by 1702; St. Paul's Parish Vestry,
Kent County, 1693-1703. MILITARY SERVICE:
captain, by 1693; lieutenant colonel, 1694; colonel
at the time of his death. STANDS ON PUBLIC/ PRI-
VATE ISSUES: supported the revolution of 1689.
WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST
ELECTION, probably over 1,000 acres. WEALTH AT
DEATH. DIED: will probated on April 27, 1704.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, £1,066.4.1 sterling.
LAND: 1,175 acres.
HANSON, JOHN, JR. (1721-1783). BORN: on
April 3, 1721, in Port Tobacco Parish, Charles
County; third surviving son. NATIVE, at least third
generation. RESIDED: in Charles County; Frederick
County, 1769. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER
Samuel Hanson (ca. 1685-1740). MOTHER:
Elizabeth (ca. 1688-1764), daughter of Walter Sto-
rey (ca. 1666-1726). UNCLE: Robert Hanson (ca.
1680-1748). BROTHERS: Walter Hanson (1711 / 12-
1794); Samuel Hanson (1716-1794); William
(1718/19-1721); and William (1726-?). SISTERS:
Elizabeth (1707-?); Mary (1709/10-?); Sarah
(1714-?); Jane (1721/22-?); Charity (1724-?), who
married second, Arthur Lee (?-1760); and Chloe.
FIRST COUSINS: Dorothy Hanson (1721-1752),
who married Richard Harrison (?-1780); Mary
Hanson, who married Daniel Jenifer (?-1795).
NEPHEW: Samuel Hanson, of Samuel (ca. 1752-
1830). MARRIED in 1747 Jane (1728-1812), daugh-
ter of Alexander Contee (ca. 1691-1740); grand-
daughter of Thomas Brooke (ca. 1659-1730/31);
half niece of Thomas Brooke (1683-1744), Sarah
Brooke (?-1724), who married first, William Dent
(ca. 1660-1704) and second, Philip Lee (ca. 1681-
1744), and Priscilla Brooke, who married Thomas
Gantt (?-1765). Her brothers were John Contee
(1722-ca. 1796); Alexander, Jr. (1724-1734); Peter
(1726-ca. 1779); Thomas Contee (ca. 1729-1811);
Alexander (1734-1744); and Theodore (1736-ca.
1764). Her sisters were Catherine (1732-1831);
Grace (1738-?); and Barbara (1741-1796). Her
first cousin was Thomas Beall, of George (1735-
1819). CHILDREN. SONS: Alexander Contee Hanson
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(1749-1806); John (1753-1760); Samuel (1756-
1781), a physician; and Peter Contee (1758-1776),
who died at Fort Washington during the Revolu-
tionary War. DAUGHTERS: Catherine Contee
(1744-?), who married Philip Alexander; Jane
Contee (1747-1781), who married in 1773 Dr.
Philip Thomas (1747-1815); Elizabeth (1751-
1753); and Grace (1762-1763). PRIVATE CAREER.
EDUCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION:
Protestant. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES:
Gent., 1744; Esq., by 1778. OCCUPATIONAL PRO-
FILE: merchant, 1769; by 1772 he and his brother-
in-law Thomas Contee (ca. 1729-1811) owned a
store and warehouse in Frederick Town. PUBLIC
CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House,
Charles County, 1757-1758 (Bills of Credit 1, Cv,
2), 1758-1761 (Bills of Credit Cv 1, 1, Cv 2, 2, 3,
Cv 3), 1762-1763 (Bills of Credit 1, 2), 1765-1766
(Bills of Credit 2, 4; Accounts 3, 4; Laws to Ex-
pire 4), 1768-1769 (Claims 1; discharged from the
Assembly at the beginning of the 2nd session after
he had accepted the office of deputy surveyor of
Frederick County); Conventions, Frederick
County, 1st, 1774 (appointed, but did not attend),
4th, 1775 (elected, but did not attend), 5th, 1775;
Lower House, Frederick County, 1777 (elected,
but did not attend; resigned early in the 1st ses-
sion), 1778-1779 (Claims 1, 2), 1779-1780 (Elec-
tions and Privileges 1; Claims 1; Manufactories 1),
1780-1781 (elected, but did not attend), 1781-
1782 (elected, but did not attend; resigned early in
the 1st session). LOCAL OFFICES: sheriff, Charles
County, 1750-1753, Frederick County, commis-
sioned 1771; deputy surveyor, Frederick County,
commissioned 1769, 1771, 1773, and 1777 (re-
signed 1777); chairman, Committee of Observa-
tion, Frederick County, 1775; treasurer, Frederick
County, elected 1775; commissioner to establish
gunlock manufactory in Frederick Town, 1776;
loan officer (to receive subscriptions for loan of
money to the Continental Congress and to the
State of Maryland), appointed 1777; judge, court
of appeals, appointed under the Act to Procure
Troops for the American Army, Frederick
County, appointed 1778. OUT OF STATE SERVICE
delegate, Continental Congress, 1779-1782
(elected in December 1779, but did not attend un-
til June 1780; reelected in November 1780 and
November 1781). ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Han-
son was elected president of Congress on Novem-
ber 5, 1781. One week later he considered resign-
ing from this position because of poor health,
family responsibilities, and the "irksome" qualities
of the "form and ceremonies" required as presi-
dent. He was urged to continue by fellow mem-
405
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