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admitted to the Caroline County Court in Septem-
ber 1775. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE:
Lower House, Dorchester County, 1777 (Elections
1; Grievances 1, 2), 1777-1778 (Grievances 3),
1778-1779 (elected, but did not attend), 1779-
1780 (Grievances 1, 2; Tax Commissioners 1, 2;
Elections 2), 1780 (elected to the 1780-1781 As-
sembly, but did not attend; resigned on December
11, 1780, following his election to the Senate);
Senate, Eastern Shore, Term of 1776-1781: 1780
(elected on May 16, 1780 to fill vacancy in the
1779-1780 Assembly; did not serve), 1780-1781
(qualified on December 11, 1780), Term of 1781-
1786: 1781-1782, 1782-1783, 1783, 1784, 1785,
Term of 1786-1791: 1786-1787, 1787-1788, 1788,
1789 (did not serve), 179X3. OTHER STATE OFFICE:
governor, 1797-1798 (resigned due to ill health).
LOCAL OFFICES, judge, court of appeals, appointed
under the Act to Procure Troops for the American
Army, Dorchester County, appointed 1778. OUT
OF STATE SERVICE: delegate, Continental Con-
gress, 1777-1779 (elected on December 22, 1777,
to fill vacancy, but did not attend until January
1778; reelected in November 1778), 1780 (elected
on March 31, 1780, to fill vacancy), 1784-1786
(elected on December 17, 1784, to fill vacancy, but
did not attend until March 1785; reelected in No-
vember 1785); senator, U.S. Congress, 1789-1791,
1791-1793, 1793-1795, 1795-1797, 1797 (resigned
on December 10, 1797 to become governor).
WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT FIRST
ELECTION: no acreage found, but father had been a
member of the legislature and was land wealthy.
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST
ELECTION AND DEATH, at least 694 acres in Som-
erset County inherited from his father, 1781; ap-
proximately 1,960 acres in Dorchester and Caro-
line counties through marriage, 1787; after the
deaths of his elder brothers, John inherited at least
1,546 acres in Dorchester County that his father
had entailed to his sons. WEALTH AT DEATH.
DIED: on December 16, 1798, at "Weston," Dor-
chester County; retired from governorship one
month earlier "due to ill health"; his body was
moved to Christ Church Graveyard, Cambridge,
Dorchester County, 1908. PERSONAL PROPERTY:
size of estate unknown. LAND: at least 4,226 acres
in Somerset, Dorchester, and Caroline counties.
HENRY, ROBERT JENKINS (JENCKINS) (ca.
1712-1766). BORN: ca. 1712 in Somerset County;
elder son. NATIVE: second generation. RESIDED: in
Somerset County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER:
Rev. John Henry (?-1717), a graduate of the Uni-
versity of Edinburgh, who was ordained by the
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Presbytery of Dublin, Ireland. He immigrated to
the American colonies in 1710 and was a Presbyte-
rian minister of Pocomoke Church in Somerset
County from 1710 to 1717. MOTHER: Mary (1674-
1744), widow of Francis Jenkins (ca. 1650-1710);
daughter of Robert King (?-1697). She subse-
quently married ca. 1718 Rev. John Hampton (?-
1721/22), a Presbyterian minister of Snow Hill
Church from 1707 to 1718, Pitts Creek Church
from 1709 to 1717, and Pocomoke Church from
1717 to 1722, all in Somerset County. UNCLE: Ro-
bert King (1689-1755). AUNT: Eleanor King, who
married Charles Bollard (ca. 1670-ca. 1724/25).
BROTHER: John Henry (ca. 1714-1781). SISTER:
(first name unknown) (?-1722). FIRST COUSIN.
Mary Elizabeth King (1715-1739), who married
Abraham Barnes (?-ca. 1778). NEPHEWS: Francis
Jenkins Henrys (?-1796); John Henry, Jr. (ca. 1750-
1798). NIECES: Charlotte Henry, who married Wil-
liam Winder, Jr. (?-1808); Dorothy (Dolly)
Henry, who married Isaac Henry (?-ca. 1802).
MARRIED in May 1746 Gertrude (?-ca. 1770),
daughter of John Rousby (1685-1744); grand-
daughter of both Thomas Burford (?-1686/87)
and John Rousby (?-1685/86); half niece of both
Walter Smith (ca. 1693-1748) and Barbara Smith
(1693-1764), who married first, Thomas Holds-
worth (ca. 1692-1718), and second, Benjamin
Mackall (1675-1761). At the time of their mar-
riage, Gertrude was described as "an agreeable
young Lady with a handsome Fortune." Her
brother was John (1728-1750/51), who married
Ann (1727-1791), daughter of Peregrine Frisby
(1688-1739). Her stepbrother was George Plater
(1695-1755). Her sisters were Anne (1721-1769),
who married Edward Lloyd (1711-1770);
Elizabeth, who married Abraham Barnes (?-ca.
1778). Her half first cousins were Mary Holds-
worth (1713-?), who married Benson Bond (1710-
1750); Betty Holds worth 1715-?) who married
James Heighe (?-1757); Benjamin Mackall (ca.
1723-1795); and Barbara Mackall, who married
Will/am Wilkinson (?-1755). Her nephews were
Edward Lloyd (1744-1796); John Barnes (ca.
1743-1800); and Richard Barnes (?-1804). Her
nieces were Elizabeth Lloyd (1741/42-?), who
married John Cadwalader (1741/42-1786);
Elizabeth Rousby, who married George Plater
(1735-1792). CHILDREN. SONS: Robert Jenkins (ca.
1755-?); Edward. DAUGHTERS: Mary King; Ann;
Elizabeth; and Gertrude. PRIVATE CAREER. EDU-
CATION, literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Presby-
terian. He donated during his lifetime and in his
will, the land which the Presbyterian Meeting
House and Retiring House occupied in the town
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