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CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. OCCUPATIONAL
PROFILE: a physician, who practiced near Elk
Ridge, Anne Arundel County; planter; also owned
an artillery forge and mill. Involved in the manu-
facture of saltpeter and munitions, 1775. PUBLIC
CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Convention, Anne
Arundel County, 5th, 1775. LOCAL OFFICES: jus-
tice, Anne Arundel County, 1755-at least 1764.
MILITARY SERVICE: surgeon to a battalion of
marching militia under Col. Thomas Dorsey, ap-
pointed 1777. STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRI VATE IS-
SUES a leader of those citizens who forced
Anthony Stewart to set fire to his ship, the Peggy
Stewart, in the Annapolis harbor in October 1774,
because Stewart had paid the required tax on tea
imported in his vessel. WEALTH DURING LIFE-
TIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY assessed value
£1,823.0.0, including 33 slaves and 20 oz. plate,
1783. Borrowed £5,191.0.0 sterling from Charles
Carroll of Carrollton (1737-1832), 1785. LAND AT
FIRST ELECTION: 768 acres in Anne Arundel
County (156 acres from his mother by deed of gift,
1760; 250 acres inherited from his father, 1773).
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST
ELECTION AND DEATH: purchased 200 acres in
Anne Arundel County, 1780; assessed for 1,153
acres, 1783. Mortgaged 406 acres to Charles Car-
roll of Carrollton (1737-1832) as security for
debts owed to him, 1787. Purchased over 2,000
acres in Kentucky. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: will
probated on December 6, 1788, in Anne Arundel
County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, £2,500.0.3
current money (including 25 slaves, one-third in-
terest in 1 other slave, 1 servant, medical and
other books, and a microscope); FB, £68.2.4, not
including proceeds from sale of land. His executor
stated that Howard's personal estate was insuffi-
cient to pay the debts owed. At least 431.5 acres
of Howard's land was sold after his death to pay
his debts. LAND ca. 1,000 acres in Anne Arundel
County (including 406 acres still mortgaged at the
time of his death), plus land in Kentucky.
HOWARD, JOHN BEALE (by 1739-1799).
BORN by September 7, 1739, probably in
Baltimore County; elder son. NATIVE, fourth gen-
eration. RESIDED: probably in Baltimore County
(later became part of Harford County); Gunpow-
der Hundred, Baltimore County, by 1781;
Baltimore Town, by 1792. FAMILY BACKGROUND.
FATHER Capt. John Howard (ca. 1709-1805), son
of Cornelius Howard (1670-1717) and wife Mary
Hammond; ward of John Beale (?-1734). MOTHER:
Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Gassaway
(1683/84-1739). UNCLE: John Gassaway (1707-
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1762). BROTHER: Thomas Gassaway (ca. 1745-
1803), who married Frances (ca. 1747-?), sister of
Francis Holland (ca. 1745-1795). FIRST COUSIN:
John Eager Howard (1752-1827). MARRIED on
April 18, 1765, Blanche (ca. 1742-1800), daughter
of Parker Hall (?-ca. 1756) and wife Blanche Car-
vile; granddaughter of both John Hall (ca. 1658-
1737) and John Carvile (ca. 1670-1709); niece of
John Hall (1701-1774). Her brother was Edward.
Her sister was Mary. Her first cousins were Mar-
tha Hall, who married Walter Tolley (?-1783);
Aquila Hall (1727-1779); John Hall, Jr. (1737-
1770); Benedict Edward Hall (ca. 1744-1822);
Josias Carvil Hall (1746-1 814); Martha Hall, who
married John Rumsey (ca. 1742-1828); and Mary
Hall, who married Benjamin Rumsey (1734-1808).
CHILDREN. SONS: Parker (?-died in infancy); John
Beal (1770-?), who married Margaret, daughter of
Rev. William West (1739-1791); Edward Aquilla
(1775-1854), who married first, in 1798 Charlotte
Rumsey, and second, in 1809 Agnes; and Mathias
(1777-1781). DAUGHTER: Elizabeth (1767-1848),
who married Benjamin Richardson. PRIVATE CA-
REER. EDUCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIA-
TION: Anglican, St. John's Parish, Baltimore
County (later became part of Harford County).
SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Esq., by 1777.
OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: planter; merchant, in
partnership with James Osborne (?-1793) with
connections in London. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLA-
TIVE SERVICE: Convention, Harford County, 5th,
1775; Lower House, Baltimore County, 1781-
1782. LOCAL OFFICES: St. John's Parish Vestry,
Baltimore County (later became part of Harford
County), in office 1764-at least 1781; justice
Baltimore County, 1768-1773 (quorum, 1772-
1773), Harford County, appointed 1774 (quorum,
1774), Baltimore County, 1777-at least 1782; dep-
uty commissary, Harford County, 1774-1777; jus-
tice, Orphans' Court, Baltimore County, ap-
pointed 1777; subscription officer, Continental
Loan Office, Baltimore County, appointed 1779.
MILITARY SERVICE: 1st lieutenant, Harford
County Militia, 1776. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed value £663.7.0,
including 13 slaves and 50 oz. plate, 1783; 3
slaves, 1792. Filed a petition of insolvency in April
1792 listing the debts owed by the firm of Howard
& Osborne. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 939 acres
in Baltimore and Harford counties (125 acres in
Baltimore County inherited from his mother's
family; ca. 370 acres in Harford County by mar-
riage). SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN
FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH. Owned at least 845
acres in Baltimore and Harford counties, plus 2
466
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