|
ICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELEC-
TION AND DEATH: purchased ca. 2,000 acres in
Frederick County, which included 2 lots in Fred-
erick Town, ca. 1789-1825. During this same time
period he acquired 1 lot in Allegany County, plus
16,000 acres in Washington County, which en-
compassed one-half of the Antietam Iron Works
as well as the land connected with the iron works.
As part of the Antietam property, he acquired
an interest in an ore bank adjacent to the Potomac
River on the Virginia side. McPherson also owned
a farm in Adams County, Pennsylvania, near
Gettysburg, and lots in Gettysburg (probably all
inherited). He owned a large number of acres in
Kentucky as well, the exact amount of which is
unknown. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED, between No-
vember 16 and December 10, 1829; will probated
in Frederick County. Buried in All Saint's church-
yard, Frederick Town. PERSONAL PROPERTY: re-
quested no appraisal of estate (an auditor's state-
ment filed in the Chancery Court in 1841 affirmed
that no report on personal assets had been is-
sued). Creditors claimed $65,287.40, and in 1842,
at the termination of a long court case, the chan-
cellor ordered that sufficient real estate be sold
to pay the debts of the estate. Although Mc-
Pherson's personal estate was said to have been
large and valuable, his executor had allegedly dis-
posed of it all. LAND: owned substantial valuable
real estate in Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and
Pennsylvania: Maryland, 16,000 acres in Wash-
ington County, ca. 2,000 acres in Frederick County,
plus 2 lots in Frederick Town, Frederick County;
Pennsylvania, a farm and lots in Adams County;
Virginia, an interest in a valuable ore bank ad-
jacent to the Potomac River; Kentucky, a large,
but unspecified amount, of acreage.
MCPHERSON, WILLIAM HANSON (?-1815).
BORN: probably in Charles County. NATIVE: prob-
ably, if so at least second generation. RESIDED:
in Port Tobacco Hundred, Charles County. FAM-
ILY BACKGROUND. BROTHER: Thomas (?-1784).
NEPHEW. William McPherson, Jr. MARRIED first,
in 1785, in Anne Arundel County, Elizabeth,
widow of Nicholas Worthington (1757-1782), who
was the son of Nicholas Worthington (1734-1793).
Her brother was Thomas Rutland of Anne Arun-
del County. MARRIED probably second, Elishebah
(Elizabeth) Beall, daughter of Samuel Hanson,
Jr. (?-1817) and wife Sarah. Her brothers were
Samuel Hanson (?-ca. 1823); John Beall Han-
son. Her stepbrothers were William Beall; Ben-
jamin Beall. Her sisters were Margaret Beall;
|
Charity Fendall Noble; and Mary Fendall. Her
stepsisters were Elizabeth Duvall; Elinor MacGill;
and Mary Beall. CHILDREN. SON: Thomas.
DAUGHTERS: Elizabeth Margaret Hanson; Ma-
tilda, who married (first name unknown) Garner;
Kitty (?-1824); and Margaret, who married Henry
T. McPherson. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: lit-
erate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: probably Protes-
tant. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: planter. PUBLIC CA-
REER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House,
Charles County, 1786-1787, 1787-1788, 1788,
1789, 1791-1792 (Claims 2), 1792, 1793 (Elec-
tions; Claims), 1794 (Claims) 1795 (Claims), 1798
(Claims), 1799 (Elections; Laws to Expire; Claims),
1800 (Elections; Claims), 1801 (Claims), 1802
(Claims), 1803, 1804, 1805, 1806, 1810. OTHER
STATE OFFICE: assistant clerk to the auditor gen-
eral, appointed 1778. LOCAL OFFICES: militia re-
cruiter, Charles County, commissioned 1781; jus-
tice, Charles County, by 1791-at least 1801.
MILITARY SERVICE: captain, 43rd Regiment,
Charles County Militia, commissioned 1794; ma-
jor, 43rd Regiment, Charles County Militia, com-
missioned 1796, resigned 1798. WEALTH DURING
LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: 11 slaves, 1790;
37 slaves, 1810. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: no evi-
dence of land ownership. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES
IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND DEATH:
assessed for 565 acres in Port Tobacco Hundred,
Charles County, 1798; purchased 133 acres,
Charles County, 1804. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED:
between March 5 and June 13, 1815, in Charles
County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, $10,973.47
(including 27 slaves); FB, $4,332.61. LAND: 698
acres in Charles County.
MEDLEY, JOHN (ca. 1616-ca. 1662). BORN: ca.
1616, probably in England. IMMIGRATED: in 1637,
perhaps as a servant. RESIDED: in Newtown
Hundred, St. Mary's County. MARRIED Elizabeth,
who immigrated by 1641. CHILDREN. SONS: John
(ca. 1642-1676), who married Anne, who sub-
sequently married Robert Cole; George (ca. 1644-
1676); Thomas (ca. 1647-1683); and William (ca.
1653-1695). PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: illit-
erate. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Catholic. SOCIAL
STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: possibly arrived as a
servant to Thomas Cornwaleys (ca. 1605-1675/
76), but if so he was freed almost immediately.
OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: possibly servant; planter,
1637/38; sold part ownership of a mill, 1658. PUB-
LIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Assembly,
present 1637/38, present 1641/42, present 1642B,
present 1647/48; Lower House, Newtown
592
|
