|
|
liam's School, Annapolis. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED.
on March 5, 1727/28, in London, England.
NICHOLSON, JOSEPH, JR. (?-1786) BORN in
Kent County, of age by 1755; probably eldest son.
NATIVE: third generation. RESIDED: in Anne
Arundel County by 1755; Kent County by 1757
(Chestertown, Kent County, by 1769 until at least
1770); Queen Anne's County by 1776 until death
(at "Chesterfield," part of which later became
Centreville). May also have lived in Queen Anne's
County during the early 1760s. FAMILY BACK-
GROUND. FATHER: Col. Joseph Nicholson (1709-
ca. 1787) of Chestertown, Kent County, a mer-
chant; son of William Nicholson (?-1719) of Anne
Arundel County, a merchant, and wife Elizabeth
(?-1716/17). MOTHER: Hannah (ca. 1708-?),
daughter of James Smith (ca. 1683-1760) and wife
Sarah Hynson. Hannah was the granddaughter
of John Hynson (?-1705). Hannah married first,
in 1725, Edward Scott (?-1729), son of Edward
Scott (?-1725). STEPMOTHER: by 1772 Mary (?-
ca. 1799), daughter of William Hopper (1101 -1112).
BROTHERS: William; James (ca. 1736-1804), cap-
tain of the Maryland ship Defence and a senior
officer in the Continental Navy, 1778-1783; Ben-
jamin Nicholson (?-1792); Samuel (1743-1811),
a captain in the Continental Navy, 1776-1783,
who married in 1780 Mary Dowse of Boston;
Thomas (?-1783), who married in 1774 Rachel,
daughter of John Ridgely (by 1724-1771); and
John, a captain in the Continental Navy. HALF
BROTHERS Edward Scott (1726-?); John Scott
(ca. 1727-1790); and Joseph Hopper Nicholson,
Jr. SISTER Elizabeth, who married Charles Gor-
don (?-1787). HALF SISTERS: Mary (by 1772-by
1797); Henrietta, who married first, John Bracco,
Jr. (ca. 1763-1797), son of John Bracco (?-1794),
and second, Robert Goldsborough, son of John
Goldsborough (1711-1778). NIECE: Frances Ni-
cholson, who married Joshua Seney (1756-1798).
MARRIED on July 28, 1757, Elizabeth (1739-1806),
daughter of William Hopper (l707-l772) and first
wife Esther Sweatnam (?-1740). Elizabeth was
the stepdaughter of both Mary Anne Wright (?-
1747) and Sarah Dockery (?-ca. 1775). Her half
brother was William Hopper (by 1747-1806). Her
sisters were Mary (?-ca. 1799); Henrietta (?-by
1772); and Sally (?-1761). Her half sisters were
Mary Ann (1742-?), who married second, James
Bordley (?-ca. 1793); Dorothy. CHILDREN. SONS:
Joseph Hopper (1770-1817), a member of the
Maryland House of Delegates, 1796-1798, a rep-
resentative in the U.S. Congress, 1799-1806, and
|
chief judge of the sixth Maryland Judicial Circuit,
1806-1817, who married in 1793 Rebecca,
daughter of Edward Lloyd (1744-1796); William
H., and James. DAUGHTERS: Esther, who mar-
ried first, Dr. John Hindman (?-by 1794), son
of Jacob Hindman (by 1713-1766), and second,
William Chambers (?-1837); Sarah (1776-1840),
who married Dr. Pere E. Niel (Noel) (1768-1814).
PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION, probably studied
law in Annapolis during the mid -1750s. RELI-
GIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican; held pew in Ches-
ter Parish Church, Kent County, 1772. SOCIAL
STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent., by 1770; Esq., by
1776. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: lawyer, admitted
to the following courts: Mayor's Court, Annap-
olis, January 1755; Queen Anne's County, No-
vember 1755; Cecil County, by March 1757; Kent
County, by November 1757. PUBLIC CAREER. LEG-
ISLATIVE SERVICE: Conventions, Kent County, 1st,
1774, 4th, 1775, 5th, 1775; Senate, Eastern Shore,
Term of 1776-1781: 1777, 1777-1778, 1778-1779,
1779-1780 (did not attend), 1780-1781. OTHER
STATE OFFICES: Councils of Safety, Eastern Shore,
4th, 1776, 5th, 1776-1777. LOCAL OFFICES: sher-
iff, Queen Anne's County, 1760-1763; clerk of
indictments, Cecil County, in office November
1769; Committee of Correspondence, Queen
Anne's County, 1774. OUT OF STATE SERVICE.
delegate, Continental Congress, 1777 (elected in
December 1777, but did not attend; resigned on
December 22, 1777). WEALTH DURING LIFETIME.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed value £1,045.0.0,
including 15 slaves and 197 oz. plate, 1783. LAND
AT FIRST ELECTION: 95 acres in Kent County and
one-half of a lot with a house in Chestertown,
plus ca. 275 acres in Queen Anne's County owned
jointly with his wife (lot and land in Kent County
by purchase and patent, land in Queen Anne's
County through his wife as part of her inheritance
from her grandfather, William Sweatnam). SIG-
NIFICANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELEC-
TION AND DEATH: In further divisions of the
Sweatnam land in 1779, Joseph and Elizabeth
received title to an additional 290 acres in Queen
Anne's County and a one-third interest in 10 ad-
ditional acres in that county on which there was
a grist mill. The grist mill was to be rebuilt and
the profits shared equally among Joseph and Eliz-
abeth, Joseph Nicholson, Sr., and wife Mary, and
William Charles Niell. Joseph deeded his interest
in all the Queen Anne's County land (except the
mill land) to his wife in 1781. WEALTH AT DEATH.
DIED: will probated on November 11, 1786, in
Queen Anne's County. PERSONAL PROPERTY:
614
|
|
