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(ca. 1691-1740), daughter of John Skinner (?-
1764), a merchant of Calvert County. Her sister
was Ann, who married Benjamin Rogers. CHIL-
DREN. SONS: John Skinner (ca. 1775-?), who mar-
ried in 1800 Elizabeth Thornburg; Isaac Lee (by
1784-?). DAUGHTERS: Elizabeth, who married in
1804 John C. Weems of West River, Anne Arun-
del County, son of John Weems (1737-1813);
Anne, who married in 1813 John W. Thomas of
Cecil County. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: lit-
erate and well read. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION:
Quaker. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent.,
by 1776; Esq., by death. OCCUPATION AL PROFILE:
partner in Bush River Ironworks, planter,
moneylender. John Lee Webster and his brothers
James and Isaac became formal partners in the
Bush River Ironworks Co. in 1765 through the
original one-third share owned by their father.
The other partners were John Bond and Jacob
Giles (1705-1784). In 1767, Bush River Iron-
works Co. owned a furnace, 3 mills, about 20
slaves, 3,000 acres of land, a large bay schooner
and other watercraft, plus all the equipment re-
quired for the iron and milling business. PUBLIC
CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House,
Harford County, 1788 (elected, but did not at-
tend, resigned), 1789 (elected, but did not at-
tend). MILITARY SERVICE: possibly a member of
Company 1, Harford County Militia, September
1775, but no evidence of any service or commis-
sion as an officer. STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE IS-
SUES: provided for the manumission of his slaves
after his death. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PER-
SONAL PROPERTY: valued at £300.0.0 or more,
1759-1763; 64 slaves, 1776; assessed value
£3,225.05.0, including 61 slaves and 111 oz. plate,
1783; 94 slaves, 1790. ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Both
of Webster's wives had fathers and former hus-
bands who were wealthy merchants or planters,
and both brought significant amounts of property
with them when they married Webster. LAND AT
FIRST ELECTION: ca. 2,100 acres in Harford County
(420 acres of Bush River Ironworks land; 460
acres inherited from his father; ca. 858 acres ac-
quired through first marriage; ca. 86 acres by pur-
chase ; half of 538 acres purchased with a partner).
Webster had acquired at least 878 acres in Calvert
County through his second marriage, but the land
had been sold before his first election. SIGNIFI-
CANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELEC-
TION AND DEATH: purchased 130 acres in Harford
County, 1789, and the 420 acres of Bush River
Ironworks land on which he had been paying taxes,
1790; purchased three small tracts totalling 157
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acres in Harford County, 1793-1795; acquired
an unknown amount of land in Pennsylvania and
Virginia prior to death; purchased 2 lots in Bal-
timore City, 1794. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: on
June 9, 1795, in Harford County. PERSONAL
PROPERTY: TEV, at least £5,439.5.3 current
money, 1795 (including 36 slaves, 74 oz. plate,
ca. 36 books, and £190.0.0 in cash); TEV in 1806,
£38,564.11.9 current money (including debts re-
ceived and profits on land, 1796-1799); FB,
£12,559.1.4 (after payment of over £7,200 in leg-
acies and maintenance of his orphans, 1795-
1806). By 1806, at the time of the final account,
over £33,000 had been received by Webster's es-
tate in payment of principal and interest on bonds
and notes he had owned, and there were still
outstanding, but considered good, debts of over
£17,000. LAND: ca. 2,400 acres in Harford County,
2 lots in Baltimore City, and land in Pennsylvania
and Virginia.
WEEMS, JAMES (ca. 1707-1781). BORN: ca. 1707,
probably in England or Scotland. IMMIGRATED:
as a minor, possibly with his mother, brother, and
sister, to live with his uncle, Dr. William Loch
(?-1732) of Anne Arundel County. RESIDED: in
Anne Arundel County; Calvert County by at least
1734. FAMILY BACKGROUND. MOTHER. possibly
Elizabeth Loch Weems. BROTHER: David (1706-
1779) of Anne Arundel County, who married first,
Elizabeth Lane (?-1738), and second, Esther Hill
(1717-1776). SISTER: Williamina (?-1784), who
married ca. 1722 William Moore (1699-1783) of
Philadelphia and "Moore Hall," Chester County,
Pennsylvania, a member of the Pennsylvania Pro-
vincial Assembly, 1733-1740, justice, 1741-1783.
NEPHEW: John Weems (1727-1794). ADDITIONAL
COMMENT: Family tradition ties James Weems to
the Earl of Wemyss in Scotland and states that
Elizabeth Loch Weems's husband was William
Weems (Wemyss), who was killed November 12,
1715, at Preston, Lancashire, England. After his
death she and her children emigrated to Mary-
land; James may have left first, ca. 1715, and the
others ca. 1720. MARRIED first, by November 20,
1727, Sarah, widow of James Stoddert, Jr. (?-
ca. 1726), who was the son of James Stoddert (ca.
1667-1726). Sarah was the daughter of George
Parker (?-1711) of Calvert County and his wife
Susanna Parrott (1675-1762), and the stepdaugh-
ter of John Mackall (1669-1739). Her brother was
Gabriel (?-by 1762). Her half brother was James
John Mackall (1717-1772). Her sisters were Eliz-
abeth; Susanna, who married Gidion Dare, son
873
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