216

Chestertown, but a combination of circumstances leads

to that conclusion;

1. No other Robert Saunders, son of Robert Saunders,

has been located in Maryland or near-by states, in this

period.

2. Robert Saunders of Harford County was born in 1772;
therefore in 1793 he was twenty-one years of age, ap-
proximately the same age as George Gerrish, and of the
usual age for young men of that period to start in the
newspaper business.

3. Robert Saunders, senior, was a man of some means,¹⁰
and could have backed his son, financially, in a new
enterprise.

4. Robert Saunders, junior, of Harford County had a
brother, probably a younger brother, John.¹¹ In 1799,
Philip Edwards, lieutenant of marines, advertised that
some of his recruits had deserted. Among them was

A certain John Saunders, a private marine, born in
Harford County, state of Maryland, a printer by
profession, about 5 feet 6 inches high, dark com-
plexion, dark hair and eyes, and about 25 years of
age.¹²

While this admittedly can prove nothing about Robert
Saunders, it is interesting to note that three pairs of
brothers within the scope of this essay took up the

10 Harford county, MA. Land records.

11 Harford county, Md. Wills. Liber SRl, folio 248.

12 Telegraphe. May 7, 1799.