Henry Hanslap
Anne Arundel County Court Clerk, 1682-1685
MSA SC 3520-13122
Biography:
The exact date and place of birth of Henry Hanslap is not known. He immigrated to Maryland by October 7, 1676 and was a resident of Anne Arundel County in which he owned two plantations. He worked as a planter and probably also as a lawyer, for in his will he mentioned his collection of law books.1 In some records he is referred to as Captain Henry Hanslap.2 As part of his military duties, he and some other militia officers contacted Colonel William Diggs in regard to taking action to protect residents of the area from an alleged Indian uprising.3 He married a woman named Elizabeth and together they had one son, Joseph, and three daughters, Sussana (m.Captain Thomas Gassaway), Elizabeth (m. Benjamin Wells), and Frances (m. Joseph Chew).4 The family worshiped at All Hallows Parish in Anne Arundel County.5
Hanslap was commissioned as Coroner for Anne Arundel County on June 18, 1678. He later served as Clerk of Anne Arundel County from September 13, 1682 until May 30, 1685 at which point he resigned this position to serve as Sheriff of the county.6 He served in that position until at least 1688.7
Hanslap was issued two patents for land in Anne Arundel County:
Hanslaps Range, 300 acres, 1681 and Ayno, 400 acres, 1683. There
was also a certificate for land under Hanslap's name for a 214 acre tract
called Come by Chance. The patent for this land, however, was given
to George Yate.8 He mentions
two other tracts of land in his will: Dodo(r?) Situate, 500 acres,
and 100 acres of land on Hickory Hills. In his will he makes no mention
of Hanslaps Range, but he does refer to Hanslaps Advantage, 300 acres,
on the north side of the Severn River. In addition to his land holdings,
his inventory lists several possessions totaling £207::11:08.
Items included in the inventory were several horses, pigs, and cows.
The document also lists four "Negroes," one "servant boy," and one "woman
servant."9 Henry Hanslap died
some time in 1698 before and in his will requested that he be buried at
the east end of the All Hallows Parish grounds. His wife Elizabeth
died in January 1702, as did his son Joseph. His daughter Elizabeth
may also have died in January 1702, or January 1703.10
Return to list of Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Clerks
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