Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

Dr. William B. Vinson (b. circa 1795 - d. circa 1865)
MSA SC 5496-035965
Property Owner, Medleys District, Montgomery County, Maryland

Biography:

Dr. William B. Vinson was the son of William Vinson and his wife Frances Elizabeth Chiswell. He married Ann E. Vinson of Virginia, whose maiden name is currently unknown, with whom he had at least eight children: Harriet E. (b. 1831), William T. (b. 1833), Charles H. (b. 1835), Thomas W. (b. 1837), Robert P. (b. 1839), Frances H. H. (b. 1841), Washington W. (b. 1843), and Franklin (b. 1845).2

In 1826, Dr. Vinson bought 157 acres near Poolesville, which included part of the tract "Thomas's Discovery."3 The 1840 census showed him as owning one slave.4 On July 16, 1831, three slaves escaped from Vinson's neighbor, John P.C. Peter.5 That September, the slaves Collin Brooks, Joe Carroll, and Tobias Martin, escaped from Dr. Vinsons's father,6 while Clem Proctor, George Swine, and Sandy Swine absconded from Dr. Vinson himself.7 On September 14, 1831, Dr. Vinson and Vinson Sr. advertised separately in the Daily National Intelligencer for the fugitives' capture.

In 1840, Dr. Vinson inherited 354 acres of land from his father.8 The inheritance included parts of the tracts "Partnership" and "Addition to Partnership" as well as the slaves Sandy, George, Clem, Henry, and Rachel.9

Twelve African Americans were enslaved on Dr. Vinson's farm by 1850, including one man, three women, and eight children.11 The 1853 and 1855 slave assessment records named only three slaves: Isaac (b. circa 1842), Jim (b. circa 1840); and Tobias (b. circa 1813).12 Jim was inexplicably gone by 1860, when Dr. Vinson listed only Isaac and Tobias as slaves.13 The 1870 slave statistics identified Dr. Vinson's former slaves as Isaac Johnson and Tobias Martin.14 Tobias Martin's age matches that of the slave of the same name who had fled from Vinson Sr.'s farm in 1831.

In 1854, Dr. Vinson was named trustee of the John P.C. Peter's neighboring farm, Montevideo.15 Consequently, his name appeared on the property on Martenet's 1865 map.16 Vinson died intestate between 1860 and 1870.17
 

1.     Mary Gordon Malloy. Abstracts of Wills Montgomery County, Maryland, 1826-1875 (Westminster, MD: Heritage Books, 2007) 159.

2.     U.S. Census Bureau (Census Record, MD) for William B. Vinson, Montgomery County, 1850, Medleys District, Page 1, Line 6 [MSA SM61-142, M 1499-1].

3.     MONTGOMERY COUNTY COURT, (Land Records), 1806-1807, Liber N, Folio 123, [MSA CE 148-14]. Richard Thomas to William Vinson, November 4, 1826.

4.     U.S. Census Record (Census Record, MD) for William B. Vinson, 1840, Montgomery County, Medleys District, Page 7, 6th line from bottom [MSA SM61-113, M 4722]. Slaves listed on Page 8, 6th line from bottom.

5.     "150 Dollars Reward." Daily National Intelligencer 28 July 1831: 1.

6.     "150 Dollars Reward." Daily National Intelligencer 14 September 1831: 3.

7.     MONTGOMERY COUNTY COURT, (Land Records), 1822-1823, Liber W, Folio 215, [MSA CE 148-24]. John Schnelby to William Vinson, May 9, 1822.

8.     MONTGOMERY COUNTY, REGISTER OF WILLS, (Wills, Original), 1833-1839, [MSA C1142-13]. William Vinson, February 10, 1836. Probated June 23, 1840.

9.     "150 Dollars Reward." Daily National Intelligencer 14 September 1831: 3.
        "300 Dollars Reward." Daily National Intelligencer 14 September 1831: 3.

11.   U.S. Census Bureau (Census Record, MD) for William B. Vinson, Slaves, 1850, Montgomery County, Medleys District, Page 22, Line 33 [MSA SM61-168, M 1505-5].

12.   MONTGOMERY COUNTY, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, (Assessment Record, Slaves), 1853-1864, [MSA C1112-1]. Pgs. 41 and 117

13.   U.S. Census Record (Census Record, MD) for William Vinson, Slaves, 1860, Montgomery County, Medleys District, Page 19, Line 28 [MSA SM61-239, M 7230-2].

14.   MONTGOMERY COUNTY, COMMISSIONER OF SLAVE STATISTICS, (Slave Statistics), 1867-1868, [MSA C1140-1]. Ann E. Vinson, July 17, 1867.

15.   "Montevideo." M: 17-58. Maryland Historical Trust. www.mdihp.net.

16.   Montgomery County District 3, Simon J. Martenet, Martenet and Bond's Map of Montgomery County, 1865, Library of Congress, MSA SC 1213-1-464.

17.   U.S. Census Bureau (Census Record, MD) for William B. Vinson, Montgomery County, 1860, Medleys District, Page 36, Line 10 [MSA SM61-213, M 7223-1].
         U.S. Census Bureau (Census Record, MD) for Anne E. Vinson, Montgomery County, 1870, District 4, Page 17, Line 28 [MSA SM61-275, M 7256].
 

Researched and written by Rachel Frazier, 2010.

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