John H. Brown (b. circa ? - d. 1826)
MSA SC 5496-050675
War of 1812 Claimant, Prince George's County, Maryland, 1828
Biography:
John Hamilton Brown was born in Prince George's County to Dr. John Brown and Agnes Hamilton, originally of Charles County, Maryland. John H. Brown and his siblings Harriot, Eleanor, Janet, and Ann were raised at the family home, Mount Calvert, in the Marlboro District of Prince George's County, near Croom. Brown's father had built the home in the late 18th century. The elder Brown died in 1803, leaving his wife Agnes and his son John as the administrators of his estate. However, in 1809 a decree was passed for the sale of the real estate belonging to the deceased John Brown, including Mount Calvert and a tract of land known as Beall's Gift. Trueman Tyler, Esq. was appointed trustee of the estate of John Brown and sold the property at public auction on December 18, 1809. Joseph N. Burch, a friend of John Hamilton Brown, made the purchase to save the property. Burch who paid $8,000 for the property, allowed Brown to keep the property through a mortgage agreement in which he was to be paid in smaller amounts until the debt was satisfied.
Brown, who lived with his mother Agnes continued to carry the debt from his deceased father. Brown was so far in debt that he eventually had to mortgage some of his enslaved people. In 1812, Brown mortgaged several slaves to William Bradley Beanes, the husband of his sister Eleanor. In August of 1814, Brown's suffered the loss of his enslaved woman Jenny (a cripple), who escaped from Mount Calvert to British ships lying in the Patuxent River. Brown had received Jenny through his father's will. Jenny was about forty years of age at the time that she fled and was thought to have run off with her husband Scipio Henson who belonged to Mrs. Violetta Weems. Following the war many Maryland citizens submitted claims to the Department of State to receive compensation for the loss of their property including enslaved people, livestock, and tobacco. John Hamilton Brown filed two seperate claims for the loss of Jenny. The first claim did not supply sufficient evidence regarding Jenny's escape and was rejected by the claims commission. He later filed his claim with his sister Harriot Brooke, widow of Henry Brooke, and recieved $280 for his loss.
John Hamilton Brown died intestate in January of 1826. Brown left no direct heirs, only his sisters Harriot Brooke and Eleanor Beanes, and nieces and nephews the children of his deceased sisters Janet Carroll and Ann W. Whitaker. Following his death, Joseph N. Burch filed a petition in the Chancery court against the family of John Hamilton Brown for not having debts owed to him.
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