Frederick Grammar (b. circa 1751 - d. 1818)
MSA SC 5496-050705
War of 1812 Claimant, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 1828
Biography:
Frederick Grammar was born about 1751 in Germany. He immigrated to Philadelphia, but by 1777 he relocated to Annapolis, Maryland. Frederick Grammar and his wife, Elizabeth, had the following children: Frederick Jr., Henry, Elizabeth, Mary, and John. Grammar was a successful baker in Annapolis where he purchased land from the Carrolls and constructed a house at 99 Main Street. He later built a bakery at the back of the Main Street home, leasing the front portion of the building to his good friend Lewis Neth for 99 years.
Frederick Grammar was also a slave owner, and had at least twelve slaves. In 1786, Grammar and Charles Stewart purchased a negro woman Poll from Reubin McDaniel. Grammar was involved in a Chancery case against Jonathan Pinkney and Horatio Munroe regarding the mortgage of slaves. Both Pinkney and Munroe were heavily indebted to Grammar and had to mortgage their slaves to him. During the War of 1812, two of Grammar's slaves, Jim Steward (alias Tom) and Jim Hall, fled from his property in near Sandy Point in Anne Arundel County to British vessels. Jim Hall was killed in the attack on Fort Bowyer at Mobile Point, while Jim Steward ended up on the plantation of Col. Gilbert C. Russell in the Alabama Territory. Russell agreed to purchase Jim from Grammar for $550. However, Frederick Grammar died before the monetary transaction took place. The sale would be settled by the executors of Grammar's estate at a later date.
Grammar's wife Elizabeth died on April 20, 1817 at their home.
Grammar
also lost two of his sons in February of the same year. The following
year,
Frederick Grammar died on October 15,1818 at Pleasant Plains at the age
of sixty-seven.
The executors of Grammar's estate were his son John Grammar, Henry
Mayer, and Horatio Ridout. In his will, Grammar divided his real and
personal property amongst his
children. Grammar bequeathed unto his son John Andrew his land in St.
Margaret's, an ensslaved man named Joe, seven male slaves, two female
slaves,
and two slave boys. In addition to the slaves mentioned, Grammar willed
that his two old slaves Harry and his wife along with their children go
with John unless he declines. If John Grammar declined to accept Harry,
his wife and children, the two old slaves were able to choose their new
owner. Grammar left $12,000 to his eldest daughter Elizabeth and
$10,000 to his daughter Mary. Frederick Grammar made provisions that
his negro man Frank Tucker be manumitted in 1821 if he remained
well behaved.
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