Jonathan Hanson (1710 - aft. 1785)

Born 10 Sep 1710 in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Spicer) Hanson — married 12 Jun 1733 (to after 1750) in Baltimore, MD

Husband of Mary (Wooden) Hanson — married about 1765 (to 1785) in Baltimore, Maryland

Descendants

Died after 21 Dec 1785 after age 75 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Seely Foley [send private message]

Jonathan was a Friend (Quaker)

Biography

The birth of Jonathan Hanson is recorded in the meeting book of the West River Quakers of Ann Arundel County. He was the son of Jonathan Hanson and Kezia Murray who were married within the same Quaker meeting in 1706.^[1][2] Jonathan's mother died when he was aged eight and his father married another Quaker, Mary Price. Jonathan was about 16 when his father committed suicide and must have been a great help to his step-mother as she took over her husband's mill. The two ran the mill for two years before Mary Hanson married as her second husband a doctor from Scotland named George Walker.

Marriage & Family

Jonathan became a member of St. Paul's Church where he was baptized and married to Sarah Spicer on the same day 12 JUN 1733. The record also states he will be 23 years of age on the 10th of next September, The births of seven of their children are registered in this church:

Jonathan b. 22 FEB 1733/34

Kezia b. 4 MAR 1734 m. William Askew

Timothy b. 9 FEB 1737

Mary b. 11 OCT 1739 m. Thomas Rutter

Elizabeth b. 12 AUG 1741 m. David Gorsuch

Edward Spicer b. 21 FEB 1742/43

Joshua b. 2 OCT 1745

Amon b. 14 FEB 1747/48^[3]

Jemima b. abt. 1751 m. Josiah Pennington

Hannah b. abt. 1755 m. ? Wilson & ? Coursey

The births of the last two girls are not listed in St. Paul's Parish, so may be the daughters of Mary Wooden. Sadly, the records seem to indicate all of the sons of Jonathan Hanson died without heirs or predeceased him. Jonathan married a second wife who is mentioned in his will, but the marriage record has not been found. She has been identified as Mary Wooden based on the listing of persons buried in the family cemetery who were moved to Greenmount Cemetery in the 1850s. She is listed right after Sarah Spicer. Since both wives are listed in the burial record by their maiden names, Wooden is presumed to be Mary's surname at birth. Mary Hanson left a detailed will naming several of Jonathan's children and grandchildren as heirs.

Jonathan's father-in-law, John Spicer of Baltimore County signed his will on 6 January 1738/39. He left a token bequest to his daughter Sarah Hanson and named her husband Jonathan Hanson. John's will was proved on 7 March 1739.^[4] These mentions were:

daughter, Sarah Hanson – one shilling sterling

”My son Edward Spicer & my son-in-law Jonathan Hanson to be Trustees”

Probate

Jonathan Hanson signed his will 21 DEC 1785. An abstract of the will:

I give to my son-in-law Josias Pennington and Jemima, his wife and to my grandsons, Jonathan Rutter and William Askew my tract of land called Salisbury Plains whereon are two grist mills to be equally divided.

I give to my daughters: Jemima Pennington, Hannah Wilson, and Elizabeth Gorsuch all the following tracts of land: Jerico 200 acres, Come by Chance 415 acres, Hanson's Chance 275 acres, Three Sisters Number One 29 acres, Three Sisters Number Two 45 acres to be equally divided. The part of my daughter, Hannah Wilson to my grandson John Low upon her decease and if he dies without issue to Eleanor Chenowith.

I give to my wife Mary Hanson part of land called Edward's Lot 50 acres during her natural life and after her decease to my granddaughter Esther Spicer.

I give to my wife the house & plantation on which a live called Mount Royal and my upper grist mill and all other appurtenances except the fulling mill.

I give to my son Amon Hanson my fulling mill and the land called Mount Royal, but if my son should die I devise Mount Royal to my several grand children to be equally divided among them that is to say: William Hanson Askew, Elizabeth Hanson, Askew, Sarah Mullin, Joshua Askew, Mary Barry, Jonathan Rutter, and Esther Spicer with the mills thereon.

I give to my great-granddaughter Sarah Chenowith, the daughter of Richard Chenowith the land called Poplar Spring.

Upon the condition that I have devised mills & land to Josias & Jemima Pennington, William Askew and Jonathan Rutter they shall pay the sum of 4,000 pounds within two years after my death and not otherwise.

I give my wife Mary one negro woman named Cloe, one negro woman named Pole.

I give my wife my negro man named Tom, a miller and a negro man named Jack during her natural life and after her decease I give the said negroes to my son Amon Hanson. All the rest of my personal property to my beloved wife. I direct Josiah Pennington, William Askew and Jonathan Rutter shall pay unto my wife 130 pounds in quarterly payments yearly during her natural life

I also give my daughter, Hannah Wilson, 50 pounds and to her son, John Courcy when he is 21 out of the 4,000 pounds aforesaid.

All the residue of the 4,000 pounds I give to Eleanor Chenowith, Sarah Mullen, Joshua Askew, Mary Askew, Jonathan Askew, Elizabeth Hanson Askew, and Esther Spicer to be equally divided.

I hereby appoint my friends, Harry Stevenson, son of Edward, and Solomon Hillen executors.

The will was witnessed by: James Franklin, Henry Ridgley, Henry Stevenson and John Wooden and presented for probate on 7 JAN 1786^[5]

An Inventory taken 7 FEB 1786 revealed the value of his personal property was almost £800 sterling. It included 10 slaves and 8 horses. He owned over 1100 acres of land around Baltimore. ^[6]

Jonathan Hanson and his extended family are all buried in a large tomb at Greenmount Cemetery Area E Lots 46/47 in Baltimore. The family graveyard located on the original Mount Royal property was moved in the 1850s to allow for the extension of Charles Street.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Peden, Henry C. Quaker Records of Southern Maryland: Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Abstracts from the Minutes, 1658-1800. Westminster, Md.: Willow Bend, 2000. Print.
2. ↑ "U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 168-1935," database, Ancestry (Image : accessed 7 Dec 2021), Image 40 of 130, Ohio > Columbiana > Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting > Births and Burials 1674-1809, Unindexed Record for Jonathan Hanson, son of Jonathan and Kezia born 10 Day 9th mo 1711. Notes: 1) Record is misfiled - book cover indicates the records are from West River, Maryland. 2) Entries above Jonathan are not easily deciphered - his parents may have had more children.
3. ↑ Reamy, Bill & Martha. Records of St. Paul's Parish. Westminster, MD: Family Line Publications, 1988.
4. ↑ Father's Will: "Maryland, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1777"
   Will Books; Author: Maryland. Prerogative Court; Probate Place: Maryland
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 9068 #396021 (accessed 21 February 2024)
   Will of John Spicer of Baltimore, Maryland, granted probate on 6 Jan 1738. Died 1738 in Maryland, USA.
5. ↑ Original Maryland Wills Box 21 folder 7 Maryland State Archives
6. ↑ Maryland Inventories Liber 14/139
7. ↑ Personal knowledge of Seely Foley from visit to the cemetery, discussion with the clerk and original documents kept by the cemetery.

• The Murray Family, Early Vital Records of Ohio, copied by the Daughters of the American Revolution, Robert Barnes, author, May 1966, p. 17.