Joshua Dorsey (abt. 1654 - bef. 1688)

Born about 1654 in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland [uncertain]

Husband of Sarah (Richardson) Blackwell — married about 1672 in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland

Descendants

Died before 21 Jun 1688 before about age 34 in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland

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Joshua Dorsey resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776. Join: US Southern Colonies Project Discuss: southern_colonies

Biography

1654 Birth and Parents

Joshua Dorsey was born in 1654 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. ^[1]

He was the son of Edward Dorsey who was born in 1619 in England and died 2 Aug 1659 near the Isle of Kent, Anne Arundel County, Maryland (age 40 years) and his wife, Ann, who died about 1659 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. They were married before 1646 in England.^[1]

Siblings

Joshua's father Edward Dorsey had four children: "In 1664, the three sons of Edward Dorsey, the immigrant of 1650--relatives of the Howards--took up and patented their father's survey of "Hockley-in-the-Hole." They were colonel Edward Dorsey, Joshua and Hon. John Dorsey, prominent leaders in political movements, and representatives in legislative measures."^[2]

1. Edward. Edward Dorsey died prior to 1681, for on December 6th of that year Edward Dorsey of Anne Arundel County, Gent., son of Edward Dorsey, late of said county, deceased conveys his interest in "Hockley-in-the-Hole to his brother John Dorsey.
2. Joshua, died 1688; married Sarah Richardson.
3. John, died March 11, 1715; married 1683, Pleasance Ely.
4. Sarah, married Matthew Howard Jr." ^[3]

1674 Marriage

About 1674 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, he married Sarah Richardson, who was born before 1649 in Lower Norfolk, Virginia, and died in 1705 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland (age > 56 years) ^[1]

1687 Will, Death, Estate

Will

Abstract of Will:^[4]

• I give to my dear wife Sarah Dorsey one third part of my personal estate and one third part of my lands now in occupation during her natural life and my bay gelding, also over above.
• I give to my loving cousin John Howard my gray gelding and the two hogsheads of tobacco. he owes me.
• I will my servant boy named John Smith have one year of his time or servitude remitted.
• I give and bequeath to my cousin Samuel Howard two hogsheads of tobacco that Charles Stevens owes me.
• I also give unto my cousin Mathew Howard two hogsheads of tobacco that Richard Evergwary owes me and the other that Lawrence Draper owes me.
• I give and bequeath to my cousin Sarah Dorsey twenty shillings to buy her a ring.
• I give and and bequeath all the residue of my real and personal estate to my only son John Dorsey and that my executor out of his estate allow him 2,000 pounds of tobacco yearly from sixteen years of age until he attains to the age of twenty-one.
• I ordain and appoint my two brothers Edward & John Dorsey my full and whole executors of this my last will and testament. I request my executors to take into their care and charge the tuition and education of my son and that out of the produce of his estate he be brought to such learning as our country will afford until he attain to the age of sixteen years.
• Signed and sealed with his signature in front of witnesses: John Rockhould, Thomas Blackwell, John Rockhould, Jr. , Joseph Robinson, and Edward Houle on Feb. 20, 1687. Presented to the court on Jun. 1, 1688. ^[5]

Death

Marshall's site gives date of death as 6 July 1688 in Anne Arundel County. However, Dorsey's will was made 28th February, 1687 and proved 21st June, 1688; the death would necessarily have occurred between the two dates..

Estate

Joshua Dorsey 10.72 I AA £199.15.11 Jul 6 1688^[1]

• Servants mentioned: Edward Hobb, Joseph Robinson, Richard King, Adrian Prish, Katharine Man, Sarah Wild, Philip Broadshaw, Thomas Johnson, John Smith.
• Appraisers: Richard Hill, John Hammond.

Joshua Dorsey 10.314 A AA £199.15.1 £200.2.8 {1693}^[1]

• Payments to: Dr. John Barkley, Henry Bonnar, Thomas Dryfield, Henry Constable, Ralph Backhorn, John Larkin, Francis Downes, Robert Proctor, Daniel Maccone, Madam Priscye, John Smith, Edward Panck, Phillip Bradshaw, Thomas Blackwell.
• Distribution to: Maj. Edward Dorsey, Mr. John Dorsey, Sarah Blackwell, wife of Thomas Blackwell.
• Witnesses: Capt. Richard Hill, Mr. Phillip Howard, Mr. John Rockhold, Mr. John Howard, Sr., Mr. Charles Stevang.
• Mentions: Mr. Ridgeley.
• Executors: Edward Dorsey, John Dorsey.

Joshua Dorsey 26.114 A AA £199.15.11 £25.2.7 Nov 30 1706^[1]

• Payments to: Henry Constable, Ralph Jackson, John Lurkins, Francis Dowers, Robert Procter, Daniell Marsone, Mr. Bonner.
• Executors: Edward Dorsey, John Dorsey.

Children

1. John Dorsey, "my only son", born about in All Hallow's Parish, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, d. Aft 1735, Baltimore County, Maryland (Age ~ 54 years)^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Mike Marshall. Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties. Profile for Joshua Dorsey Accessed 2 August 2023 jhd
2. ↑ J. D. Warfield. The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland. Baltimore: Regional Publishing Company, 1973 Image, page 30
3. ↑ Genealogical and Memorial Encyclopedia of the State of Maryland Vol. 2, p 611-612
4. ↑ MSA Maryland page 12.
5. ↑ Prerogative Court Wills Liber 6/8, Maryland Calendar of Wills, Anne Arundel County, written 28 Feb, 1867; probate 21 June 1688.

Bibliography of Frequently Cited Works

• Dorsey, Maxwell J, Jean Muir Dorsey, and Nannie Ball Nimmo. The Dorsey family: descendants of Edward Darcy-Dorsey of Virginia and Maryland for five generations, and allied families By the authors: 1947. Reprinted by Clearfield, Baltimore.
• Newman, Harry Wright. Anne Arundel Gentry: A Genealogical History of Twenty-Two Pioneers of Anne Arundel County, Md., and their Descendants. Baltimore: Lord Baltimore Press. Maryland Pioneer Series, 1933, p 5.
• Richardson, Hester Dorsey. Side-Lights on Maryland History: With Sketches of Early Maryland Families. First published serially published serially in the Baltimore Sunday sun from May 17, 1903, to December 25, 1904. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1913
• Warfield, Joshua Dorsey. The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland: A Genealogical and Biographical Review from wills, deeds and church records. Baltimore: Kohn & Pollock, 1905 Reprinted Baltimore: Regional Publishing Company, 1973