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Nicholas Gassaway (abt. 1634 - bef. 1692)

Colonel Nicholas Gassaway
Born about in Westminster, London, Middlesex, Englandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married about 1665 [location unknown]
Descendants descendants
Died before before about age 57 in Anne Arundel County, Province of Marylandmap
Profile last modified | Created 14 Sep 2010
This page has been accessed 4,932 times.

Contents

Biography

U.S. Southern Colonies Project logo
Nicholas Gassaway was a Maryland colonist.

Origin

The origin of Nicholas Gassaway is not proven. Some researchers have matched him to a baptismal record in England for a Nicholas Gaswaie in St. Margaret's, Westminster on 11 Mar 1634.[1] Without a will or primary source in England connecting to Nicholas Gassaway in Maryland this birth is unproven.

Arrival in Maryland

According to Maryland patent records Nicholas Gassaway transported himself to Maryland before 1650 and settled in Anne Arundel County.[2] It is also likely he is the same Capt. Nicholas Gassaway who claimed land for his transportation in 1680 which would indicate a trip out of the province and a claim placed for land on his return..[3] He may have come as an indentured servant or as an apprentice to Richard Ewen.[4]

Maryland Land Ownership

The following patents appear in the Maryland Patent Index under the name of Nicholas Gassaway:

1664 - Poplar Ridge 150 ac. AA Co.
1677 - Charles His Purchase 300 ac. BAL Co. (but now in Harford)
1679 - Gassaway's Ridge 500 ac. BAL Co.
1688 - Gassaway's Addition 280 ac. BAL Co.

It is difficult to trace land ownership for Nicholas because the courthouse in Annapolis burned down in 1703 destroying all the records. After the new courthouse was built, owners of properties brought in some old deeds to have them recorded in the court. From one of these deeds we learn that Nicholas Gassaway's plantation, Poplar Ridge, was on the south side of South River adjacent to the plantation of Thomas Beeson & John Larkin. Nicholas & Anne Gassaway sold this tract to James Chilcott in 1666. [5] Nicholas was still married to Anne in 1684 when they sold a tract called Edward's Neck which they must have purchased previously.[6]

Marriage

The proof that Nicholas Gassaway married the daughter of Captain Thomas Besson comes from a deed dated 1658 in which Thomas Besson conveys part of a 450 acre tract he patented called Bessondon to Nicholas Gassaway. The deed states the consideration was "for the natural love and affection I bear my son-in-law" Nicholas Gassaway and Anne, his wife. This land passed down to his son, Thomas.[7] The deed mentioned previously prove he was married to a woman named Anne from 1658 to 1684. He may have had another first wife, but her name is not known.

Children

Seven children are mentioned in the will of Nicholas Gassaway:

  1. Nicholas (1668–1699),
  2. Ann (1670–1742),
  3. Hester (1672 – < 1735)
  4. John (1674–1697)
  5. Jane (1678–1736)
  6. Margaret (1680–1724)
  7. Thomas (1683–1739)

Public Service

1679 - 1685: Captain in local militia
1679 - 1691/92 Anne Arundel County Justice
1685-1690; Colonel in local militia
1691- 1692: Justice of the Provincial Court
1690 - 1691/92; Associators' Convention, Anne Arundel County,
1690-1691/92 - elected to the 2nd or 3rd session of the Grand Committee of Twenty [4]

1691 Will and Death

Nicholas Gassaway died between 10 January 1691 , the date his will was written and 27 January 1691, the date it was proved in court. The original will is available on page 228 on line at the Maryland Archives website here. [1]

In the Name of God Amen, I NICHOLAS GASSAWAY Senr. of South River in the county of Ann Arundell in the Province of Maryland Merchant being now well stricken in years and of a sound and perfect Memory Thanks be to the Allmighty God and Calling to mind the uncertainty of the Estate of this transitory life and that all of flesh must yield unto Death when it shall please God to call: Do make Constitute ordain & Declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following (That is to Say)

  • First and principally I commend my Soul to Allmighty God my Creator assuredly believing that I shall Receive full pardon and free Remission of all my Sins and be saved by the precious death and Merritts of my blessed Saviour and Redeemer Christ Jesus and my Body to the Earth from whence it was taken to be buried in Such Decent and Christian manner as to my Lord in Mercy hath Sent me my Will and Meaning is the Same Shall be employed and bestowed hereafter by this my will is Expressed and first do I Revoke Renounce frustrate and make void: all wills by me formerly made and Declare and appoint this my Last Will and Testament.
  • Imprimis: First I give and bequeath unto my Son NICHOLAS GASSAWAY the dwelling house where now I do live and all the Land that is now Loves Neck and all the Land Running on the Main Road adjoining to Loves Neck till you come to the Cross path that goes on this my plantation and so joining to the Land of John Shaw till you come to Loves Neck again. But in case my son NICHOLAS GASSAWAY Dyes without a Lawfull heir from his body then the Said Land is to be divided between my Son JOHN GASSAWAY and my Son THOMAS GASSAWAY and their heirs.
  • Item: I give and bequeath unto my Son NICHOLAS GASSAWAY Seven Negroes (that is to say) Old Tom and his wife, Bungo, Will and his wife, Dick, and Peter.
  • Item: I give and bequeath unto my Son JOHN GASSAWAY Three hundred acres of Land lying on the North Side of Gunpowder called Charles Purchase.
  • Likewise after his sister HESTER GROCE Decease the plantation that she now lives on also fifty pounds sterling and a feather bed and furniture to be paid by the executors hereafter named, but in case my Son JOHN GASSAWAY Dies without a Lawful heir from his body, then the Said Land is to be divided between my Son NICHOLAS GASSAWAY and my Son THOMAS GASSAWAY.
  • Item: I give and bequeath unto my Son THOMAS GASSAWAY the land that THOMAS NORRIS now lives on beginning at my line parting JOHN SHAW LAND and mine and so running across that Branch where my Mill stood and from thence across the head of the Little Neck Branch till it intercedes with the line that parts JOHN PURDY and I with all the land backward belonging to me adjoining it.
  • Item: I give and bequeath unto my Son THOMAS nine Negroes (this is to say) Harry and his wife, Bakon and Jack, at the Quartor two boys came of Grace named Harry and Jack, the Boy Tommy, a Girl named Betty, a boy at home called Jack.
  • Item: I give and bequeath unto my son NICHOLAS GASSAWAY and to my Son THOMAS GASSAWAY seven hundred and eighty acres of land lying and being in the falls of Gunpowder River in two pattents to be equally divided between them and if my Son NICHOLAS should dye without Lawful heir of his body to fall to my son THOMAS GASSAWAY and JOHN GASSAWAY to be equally divided between them. and if in case my Son THOMAS GASSAWAY should die without a Lawful heir from his body to fall to my son JOHN GASSAWAY and his heirs, but if in case my son JOHN GASSAWAY should Dye without a Lawful heir from his body then to fall to my Daughter ANN WATKINS and her heirs.
  • Item: I give and bequeath unto my Daughter HESTER GROCE Ten pounds sterling moneys.
  • Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter ANN WATKINS Two Negroes (that is to say) now Tom and his wife with their increase.
  • Item: I give and bequeath to my daughter JANE GASSAWAY Two hundred pounds Sterling Moneys and a Negro girl named HESTER.
  • Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter MARGARET GASSAWAY Two Hundred Pounds Sterling Moneys and a negro girl named Susan.
  • Item: I give and bequeath to my two grand children JOHN WATKINS and ELIZABETH GROCE Ten pounds sterling, per year (that is to say) to be delivered to my Grandson JOHN WATKINS when he shall come to full age the Sume of five pounds per year: but if in case he should dye without lawful heir from his body then to fall to the next heir. Like wise to my Grand Daughter ELIZABETH GROCE five pounds per year when she shall come to full age or Day of Marriage but if she should Dye without a Lawful heir from her body then to fall to her mother HESTER GROCE during her life afterwards to the longest liver and their heirs. It is my will that my Son JOHN WATKINS and Daughter ANN WATKINS should have the use and benefits of the said five pounds per year till his son shall come to age also that my son NICHOLAS GASSAWAY hath the use and benefits of the five pounds per year bequeathed to my Grand Daughter ELIZABETH GROCE till she come to full age or Day of marriage, which Moytie being left me by my Uncle JOHN CALLINGSWOOD of London Merchant and in the possession of my cusen SAMUELL BEAVER, I have appointed Col. THOMAS TAYLOR to receive rent which you demand of.
  • Item: I give and bequeath unto JOHN GREEN one hhd of Tobacco Containing four hundred neatt also the house that he now liveth in during his natural life and what lumber he shall have need of as to the repairing of said house as occasion serveth.
  • It is my will that the Executors hereafter mentioned Shall give their two sisters JANE GASSAWAY and MARGARET GASSAWAY their Commendations and find them Cloaths while they shall come to Lawfull age or be married.
  • Item: It is my will that after my decease my Son THOMAS GASSAWAY should be at the Tuicon and bringing up by his brother and sister JOHN WATKINS and ANN WATKINS till he shall come to age and they the said JOHN WATKINS and ANN WATKINS to have the use and benefits of his Negroes till he shall come to age for the bringing him up. Also to take my son THOMAS GASSAWAY's share of his part of my estate into their possession till he shall come of age and that they see that there be none of his land cleared or trees fallen till he shall come to age.
  • Item: It is my will that the crops of Tobacco which is now made to be shipt for England and the produce of the moneys with the rest of my estate after my just debts and legacies be unpaid and satisfied to be equally divided between my son NICHOLAS GASSAWAY, my daughter ANN WATKINS, and my Son THOMAS GASSAWAY.
  • Item: I do appoint constitute and ordain and by these presents make and appoint my son NICHOLAS GASSAWAY, JOHN WATKINS and his wife, and my son THOMAS GASSAWAY Executors of this my last Will and Testament. Willing that my said Executors to see the true performance of the same In wittness where I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this tenth day of January Anno Domo one thousand Six hundred ninety and one.
  • The word Grandson JOHN WATKINS and she was Interlined before the signing and sealing hereof. Here should follow Sign and Seal which is misplaced.
  • This will in Common form proved at a Court held at Capt. NICHOLAS GASSAWAY's on the twenty-seventh of this instant January Anno Domo one thousand six hundred ninety-one by the oaths of all the four witnesses veca Copas Exdnd per
NICH: GASSAWAY (Seal)
I. Bonner, Reg. Clk. County

Signed Sealed & Delivered in the presence of us: JACOB HARRIS, ARTHUR HERRING, ROBERT WARD, JOHN RAMSEY.

The value of the estate was £1,144.14.7 sterling which included 20 slaves and the time to serve of one servant. He also had 109,898 pounds of tobacco and owned over 1,320 acres of land. [4]

Sources

  1. "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N5WN-F4K : 18 September 2020), Nicholas Gasway, 1634.
  2. Maryland Patents Liber AA folio 125 [[Gibb, Dr. Carson. “The New Early Settlers of Maryland” [earlysettlers.msa.maryland.gov]
  3. Maryland Patents Liber WC 2 folio 363
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Papenfuse, Edward C. et. al. “A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislalture 1635-1789” Vol. 426 pg. 347 [aomol.msa.maryland.gov]
  5. Anne Arundel Deeds Liber IH 1 folio 172
  6. Anne Arundel Deeds Liber IH 3 folio 165
  7. Anne Arundel Deeds LIber WH 4 folio 295
  • There is a biography of Nicholas Gassaway on Wikipedia you can read here. [2]

Acknowledgements

  • 124-DeCoursey.ged




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Nicholas by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Nicholas:

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Comments: 4

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I've made an effort to clean up this profile which was disorganized after a merge. I've also tried to include only primary sources found in Maryland and deleted extensive information relating to his children and grandchildren as they should be posted on their own profiles.
posted by Seely (Kenny) Foley
A father's death date (Gassaway-338 died 10 Mar 1699) should not be more than nine months before one of his children's birth dates (Gassaway-337 born 28 Mar 1702) .
posted on Gassaway-338 (merged) by Loretta (Leger) Corbin
Found the following passage in The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties:
"Robert Harwood took up " Harwood," in 1657, which later descended to Abel Browne. Walter Mansfield adjoined him. Captain Thomas Besson settled on the west side. His neighbors were Thomas Sparrow, George Nettlefield, John Brewer, Edward Townhill and Colonel Nicholas Gassaway, son-in-law of Captain Thomas Besson, Sr. Captain Thomas Francis "The Ranger," was another large land-holder of Rhode River."

See p. 12 here

Gassaway-5 and Gassaway-207 appear to represent the same person because: read the profile of Gassaway-5 and it explains some of the differences in the profiles. They are the same person.
posted by Robin Lee