With the scarcity of original records left by John Constant and Thomas Brasher, the remaining portion of the FAN club to be built concerns William Grafton.
It is important to repeat that, at this time, I don’t believe that Sarah (Constant) Brasher, wife of Thomas Brasher, was a blood relative of William Grafton.
This post is being written to share documented evidence with those who might be researching their William Grafton line. Let’s start with what is known about William Grafton.
Based on a 1764 deposition, William Grafton was born c1685, purportedly in England. He doesn’t appear in any Maryland records until 1723, when the survey for his 150 acre parcel, Grafton’s Gift, is recorded.
William married Margaret (MNU), possibly c1710. Margaret released her dower rights on 2 November 1726 when William presented the deed of gift for Grafton’s Gift at the courthouse.
William gave 100 acres of that land to John Constant and his wife, Susannah, thought to perhaps be a Grafton. She wold be too close in age to be William’s daughter, but she might have been a sister. Another possibility is that Susannah was related to William’s wife, Margaret.
The remaining 50 acres were given to Thomas and Sarah (Constant) Brasher, likely as a wedding present, as they had married on 13 October 1726, just a couple of weeks before the deed went to the courthouse.
Between 1723 and 4 October 1767, the date of William’s will, William amassed a large amount of property. Maryland tradition, at the time, was for owners to name each parcel or lot and William’s land is identified by name in his will. William died very soon after writing his will, as it was proved 22 days later, on 26 October 1767.
Margaret is not mentioned, so she died sometime between 2 November 1726 and 4 October 1767.
Here is his will:
In The Name of God, Amen, I William Grafton of Baltimore County and Province of Maryland being Weak of Body but of sound and disposing mind and Memory thanks be to God for his mercy Do make this my Last Will & Testament revoking all other Wills and Testaments declaring this to be my Last Will and Testament in manner and form, viz:
Impr. I Give and Bequeath unto my Daughter Christian Baker my five Slaves Old Tom, Bess, Anthony, Dinah with her Increase and Suhe to her her Heirs and Assigns, together with the use of my following Lands to wit Frenchman’s Repose containing Sixty-nine Acres, allso [sic] all that part of Williams Lott conveyed formerly to me by James Billingsley, for Eighteen Acres together with that part of a Tract called Bedmont to begin for said part at the Beginning Trees of said Land and Runs thence with a straight Line to the nearest part of the Great Road that Leads from Job Keys to Isaac Hardins and thence down the said Road to the Land before given so as to Contain all [word uncertain] the said Beginning Trees together with all that part of a Tract of reserved Land called Graftons Entrance that lies on the [East?] side of the aforesaid Road for and During said Christians natural Life and at her Decease I give the Said Land to Grafton Baker his Heirs and Assigns.
Item. I give and bequeath to my Daughter Ann Preston all that part of my two Tracts of Land called Bedmont and Graftons Gift from the Beginning Trees of Bedmont with the aforesaid Straight Line to the Great Road aforesaid and up to the said Road until it comes to the Place where a Cross fence Joined the [same? said?] fence nearly opposite to Isaac Hardens bounded [Tree?] and thence with a Straight line to said Tree together with my Tract of Reserve Land called Graftons Angle as also my five slaves, Will, Bess, Liza, Priscilla and James.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Mary Smithson my three slaves Flora, Hannah and Margaret, also Sampson who was some years past Delivered [to] my said Daughter Mary and her Heirs.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Grandson William Grafton all that Tract of Land called Graftons Lott to him his Heirs and Assigns.
Item. I give unto my Grandson Samuel Grafton all that part of a Tract of Land called Bedmont that lies on the West Side of the great Road which Leads from aforesaid Job Keys to Isaac Hardins together with all that Tract of Reserve Land called the Addition to him his Heirs and Assigns.
Item. I give and Bequeath unto Daniel Grafton (my Grandson) all my two Tracts of Reserve Land called Graftons Fancy and Graftons Great Endeavor to him his Heirs and Assigns.
Item. I give unto my Grandson Aquilla Grafton all my Tract of Kand called Bradshures Desire together with all that part of a Tract called Graftons Gift which lies to the Northeast of Isaac Hardins bounded Tree the other part being given to my Daughter Ann Preston to him his Heirs and Assigns.
Item. I give and bequeath to my Grandson Nathaniel Grafton all the remaining part of my Part of that Tract of Land in his Lordships Reserve called Graftons Entrance that lies on the West Side of the Great Road from Job Keys to Isaac Hardens together with all that part of a Tract of Land that lately was Conveyed to me by James Billingsley called Williams Lott to him his Heirs and Assigns.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Grand Daughter Priscilla Grafton my Negro girl named Rachel to her and her Heirs and Assigns.
Item. I give and Bequeath unto my son William the use of the Dwelling House wherein he now lives with all that part of the Land he had Inclosed in fence Joining the said Houses as also the use of my Negro Man Young Tom for and During the said William’s Natural Life and at his Decease I give the said Tom to the Children of the said William to be Equally Divided between them. I also give unto my son William Grafton one Shilling Sterling and no more of my estate, Real or Personal whatsoever.
Item. I give and Bequeath unto my Grand Children born of Pheby Grafton (to wit) William, Daniel, Aquilla, Nathaniel, Cassander, Margaret and Priscilla being Eight in Number my six Slaves, viz. Cesar, Jack, Old Sall, Nan, Rosie, young Sall and their Increase to be Equally Divided between them at the time that the aforesaid Daniel Grafton Should arrive at the Age of Twenty-one years, as also one fourth part of the Remainder of my Estate which is not heretofore given and my Will is that the aforesaid Part of my Estate given as aforesaid to my Grand Children the Land and Negroes Excepted shall be sold by any Executors and the money arising on the said sale put to use or Interest for them until they come to age to receive the same.
Item. I give and Bequeath unto Mary Waite one flock Bed Blanket and Rug and other furniture thereunto belonging also One Cow and Calf which is is Possessed of also two Ewes and Lambs and one Iron Pott to her her Heirs and Assigns.
I also give unto the aforesaid Mary Waite the use of a small field and the land adjoining thereto which lies on the West Side of the Road from Job Keys to Robert Briarly’s Provided she lives thereon During her Natural Life this being part of Williams Lott heretofore Bequeathed to Nathaniel Grafton.
Item. I give and Bequeath unto my three Daughters Christian Baker, Mary Smithson and Ann Preston the other three fourth parts of my Estate that remains to be Equally Divided between them to them their Heirs and Assigns.
And Lastly I nominate and appoint my sons-in-law Maurice Baker and Daniel Preston Executors of this my Last Will and Testament. In Witness thereof I have hereunto Set my hand and Affixed my Seal this fourth Day of October Anno Dom. 1767.
William (X) Grafton
Between this will, William Grafton’s connection to Jacob Jones, and his deed of Grafton’s Gift to John and Susannah Constant and Sarah Brasher, we can begin to piece together his family.
William Grafton, born c1685, possibly England; died between 4 October 1767-26 October 1767, Baltimore County, Maryland; married Margaret (MNU).
William was related in some way to the wife of Jacob Jones, Elizabeth (MNU), and whose inventory was taken on 3 March 1730, Baltimore County, Maryland. He was also related to Susannah (MNU), wife of John Constant. Both women would have been born c1700.
They might have been younger sisters, nieces or related in some other way to his wife, Margaret.
Children:
- Christian, born c1712; died between 8 February 1792 – 15 January 1793, Harford County, Maryland, the dates her will was written and proved; married Maurice Baker, c1731
- William, born c1714; died between 19 August 1769 – 11 September 1769, dates his will was written and proved, Baltimore County, Maryland; married (1) Phebe (MNU). They had eight children. Phebe died before 1752. William married (2) Sarah Billingsley, daughter of James Billingsley, a Quaker. William received only one shilling per his father’s will. It appears father and son were estranged. William and Sarah had no children together and when William Jr. died in 1769, he left only one shilling to each of his own eight children.
- Ann, born c1716; died between 6 May 1773 – 1784; married Daniel Preston, c1740
- Mary, born c1718; married Thomas Smithson, c1736
William Grafton’s name appears in other county records, linked to other people, some of whom are related in some way.
The last post in this series will identify those records.
