........ Conjecture, noun, the formation of judgments or opinions on the basis of incomplete or inconclusive information. Source: Encarta Dictionary

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Documentation for Penelope Prince of Kent Island, Maryland colony



This week I just provide more documentation for Penelope Prince of Kent Island, Maryland colony. Still not sure what ot make of all this. 
Item 1
Archives of Maryland, LIV (vol 54), Proceedings of the County Courts of Kent (1648-1676), Talbot (1662-1674) and Somerset (1656-1668). Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1937.
Robert Vaughan, adiminstrator of the estate of William Coxe in 1648 and of his wife Francis Coxe in 1656 prepared an inventory for the orphan Elizabeth Coxe

P 99
A True Acct of The Estate That belongeth to Elizabeth Cox The Daughter of Will Cox Deseased & francis Being now in The hands of Capt Robt Vaughan Taken The 24th of August 1656
Itt one Planttation with housing Vpon it: And one Thousand Acres
of land Belonging Vnto it With A Pattent
Itt an Indenture for 5 yeares serves Dew from Penellope Prince
That Rann Away from Mistiris Cox Anno: Dom 1646:
etc
 
Item 2
The Maryland Calendar of Wills: Wills from 1635 (earliest probated) to 1685
Page 21
Mees (or Mee), George                                      probated 6th Aug 1662
To Joisas (Josiah?) Smith, house and ground
To John Vanheck, land on side of Deep Cr.
To wife (unnamed), residue of estate, real and personal during widowhood; if she marry, entire estate to John Vanheck, except dower rights. Caesar Prince to live with testator’s wife until he is 18 yrs. of age.
Exs: wife (unnamed) and John Vanheck
Test: Geo. Wilson and Thos. Ward.
Jim’s Note 1: Catherine was widow of Oliver van Heck of Virginia and mother of John van Heck, thus disposition of assets to widow’s son was typical
Jim’s Note 2: On page 16, Caesar Prince is “overseer” of will of William Martine, probated 4 Jul 1660. I think an overseer was a work foreman, implying that Caesar was probably a teenage in 1660 and thus near 18 in 1662.
Jim’s Note 3: Thus Caesar Prince was born likely between 1644 and 1646.
Item 3              
Provincial Court Proceedings, 1677/8.    Liber N N (Vol 66)  Pages 206 and 241
Lawsuit of  Edward Inglish   agt   Jno Stanesby Adr  and  Caesar Prince was settled. No details.
Item 4
Side-lights on Maryland history: with sketches of early Maryland families ...
“Eastern Neck” 200 acres surveyed October 24, 1692 for Caesar Prince and John Powell
Note: Archives of Maryland Online has very detailed biographies of Maryland legislators:  A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Edward C. Papenfuse, et. al.  see http://aomol.net/000001/000426/html/am426--849.html for example