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An American Family History

John Douglas
Lady Day Before 1752 the year began on March 25th. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year, not the beginning.
Alternate spellings of Douglas: Dougals, Doughlass, Douglace, Douglass, Dougless, Douglasse, Dowglas, Dowglass, Duglas, Duglass

John Douglas (1636) bought Cold Spring Manor plantation on May 10, 1677 from Jonias Fendall for 22,000 pounds of tobacco. The plantation consisted of a home on 1,050 acres. It was on the west side of the Paxuxent River in Mt. Calvert Hundred which is now part of Patuxent Hundred, Prince George's County. The manor came with all rights of "Lord of the Manor." The Maryland Manor was based upon the English system of land tenure, with a Lord and a tenancy of planters and farmers. The owner had the rights of government over his tenants. He left it to his sons Charles and Joseph who each received part of "Cold Spring Manor" at 21 years.It was then inherited by his son John Douglas (1664) who left it to his son, Benjamin Douglas (1685) who sold part in 1705.

John Douglas was born before March 4, 1664 in Charles County, Maryland when he was mentioned in Bridget Yowkins Heard's will. He was the son of John Douglas and Sarah Bonner.

John married Catherine Heard. Their children and life together are described in detail in the section on John and Catherine Douglas.

In 1679, when his father died, the will provided that he inherit part of Cold Spring Manor when he was 21 years old.

John died before January 21, 1705/06 in Charles County, Maryland.

Charles County is in south central Maryland and was created in 1658. The first settlers were mainly English tobacco planters, their indentured servants and slaves. Many of of the settlers were Roman Catholic. The county, as originally laid out, also included parts of present day Calvert, Prince George's and St. Mary's Counties.

The county was originally divided into proprietary manors: Zachia, Pangiah and Calverton which were divined into hundreds. Charles County included Wiccommico Hundred (1642), Piccowaxen Hundred (1649), Riverside Hundred (1653), Chingamuxen Hundred (1653), and Nanjemoy Hundred (1657).

As of 1692, Charles County was divided into 4 parishes (7 hundreds): the lower and upper part of William & Mary Parish hundreds, the east and west side of Port Tobacco hundreds, lower and upper part of Nanjemy (later Durham) Parish hundreds, and the upper part of King & Queen Parish hundred.
 

Prince George's Land Records 1739-1743 - Liber Y - Page 282.
May 11, 1741 from Francis Collier of Prince George, planter, son and heir of Charles Collier of Prince George, decd, which sd Charles Collier was heir at law to Francis Collier of Prince George, Gent., his uncle, decd, to James Edmonston of Prince George, Gent.

Whereas by deed dated Mar 27, 1714 between Benjamin Dowglass of Charles County, planter, grandson & heir at law of John Dowglass, late of the same county, Gent., of the one part,

and the sd Francis Collier (the uncle of the sd Charles Collier, which sd Charles Collier was father to the now Francis Collier, party to these presents),

by which deed it was recited that whereas the sd John Dowglass, in his lifetime, was seized of a parcel of land lying in the Freshes of Petuxent River in Prince George called Cold Spring Manor, containing 1050 acres

& by his will dated Dec 14, 1678, devised to his son, John Dowglass, father to the sd Benjamin, 550 acres of land, being part of Cold Spring Manor, when he arrived at age 21, with all the privileges belonging to the Lord of a Manor and to his heirs,

which parcel of 550 acres the sd John Dowglass, father of the sd Benjamin Dowglass, by his Prince George deed, sold to sd Francis Collier,

and whereas likewise, by Prince George deed dated May 27, 1701 between Joseph Dowglass of Charles County, Gent., of the one part, and the afd Francis Collier decd of the other part, sd Joseph Dowglass sold to sd Francis Collier, part of a tract of land containing 1050 acres of land called Cold Spring Manor,

formerly granted to Capt Josias Fendall, bounded by a parcel of land that John Dowglass sold to sd Collier standing on the brow of a hill between the two branches of Fendalls Fresh, containing 100 acres.

Now this deed witnesses that the sd Francis Collier, party to these presents, for 30 £, sells to sd James Edmonston, all the sd tract of land containing 550 acres, and all that other tract of land containing 100 acres.

Signed - Francis Collier.
Wit - Thos Dawson, James Kendall, Thos Owen, Jno Hawkins Jr.
Received of Mr. James Edmonston (by the hands of Mr. John Hawkins Jr), the alienation fine.
Recorded May 20, 1741.

  
     

 

     

©Roberta Tuller 2012
tuller.roberta@gmail.com

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