| 2. | Major John WELSH, * Gentleman was born on 8 Aug 1622 in Peterborough, Northamptonshire, England (son of John WELSH, * and Margaret Mary PROUSTA, *); died on 2 Mar 1683 in South River, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States of America. Notes:
He was Gentleman Justice of the Quorum and High Sheriff for Anne Arundel County. He arrived prior to 1668 when he was commission as a Justice of Anne Arundel Co., MD on May 4 of that year. He is listed with this title on June 4, 1674, Mar. 3, 1675-6, and Sept. 13, 1676. In 1677, he was appointed as High Sheriff for Anne Arundel Co., MD. This was the most powerful office at the time. His term lasted until Mar. 1678-1679 during the period of Indian uprisings known as the "Nanticoke War". In June of 1679, he was again appointed Justice of the Quorum where he was listed as Captain John Welsh. He bought 1000 acres in Anne Arundel Co., MD called Three Sisters in 1680.
His will is transcribed as follows from "The Maryland Calander of Wills": Mar 3, 1683. "To eld. son Sylvester and son John and hrs., plantation on South R., equally, at 21 yrs. of age. To 3rd son Benjamin, plantation on Herring Ck., To 4 daus., viz: Mary, Eliza:, Sarah and Damaris and hrs., 100 A. in Balto. Co. at 16 yrs.of age. To unborn child, "Preston's Inlargement;" in event of death of sd. child to pass to eld. son Sylvester. To wife Mary, execx., personalty. Overseers: Henry Welsh, Edward Dawson, Edward Talbott. Test: Henry Hanslap, Eliza: Hanslap, Wollfran Hunt, Samuel Warner."
Here is his write up in Wikitree in Feb. of 2022.
"In the 1650s, when Lord Baltimore was looking for settlers for his proprietorship, the colony which became Maryland, he advertised his religious tolerance as one of the incentives to immigrants from any other country or New World settlement. As a result, the Annapolis area of Anne Arundel County was soon populated with Virginia Non-Conformists (the Lloyds, Owens, Bennetts and others), with Quakers such as the Galloways (Calloways), with Huguenots (the Duval family) and with Welshmen (Snowden, Davis, Griffith and Welsh). However, many of the Welshmen were not religious dissenters: they conformed to the doctrine of the Church of England and established St. Anne's and All Hallows Parishes in their settlement.
In the 1660s, John Welsh immigrated to this community, probably directly from Wales. By 1667, John Welsh (Welch) was serving the County as a Justice. He was called Major John Welsh. The earliest record of land owned by Major John is a survey dated June 1, 1669."
There is no record that he went first to Virginia. John Welsh is one of the earliest officials of Anne Arundel County government. In 1667, he served as a Justice, and again in 1676, at which time he was called Major John Welsh and was a member of the Quorum. In 1678-79, Major John Welsh was the Sherriff of Anne Arundel County, and his son, called Captain John, was a member of the Quorum. (J. D. Warfield, A. M., The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland. Baltimore, 1973, pp. 37-40) The earliest record of land owned by John Welsh (Welch) is a survey dated June 1, 1669 for 65-acre parcel named “Preston’s Enlargement,” bounded by “Burrages End.” (Maryland Historical Magazine, “Maryland Rent Rolls for Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties.” Baltimore, 1976, p. 129.)
John became Commissioner (1667) and later High Sheriff (1678, 1679) of Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
By 1681, Major John Welsh had more than one plantation. In that year, “at a plantation of Major Welsh’s” the Indians killed and wounded both Negroes and Englishmen, according to the old Anne Arundel County records (Warfield, p. 51).
Major John Welsh’s first wife was the widow of Honorable Roger Grosse, an early settler and large landholder of Anne Arundel County. Anne ______? Grosse died in 1675, and part of her inheritance devolved upon her surviving husband and executor of the estate, Major John Welsh. Later that year, he married Mary, a stepdaughter of Nicholas Wyatt. After John Welsh’s death, Mary Wyatt Welsh married James Ellis (Warfield, p. 92). Major John Welsh died in 1686, leaving the will enclosed with this account of the family....
John Welsh1 and Anne _____? Grosse Welsh had children:
1. Sylvester Welsh2, married Elinor _____? . Their children were:
- A. Sylvester, Jr.3
- B. Elinor3
-.C. Lucia3
2. John Welsh2, born 1672, died 1733, married (1) Thomasin Hopkins in 1700; married (2) Rachel Hammond. (See a list of their descendants in the continuation of this family history.)
3. Benjamin Welsh2, married Elizabeth Nicholson
It is not clear which wife gave birth to John Welsh’s1 four daughters:
4. Mary Welsh2, married Josias Toogood
5. Sarah Welsh2, married John Giles
6. Elizabeth Welsh2, married Daniel Richardson
7. Damaris Welsh2, married Thomas Stockett
John Welsh1 and Mary Wyatt Welsh had a son born after John’s1 death:
8. Robert Welsh2, born 1686, married Katherine Lewis, had children:
- A. James Welsh3
- B. Lewis Welsh3
- C. Robert Welsh3
- D. Jemima Welsh3; married _______? Edwards
- E. Elizabeth Welsh3; married ______? Tongue
- F. Grace Welsh3, married _______? Elliott
- G. Katherine Welsh3, married ______? Stewart
- H. John Welsh3
- I. Benjamin Welsh3"
Major married *Mary Agnes WYATT in Jan 1674 in Anne Arundel, Maryland, United States. *Mary (daughter of Damarius WYATT) was born in 1643 in All Hallowes South River Parish, Anne Arundel, Maryland, United States; died in 1693 in Anne Arundel, Maryland, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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1682 - 1735 (53 years)
