vii. PETER BLAKISTON, bapt. 23 Oct. 1614; sometime of Old Malton; mar. Elizabeth dau. of George Mauleverer, Esq. 3. viii. GEORGE BLAKISTON. ix. FRANCES BLAKISTON, bapt. 2 Feb. 1605/6; mar., 13 Aug. 1626, X. MARY BLAKISTON, bapt. 30 June 1613; mar. at Brancepath, 9 xi. MARGARET BLAKISTON, mar. 28 Nov. 1631, Thomas Shadforth of 2 2. JOHN BLAKISTON (Marmaduke') was baptized 21 Aug. 1603 and was married at All Saints, Newcastle, 9 Nov. 1626, to Susan Chambers. He was Member of Parliament for Newcastle in 1641, was Mayor of Newcastle in 1645, and was one of the judges who pronounced sentence of death on King Charles I, in 1649. A sketch of his life is to be found in the Dictionary of National Biography. He died in 1650. The following is an abstract of his will, dated 1 June 1649, and proved at London by his widow, 24 March 1650. John Blakiston of Newton in the County Palatine of Durham; wife Susanna and son Mr. John Blakiston executors; son Neamiah Blakiston; daughter Rebecca wife of Mr. James Lance and her two children; Mr. Lawson father-in-law of my brother George Blakiston; and whereas testator's said brother George Blakiston has suffered greatly with him, the testator, in public concerns, he gives to the six children of the said George, viz: Robert, Sarah, John, Esther, Hannah, and Justice, £50 each; Cousin Mr. Robert Young's wife and children; Cousin Margaret Lyons (Surtees' Durham, iii, 402), Mrs. Susan Blakiston survived her husband, and in 1661 her effects were seized by the Sheriff of Durham as the widow of a regicide. John Blakiston and Susan (Chambers) his wife had issue :— i. JOHN BLAKISTON,' bapt. 6 Jan. 1630; buried 13 April 1632. 4. ii. JOHN BLAKISTON, hapt. 18 April 1633. iii. JOSEPH BLAKISTON, bapt. 22 Oct. 1635; buried 28 Aug. 1637. 5. iv. NEHEMIAH BLAKISTON, named in his father's will, 1649. V. REBECCA BLAKISTON, bapt. 29 Aug. 1627; wife of James Lance in 1649. vi. ELIZABETH BLAKISTON, bapt. 29 Sept. 1629; buried 30 Nov. 1629. 3. GEORGE BLAKISTON 2 (Marmaduke 1) was Sheriff of Durham in 1656 (Surtees' Durham, iii, 402-403). He is stated in his brother's will to have " suffered much in public concerns," and it was probably for this reason, as well as on account of his relationship to the Regicide, that he emigrated to Maryland with his family in 1668. He settled in St. Mary's County and died the following year. 30 Sept. 1669, administration on the estate of George Blakiston, late of St. Mary's County deceased, was committed to "his son John Blakiston" who gave bond in 20,000 lb. Tobacco (Test. Proc., Lib. 3, fol. 272). The inventory of his estate, appraised by Luke Gardiner and Richard Foster, was filed 12 October following (ibid. fol. 273). George Blakiston married Barbara daughter of Henry Lawson of Newcastle (Surtees' Durham, iii, 163) and had issue : i. ROBERT BLAKISTON,3 bapt. 19 Sept. 1639; came to Md. 1668. iii. SAMUEL BLAKISTON, buried 8 Oct. 1647. 6. iv. JOHN BLAKISTON, died 1679. V. SARAH BLAKISTON. vi. ESTHER BLAKISTON. vii. HANNAH BLAKISTON, came to Md. 1668. viii. JUSTICE BLAKISTON, came to Md. 1668. 7. ix. EBENEZER BLAKISTON, b. 1650; d. 1709. 4. JOHN BLAKISTON3 (John,2 Marmaduke1), was baptised 18 April 1633. He was admitted to Gray's Inn 20 March 1649, and was a barrister-at-law. He lived at Newcastleon-Tyne and was buried there, 12 March 1701/2. He left a will dated 16 Dec. 1701. John Blakiston married Phoebe daughter of William Johnston of Kiblesworth, Esq., sister of Sir Nathaniel Johnston, Bart., and had issue :— i. WILLIAM BLAKISTON, bapt. 14 Aug. 1665; buried 17 Sept. 1665. 8. ii. NATHANIEL BLAKISTON, Governor of Maryland. iii. ROBERT BLAKISTON, bapt. 3 Aug. 1673; living 1681, but dead in 1701. iv. JANE BLAKISTON, bapt. 4 Jan. 1668; buried 30 May 1671. V. SARAH BLAKISTON, bapt. 12 April 1678; buried 26 Jan. 1680. vi. MARGARET BLAKISTON, living 1701, wife of Maj. Edward Nott of Kingston in Surrey, Deputy Governor of Virginia ( Va. Mag. XIV, 302). 3 2 5. COL. NEHEMIAH BLAKISTON (John, Marmaduke 1), is named in his father's will, 1649. The exact date of his arrival in Maryland is not recorded, but he probably came with his uncle George Blakiston and his family in 1668, though he did not enter his rights for land until some years later. 17 Oct. 1674, "came Nehemiah Blakiston of St. Mary's County and proved his right to 300 acres of land for transporting himself, John Focbliss, John Snowden, John Slocer, Edward Smiley, and Mary Gibbons" (Land Office, Lib. 18, fol. 126). That this was not the date of his arrival is evident from the fact that his marriage took place in May 1669. At March Term 1678/9, he brought an action for false arrest against one Edward Husbands in the Provincial Court of Maryland. In his plea he sets forth the excellent reputation he had always enjoyed in the Province and mentions several particular circumstances. On the 6 of May 1669, he states, he married Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Gerard, Esq., with the consent of her said father who, in consideration thereof, settled upon him and his heirs lands and tenements in St. Mary's County of great value. The said Nehemiah Blakiston was moreover one of the attornies of the Provincial Court and of the Courts of St. Mary's and Charles Counties (Prov. Court, Lib. NN., fol. 784 ff). The father-in-law of Nehemiah Blakiston was Thomas Gerard of St. Clement's Manor, who was for a number of years a member of the Council of Maryland, but later removed to Westmoreland County, Virginia, and died there in 1673. The patent on the resurvey of St. Clement's Manor, 29 June 1678, gives a list of the lands conveyed by Thomas Gerard, Esq., in his lifetime. Among these lands were two tracts, one called Longworth's Point, the other called Dare's Neck, containing respectively 300 and 100 acres, which were conveyed to Nehemiah Blakiston and Elizabeth, his wife. (Land Office, Lib. 20, fol. 16.) The records show that Nehemiah Blakiston was sworn one of the attornies of the Provincial Court, 27 March 1676 (Prov. Court, Lib. NN., fol. 308). In addition to the active practice of the legal profession, he filled the office of Clerk of the King's Customs for Wiccocomico and Potomac Rivers, by commission dated 26 Sept. 1685 (Md. Arch. v, 526). It would appear, however, from his letter to the Commissioners of Customs, dated 20 April 1685, complaining of interference with himself and other officers of the Crown, that he must have held an earlier commission (Md. Arch. v, 436-439). In the revolution of 1689, Nehemiah Blakiston played an important part, and for his good services at this time he received a vote of thanks from the Assembly, 4 Sept. 1689 (Md. Arch., xiii, 247). On the same date he was commissioned Captain of a troop of horse in the St. Mary's County militia (ibid., p. 241). In a letter dated "Longworth Point 7ber the 17, 1690," he writes that he has been appointed President of the Committee for the Present Government of this Province (Md. Arch., viii, 206-207). 21 April 1691 he was appointed Chief Justice of the Provincial Court of Maryland (ibid., 241-242), and in the same year was Speaker of the Assembly (ibid., 250). On the 26 of August 1691 he was commissioned a member of the Council of Maryland (ibid., 271) and, 8 April 1692, was recommissioned a Justice of the Provincial Court, Governor Copley being Chief Justice (ibid., 307). His commission as Colonel was probably dated 9 April 1692, since it is recorded that on the 8 of April "Capt. Nehemiah Blakiston" attended a Council meeting, while on the following day and always thereafter his name appears as "Col. Nehemiah Blakiston" (Md. Arch., viii, 306–310. He was present at a meeting of the Council 25 August 1693 (ibid., p. 555), and died not long afterwards. For on the 11th of Dec. 1693, his widow, Madame Elizabeth Blakiston is cited to administer on the estate of her late husband Col. Nehemiah Blakiston (Test. Proc., Lib. 15, fol. 14). Mrs. Blakiston married secondly, about 1696, Ralph Rymer, and thirdly Joshua Guibert of St. Mary's County, but appears to have had issue by her first husband only. Her will, dated 15 Dec. 1715, was proved 2 Oct. 1716. In it she bequeaths Longworth's Point to her son, John Blakiston, and names her daughters Susanna Attaway, Rebecca Walters, Mary Mason and Ann Blakiston -the latter being the wife of her son John-and her grandchildren, Nehemiah and Elizabeth Blakiston. Col. Nehemiah Blackiston and Elizabeth (Gerard) his wife had issue : ii. SUSANNA BLAKISTON, mar. 1° Thomas Hatton (d. Aug. 1701) grandson of Secretary Thomas Hatton slain at the battle of St. Mary's, 1665, 2° John Attaway. iii. REBECCA BLAKISTON, mar.. Walters. iv. MARY BLAKISTON, mar. Matthew Mason (b. 1689; d. 1729). 6. JOHN BLAKISTON 3 (George Marmaduke1) came to Maryland in 1668 with his father and other members of his family. 27 December 1670, "John Blackstone" of St. Mary's County proved rights for the transportation of the following persons in 1668, viz:- himself, Sarah, George, Barbara, Robert, Hannah, and Justice Blackiston, and others (Land Office, Lib. 16, fol. 70). A comparison with the will, cited above, of John Blakiston the regicide judge leaves small doubt as to the identity of these persons. Sarah was doubtless John Blakiston's wife, and George and Barbara were his parents. It has been shown above that he administered in the estate of his father George Blakiston in 1669. Robert Blakiston does not subsequently appear in the records, and probably died soon after his arrival. 18 March 1668/9, John Blakiston purchased from Richard Foster Sen., of St. Mary's County, 100 acres in St. Clement's Manor "now in the possession of John Tennison" (Prov. Court, Lib. FF., fol. 784). 9 April 1675, John Blakiston of St. Mary's Couuty proved his right to 150 acres of land for the transportation of John Waterhouse, Richard Selby, and Charles Hayes (Land Office, Lib. 18, fol. 279). The records do not show that any warrant or patent issued to John Blakiston, and he doubtless assigned the rights entered by him. 18 January 1670/1, John and Ebenezer Blakiston witnessed the will of Robert Slye of Bushwood, St. Mary's County (Baldwin's Calendar i, 59), whose wife Susanna was a daughter of Thomas Gerard and sister of Elizabeth wife of Col. Nehemiah Blakiston. Between 1675 and 1678 John Blakiston removed to Kent County. 24 Sept. 1678, Ebenezer Blakiston of Cecil Co., Gent., and Elizabeth his wife, conveyed to "his brother" John Blakiston of Kent Co. and Sarah his wife, a tract of 300 acres called Boxley near Swan Creek in Kent County (Kent Co., Lib. A, fol. 441). This tract was purchased by Ebenezer Blakiston, 25 Aug. 1674, from Lawrence Symonds and William Davis of Kent County (ibid. fol. 318). John Blakiston died in 1679, and his wife Sarah in 1683 as is shown by the following extract from the Testamentary Proceedings. 3 April 1683 "Came Eben! Blakiston of Cecil Co. & showed that Jn Blakiston his brother late of Kent County dyed intestate in ye year 1679, that Sarah his widow did not adm upon his estate & is since alsoe dec1 giving by word & leaving when shee dyed what belonged to ye orphan of ye said dec to other persons & therefore the sa Ebenezer prayed that hee may adm! on ye sd Sarah her estate that hee may secure y estate to ye sd orphan to whom in Rt it belongeth which was granted." (Test. Proc., Lib. 13, fol. 23). John Blakiston and Sarah his wife had issue one son : 10. i. JOHN BLAKISTON, b. 1669; d. Dec. 1733. 3 7. CAPT. EBENEZER BLAKISTON (George Marmaduke1) of Cecil, and later of Kent, County, appears to have been the youngest son of his parents. Both in the deed conveying Boxley and in his application for administration on Sarah Blakiston's estate he calls himself the brother of John Blakiston, and the fact that John and Ebenezer witnessed together |