The family lived on the plantation
Triumph on the Elk River.
During Milliscents childhood it grew from 300 to over 1000 acres.
We know there had been a cider mill, and from that we deduce an
orchard. When Milliscent was 10 years old her mother died on
August 6, 1734. Thomas soon married again, a woman by the name of
Rebekah, last name
unknown. The marriage is not recorded in the parish records, but
the births of Thomas and Rebekah's two children are in 1735 and
1737.
page 60 & 61
1738 was a hard year for the family.
Thomas Johnson died and was buried
Jan. 7, 1738. In Nov of 1738 his youngest child,
Thomas Jr. died. By the
direction of Thomas’ will, Milliscent’s brother,
Edward Johnson, who was 12-years-old
when his father died was to “remain and be under the care and
guardianship of my beloved brother
Edward
Johnson until he shall be one and twenty years of age.”.
It is not known where young Edward’s uncle lived or why he was
separated from his sister Milliscent. Milliscent was 14-years-old at
the time and was to “remain under the Guardianship of his wife Rebekah
until she was 16-years- old. Rebekah and Thomas’ 3-year-old
daughter, also named Rebekah was not named in the will but would have
also remained with her mother. The widow, Rebekah was given the
plantation with permission to sell, if needed to pay debts. If
she did not sell, she could live there and upon her death the estate
reverted to his son Edward.
A few months before she was 16-years-old,
Millliscent Johnson wed
John Currier
on June 16, 1740.
This is recorded in the
St. Mary
Anne’s parish records, and listed in Peden’s book on page 62.
John Currier was just 23 at the time of their marriage and had
inherited his father’s dwelling and plantation in the spring of
1738. The plantation was called Helena by John's
grandfather,
William Currer and was about 1/2 south of
the present boundray of
Charlestown on the west side of the North East River
. Cecil County Wills Vol 14, will of
John
Currier folio 345.
In 1740 Cecil County had many Plantations, though some of the
land was already in decline because of the continual cultivation of
tobacco. There were active furnaces and milling operations and
the need was felt for a real town, with shipping capabilities.
Hence in 1742
Charlestown
Maryland was incorporated. The town was laid out on a
point the
west side of the
North East River. The design of the town was complete in
the spring of 1743 to contain 500 acres. 200 acre lots were laid
out with 7 streets laid out at right angles to the river and five
crossing streets. 300 acres were set aside for the communal
use. Sale of the lots began on May 10, 1743. A wharf
and warehouse were erected, the county court house was erected and for
years two town Fairs attracted people from all over the east coast.
It eventually became rather rowdy in nature. This town
history is from the
History of Cecil
County, pages 265 – 269, by George Johnston written in 1881.
The County seat eventually moved to Elkton and the commercial wharf
closed. Today Charlestown remains much as it was laid out.
A quiet, pleasant Bay-side town with many marinas along the river edge
and historic buildings a careful 3 blocks from the river.
Nicholas Hyland,
Milliscent Johnsons half brother,was one of the original town
Commissioners assigned the task of creating a town. He purchased
a ½ lot deed to lot #11.
This lot was 2 blocks north of
the warehouse and on the river. On June 12, 1744
John Currier, "Innholder in
Charlestown" bought for 12 shillings 6 pence ¼ of lot #11 from
his brother in law,
Nicholas Hyland.
The deed goes on to say “it being the quarter part of the said lot that
the said Currer now lives on”.
Charlestown Land Records 1744-1801
Vol 1, page 6.
On July 28, 1750
John Currier
and wife
Melisant of
Charlestown sold the
¼ lot #11 for 129 pounds 15 shillings, 7 ½ pence.
He made a tidy profit on that sale.
Charletstown LR., Vol 1, pg 129.
John Currier made two other lot purchases in Charlestown that we
know
of. On Nov. 6, 1746, he purchased ¼ lot #133 for 3
pounds. This is on the interior of the town on a public square. .
He was still listed as Innholder in this deed.
on page 50 And on Nov. 11,
1748, John Currier purchased from another town Commissioner ¼ of
Lot #1 for 15 pounds. This lot was either next to or shared the
site of the Warehouse.
page 89 Sale
of either of these last two properties has
not been found. So we know that by 1743 John and Milliscent Currier had
moved to Charlestown where he may have been the Innholder, but she
probably had a huge hand in running the Inn. The Inn may well
have been where they lived on Lot #11.
The Cecil County Historical Society has a family group sheet for this
family that lists 8 children with their names, birth dates and for some
young death dates. The only ones that are also in the
St. Mary Anne Records is the eldest and
the youngest. Page 62 & 67
Thomas Currer born July
23, 1741
Augustine “Leny” Currer born
Sept 15, 1743, wed
Jacob Jones Dec 10, 1759
Sarah Currer
born Aug. 2, 1746
John Currer
born Jan 28, 1747/8
Rebecca Currer born May
10, 1750 died Aug 20, 1751
Lihichay Currer born Aug
21, 1752, died May 26, 1754
Nicholas Currer born
March 16, 1754, died March 26, 1754
Bennoney Currer born Oct. 4,
1755
Milliscent Johnson Currier died
just a few days after the birth of Bennoney or Benoni. According
to the family records kept in the Currier Sermon book, she died Oct. 7,
1755. She was 31-years-old. Some records have her living until
Oct 1775. I’m sure this is a mistake.
It is not known where she is buried. Her husband married
in Nov. 24, 1756
Rosamund Pennington.
In the
Cecil County Historical
Society library Surname File on Currier there is a letter from
Mrs. Oliver M. Currier of Havre de Grace, Maryland dated 1975. In
it she describes a Sermon Book given to Mrs. Loreen Buffum
Robinson of Long Beach CA. The Sermon Book was given to Mrs.
Robinson by a 95 year old cousin. “The Sermon Book is the remains
of a book of sermons preached by a Currier preacher in England at the
time of Cromwell. Augustine Currier Jones used this book as a
family bible. I believe the birth and death dates were found in the
Sermon Book. Mrs. Robinson had already sent the genealogical sheets and
sermons to the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore in 1975.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
If you know the answer please
CONTACT
US
1. What was the maiden name of Milliscents mother?
2. Look at original St. Mary Anne’s church records. Perhaps some
were missed by Peden.
3. Find the Sermon book at the Maryland Historical Society
4. Were John and Milliscent still living in Charlestown at the time of
her death?
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