John Currier was born March 17, 1717/18.  He was the son of a land owner on North East River of Cecil County, Maryland  John Currier and his wife Sarah, last name unknown recorded in the St. Mary Anne’s Parish records, North East Maryland. The records were compiled as Early Anglican Church Records of Cecil County by Henry C. Peden, Jr., page 75.

This part of the Maryland is dominated by the Chesapeake Bay and it's many rivers and streams.  At the very northern most reach is the current town of North East. In 1717 the location of the Parish church was in Port Deposit on the Susquehanna River.  In 1743 a new church building was erected at the head of the North East River.  The town came later.  The Bay is considered to begin at the junction of the Susquehanna, North East  and Elk River  From that point the Susquehanna is entered by going north west.  The North East River by going north east, and the Elk by going east north east.  The point of land that lies between the Elk and the North East is now called Elk's Neck.  There is still remnants of a boat landing at St. Mary Anne's church from when parishioners went to church by boat, as well as visiting neighbors. It was easier than over land. The location of the church in Port Deposit is not known by me, but I would also assume travel by water as the land there is very hilly with steep cliffs.  Cecil Ct. Historic Map  shows the rivers details in 1794. The county is that land between the Susquehanna and the Sassafras Rivers.  In the late 1600s it extended south of the Sassafras River.

Out of the Currier Family file at the Cecil County Historical Society is a paper done by Grace J. Currier.  She states that in 1687 William and Jane Currior bought land from George Talbot called "Helena" on the North East river.  I cannot find the Deed transfer, but I did find the original patent given to George Talbot.  It is Patent Record SDA, page 230 in 1683 for 32000 acres in Cecil Ct called New Conought Mannor also known as Susquehanna Manor.  This land is on the West side of the North East River.  Helena is just south of current Charlestown MD.  The History of Cecil County by George Johnston 1881 states on page 129, that in June 1687 George Talbot executed the only deed executed by him for land in Cecil County "that is on record".

When the father of John Currer of this story died in 1738, Maryland, Cecil county wills vol 14, folio 345.  (he was also John Currer) his son our John Currer was named executor and received his dwelling and plantation,  ie Helena.  His mother, Sarah died a year later.   At age 20/21 he was head of the family with 7 younger siblings, a young sister had died about a year before his father.   

On June 16, 1740 almost 16-years-old, Millliscent Johnson wed John Currier.  This is recorded in the St. Mary Anne’s parish records, and listed in Peden’s book on page 62.  John Currier was just 22 at the time of their marriage. The marriage was also noted in the Sermon Book - noted toward the end of this story.  John Currier was serving in the Maryland Militia in 1740.  He was in the Foot Company under Captain Edward Jackson.  from Inhabitants of Cecil County 1649-1774. It is believed that they started their married life on the plantation Helena.

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, most a careful 3 blocks from the river.

The original Plats were won by a lottery.   Numbers were placed in a hat, and were drawn.   They must then clear the land, build a dwelling at least of a certain size (don't know what that was) with a stone or brick fireplace within 3 years.  They paid 2 pence "rent" a year.  Then they were said to own the Lot.
I have not yet found a list of those original Lot possessors.   I do not believe our John was one of them, but his brother-in-law was. 

Nicholas Hyland, Milliscent Johnson's half brother, was one of the original town Commissioners assigned the task of creating a town.  He appears to have
 lot #11.  This lot was 2 blocks north of the warehouse and on the river. He sold half the lot on March 13, 1744 and then 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.  So we know that by 1744 John and Milliscent Currier had moved to Charlestown where he was an Innholder. The Inn may well have been where they lived on Lot #11.  That means John probably helped or built the dwelling for Nicholas on the lot - so within a year of Nicholas drawing that Lot, John was living there and running an Inn.

Later that year, John Currer sells Helena.  In order to fund his Inn and property in Charlestown?  Julia Mortensen found the deed, Cecil County Deeds Vol 6, page 383.  It stated that "John Currer of Cecil County, Innholder,  to James Paul Heath, Merchant,  for part of Susquehannah alias New Connaught Manor which was sold by George Talbot on 5/31/1687 to William Currer and Jane his wife, grandfather and grandmother  of  said John Currer;  Land is named Helena, lying on the North East River in Cecil Co. bounding tract of land called Cavan, 300 acres, witnesses Nicholas Hyland, Nathan Baker. 10/29/1744"   I love these Cecil county Deeds!

This clearly connects the John of this story to the older generation.  In trying to find exactly where Helena was located I found where the son of James Paul Heath, Daniel Heath sold Helena to Edward Mitchell Esq.  Cecil Ct. Deed Book 10, page 270 gives a description of dimensions and describes the muddy gut running through a marsh.  The next deed found Cecil Ct. Deed Book 19, page 37-39 places Helena next to Seneca Point - which is still on current maps.  It lies a half mile south of the southern edge of Charlestown Maryland

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 Charlestown Land Records, Vol 2.   I need the record of when this Lot was sold. 

Then 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.   

St. Mary Anne's is the name of the church of the North Elk Parish.  This Parish was erected by an act of the Maryland Legislature in 1706 to include the part of the county north of the Elk River and East of the Susquehanna.  It originally met in Port Deposit on the Susquehana, but in 1743 they built a church and vestry house at the head of the North East River, now in the town of North East.  John Currier was a vestryman at the time along with Captial Nicholas Hyland, Edward Johnson, Henry Baker, Captain Zebulon Hollingsworth, and Thomas Ricketts.  At the time the History of Cecil County, pages 218 - 222 was written in 1891, there was still a cornerstone from this original building on the lovely building now standing on same ground.  It had the inscriptions of the Rector and vestrymen of 1743.  It read "Rd WYE: HB: NH: DEI: ZG: TR: IC: 1743"  The I was used for Capital J.  In the fall of 2009, I could not find the cornerstone.  I hope it has been preserved somewhere out of the elements.  In 1748 the Vestry purchased 100 acres from John Currer for a glebe. Deed Vol 7, p. 18 It was part of Clayfall which is near, just south I believe, from Charlestown.  This was sold 1784 for 605 pounds.  A glebe is church land.  It is not known how the land was used.

John actually made out well on the Glebe deal.  On May 7, 1748 he had purchased the 100 acres from  Jacob and John Young, brothers who had inherited the land from their Father.  It was call Poplar Neck a part of Clayfall.  He paid the brothers 199 pounds sterling.  On June 7, 1748 he sold the land to St. Mary Ann's parish for 180 pounds sterling.
 
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, still around in 1760
Augustine “Leny” Currer born Sept 15, 1743, wed Jacob Jones Dec 10, 1759, died Nov 4, 1770 
Sarah Currer      born Aug. 2, 1746,died Sept 24,  1747
John Currer        born Jan 28, 1747, died an apparent bachelor in 1792
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, still around in 1776

This is just the start of a very sad story.  Of the 8 children born to John and Milliscent Currier, 4 died by age of 2.

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.    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.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. 

So by the beginning of 1755 John Currer had 3 sons, ages 13 and 8 and a new born, and 1 daughter, age 11.  Not surprising,  John remarried in Nov. 24, 1756 to Rosamund Pennington. She was the widow of Thomas Pennington and mother of Rachel Pennington.  from the Currier family files of the Cecil County Historical Society.   Bef 6/13/1757 - Maryland Indexes Marriage References MSA S 1527 Currer, John, m. by 13 June 1757, Rosamond, admx of Thomas Pennington of CE Co. (MDAD 41:154).

The only later document re Thomas Currer was a deed he witness Nov 20, 1760 for Henry Baker. He would have been 19. Cecil Ct Deed 9, page 311.
The only listing for Benoni Currer is  Aug 18, 1776 as part of  Capt Joshua George's Company, 18th Battalion of Cecil County. He would have been 21.   Julia believes he died in the war. 

From Cecil County Deed Book 8, page 515 dated 3/13/1758, Thomas Browning, merchant buys wheat from John Currer of Kent County Md.  The deed states the "wheat is on the plantation in Cecil County on which Thomas Pennington formerly lived now in possession of John Currier.."  We believe the "John Currer of Kent County MD" was an error as the deed itself states the plantation was in Cecil County.  While no deed has been found where John sold the Inn and property in Charlestown, it is believed he moved his family to the Pennington plantation after his second marriage.

 John Currer died August 1760.  Henry Baker took a bond in August 1760 as he was declaring he would make an inventory before November 22, 1760 of the estate of John currier "late of  Kent Ct."   Kent County Bonds vol 5, page 251.

After John's death, a house was built on Lot #1 however we didn't know on which quarter, but recently found where John Currer, our John's son sold the property of Lot #1 in Charlestown on Feb. 18, 1792, in Charlestown Land Records #164, "John Currer to Alexander Hasson house in possession Andrew Wilson."

 
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
If you know the answer please CONTACT US
1. Look at original St. Mary Anne’s church records.  Perhaps some were missed by Peden.
2. What became of the St. Mary Anne's Cornerstone?
3.  Why was he called "of Kent County"?



 
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