John Fowler was born on September 12, 1703, in Prince George's County, British Colonial Maryland. John married Mary B. Linthicum on October 6, 1724, in Anne Arundel County, British Colonial Maryland. John Fowler died before March of 1757 in Anne Arundel County, British Colonial Maryland.
John Fowler, 5th child and 3rd son of Thomas Fowler and Susannah Iiams was born in Prince George's County, British Colonial Maryland on September 12, 1703. John grew up on his father's 400 acres plantation, “Ridgley's and Tyler's Chance”, located between Whitemarsh and the Patuxent River. When John was 11 years old his father died intestate. Without an inheritance, John was likely bound in servitude to learn a trade. It appears that John learned the trade of carpentry and lived near his mother and her new husband either in Prince George's County or across the Patuxent River in Anne Arundel County.
Shortly after his 21st birthday, on October 6, 1724, John married Mary Linthicum, daughter of Thomas Linthicum and Deborah Wayman. Mary's father's land holdings were extensive, well over 500 acres of land in Anne Arundel county, near present day Crofton and included part of "Duvall's Range". John and Mary likely lived on one of Thomas' plantations until John could purchase his own land.
John and Mary had the following known children:
- Thomas Fowler
Thomas Fowler, born just 4 months after John and Mary's marriage. From other records it is known that John had a son John who was older than Thomas. Son John's mother is not known. Intriguely, in a record of a proceeding which occurred in 1738, the record included the statement “John Fowler and Mary his then wife”. Does this phrase indicate that John may have had another wife? It is also presumed that John and Mary had a daughter Mary who married Edmund Wayman Jr.
In 1731 Richard Snowden assigned John 133 acres of land and in April of 1732, John had the land surveyed. Prior to receiving the patent for the 133 acre tract, John became a land owner when on September 2, 1732, Edmund Wayman Sr. deeded to Richard Snowden a 60 acre tract of land known as “Wayman's Marsh”. On the same day Richard Snowden sold to John Fowler for 25 pounds “Wayman's Marsh”. “Wayman's Marsh” was located between the forks of the Patuxent River in Anne Arundel County.
John expanded his plantation when on June 10, 1734, he patented “Fowler's Range”, 133 acres between the forks of the Patuxent River adjoining “Wayman's Marsh” and “Ovenwood Thickett”.
In 1737 John became guardian to Thomas Hardisty, son of Mary's sister Dorcas Linthicum.
On May 4, 1738, John and Mary sold a 2 acre portion of “Wayman's Marsh” and a 28 acre portion of “Fowler's Range” to Benjamin Howard. The 30 acre land parcel became known as “Howard's Addition”.
On Sept 29, 1740 John purchased all of his brother-in-law Thomas Linthicum Jr.'s crop of tobacco for 24 pounds 7 shillings.
John, along with Edmund Wayman and Hezekiah Linticum, witnessed the will of Stephen Stewart in January of 1742 and by the end of February, Stephen was deceased. John likely introduced his younger brother Richard to Stephen Stewart's widow, Elizabeth. Richard Fowler and Elizabeth married sometime prior to June of 1744.
The final distribution of John's father's estate was made on February 9, 1744, by John's mother's second husband Mark Brown. John and his 11 other siblings each received 3 pounds 2 shillings 10 3/4 pence.
In 1744 John built the Queen Anne Bridge, the first known bridge across the Patuxent River connecting Prince George's County to Anne Arundel County. Prior to the bridge a ferry was used to transport people and goods across the river.
In May of 1749, John provided bail for his brothers-in-law Gideon and Hezekiah Linthicum
On Nov 16, 1750, John Fowler, Carpenter, sold to “my well beloved son Thomas Fowler” a 63 acre part of “Fowler's Range”. Mary, John's wife, gave up her right of dower. The deed indicated that the 63 acre parcel was on the north side of the tract where Thomas currently resided. The sale of land may have coincided with Thomas' marriage. The balance of the property, 100 acres, would descend to John's oldest son John as heir at law.
Also in 1750 John, along with his brother Richard, provided security for Thomas Mortimer, step-son of their brother Benjamin. Thomas was charged with “begetting Elizabeth Fowler's bastard child”.
In 1752, John's younger brother Samuel died and Samuel's two sons, Samuel and Thomas, were bound to John.
On September 9, 1756, an ad appeared in the Maryland Gazette:
TO BE SOLD
On Wednesday the 20th of this Instant September (on the Premises) at XII o'Clock at Noon for Sterling or Currency
A Tract of Land lying in the Fork of Patuxent near the lower End, whereon the Subscriber now lives, containing 100 Acres, great Part of which is good Meadow Land, whereon is a pretty good Dwelling House, Tobacco House, and other convenient buildings, a good Orchard of upwards of 200 good bearing Apple trees, and a good Grist Mill, which never wants water, being supplied by Patuxent River.
JOHN FOWLER
By March of 1757, the administrators of the estate of Henry Hall filed a case in county court against the estate of John Fowler for debt. John's heir at law, his oldest son John, was named in the suit.
On April 7, 1757, the ad in the Maryland Gazette appeared again, a little differently:
TO BE SOLD
A tract of land lying in the Fork of the Patuxent near the lower end whereon the subscriber now lives containing 100 acres, great part of which is good Meadow land whereon is a pretty good Dwelling House with a Cellar and Plank Floors, Tobacco House and other convenient Buildings, a good orchard of upwards of 200 good bearing Apple Trees and a good Grist Mill, which never wants Water, being furnished by Patuxent River.
The title is indisputable. For terms apply either to John or Richard Fowler.
John Fowler died sometime between September of 1756 and March of 1757 at the age of 53. In the second ad, the reference to John Fowler was John Fowler's son John and Richard Fowler, John's brother.
Apparently there were no buyers. To satisfy the debt to Henry Hall's estate, on October 27, 1757, John's son John, sold to Henry Hall Jr. the tracts "Wayman's Marsh" and "Fowler's Range", 100 acres, for the sum of £55.
John's son John remained in Anne Arundel county for many years before moving to Washington County, Maryland. John served as a Second Lieutenant in the Maryland Militia during the Revolutionary War and after the war, moved his family to western Pennsylvania along the Monongahela River.
John's son Thomas struggled to retain his 63 acre tract of “Fowler's Range”, mortgaging the land several times. Thomas also tried to regain the portion of “Fowler's Range” that had been sold to Henry Hall's estate. On June 29, 1783, Thomas resurveyed the original “Fowler's Range” and added vacancy land. The new tract, when patented, would be named “Orchard”. However Thomas died before he could patent the land. At the time of his death around 1787, Thomas' 63 acre portion of “Fowler's Range” was under mortgage. Thomas Fowler's administrators paid off the mortgage and on March 29, 1796, the deed to the 63 acre part of “Fowler's Range” was conveyed to Thomas' only heir at law, his daughter Achsah Fowler Riggs, widow of Ninian Riggs.
John's wife Mary was still living when she was recorded in her brother Hezekiah's probate records in 1768, 1769, and again in 1772.
On August 3, 1797, the 100 acre part of “Wayman's Marsh” and “Fowler's Range” were sold by Henry Hall to John Chew Thomas for £175.
Genealogical Research and Life Sketch updated: February 2023
Sources:
"Maryland Births and Christenings, 1650-1995", database, FamilySearch, John Fowler, 1703.
"Maryland Marriages, 1666-1970", database, FamilySearch, John Fowler, 1724.
"Maryland Births and Christenings, 1650-1995", database, FamilySearch, John Fowler in entry for Thomas Fowler, 1724.
Maryland State Archives. Maryland Land Records. Anne Arundel County. Liber IHTI 1 Folio 498.
Maryland State Archives. Maryland Land Records, Anne Arundel County, Patent Record EI 2, p. 61.
Maryland State Archives. Maryland Land Records. Anne Arundel County. Liber RD 3 Folio 54.
Maryland State Archives. Maryland Land Records. Anne Arundel County. Liber RB 1 Folio 25.
Maryland State Archives. Probate Records. Accounts. Liber 14, Folio 514.
Maryland State Archives. Probate Records. Testamentary Proceedings. Liber 31 Folio 446.
Maryland State Archives. Anne Arundel County Court Record. Nov 1744, pg. 129.
Maryland State Archives. Anne Arundel County Court Record. March 1749/50, pg. 479 & 485.
Maryland State Archives. Maryland Land Records, Anne Arundel County, Liber RB 3 Folio 439.
Maryland State Archives. Anne Arundel County Court Record March 1750/1, pg 697.
Maryland State Archives. Anne Arundel County Court Record. March 1752, pg. 229 & 231.
Maryland State Archives. Anne Arundel County Court Record. Nov 1756, pg. 803.
Maryland State Archives. Anne Arundel County Court Record. Mar 1757, pg. 10.
Maryland State Archives. Anne Arundel County Court Record. Jun 1757, pg. 40.
Maryland State Archives. Anne Arundel County Court Record. Aug 1757, pg. 115.
Maryland State Archives. Anne Arundel County Court Record. Nov 1757, pg. 167.
Maryland State Archives. Maryland Land Records. Anne Arundel County. Liber BB 2 Folio 57.
Maryland State Archives. Probate Records. Wills. Liber 23 Folio 246.
Maryland State Archives. Probate Records. Accounts. Liber 28 Folio 80.
Maryland State Archives. Maryland Land Records. Anne Arundel County. Liber BB 1 Folio 96.
Maryland State Archives. Maryland Land Records. Anne Arundel County. LIber IHTI 1 Folio 508.
Maryland State Archives. Proceedings and Acts of the General Assembly, 1737-1749. Volume 40 Page 204.
Maryland State Archives. Maryland Gazette Collection. Microfilm M1279.
Maryland State Archives. Maryland Land Records. Anne Arundel County. Liber BB 2 Folio 768.
Maryland State Archives. Maryland Land Records. Anne Arundel County. Liber BB 3 Folio 177.
Maryland State Archives. Maryland Land Records. Anne Arundel County. Liber NH 8 Folio 200.
Maryland State Archives. Maryland Land Records. Anne Arundel County. Liber NH 8 Folio 655.
“Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, ca. 1800 - ca. 1912”, Record Group 15: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773 - 2007, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 16120, for Joshua Fowler, Md., NARA, Washington DC.
