Beeks line: The family of Abraham Lakin of Prince Georges County, Maryland

 I didn't use dates in the title of this blog post, because I'm not certain of them.  I'm fairly confident that I know Abraham's story after he married Martha Lee, but I am not sure of his birth date, or even his year, nor am I sure of his parents.  They may be Joseph and Anna (maiden name not yet known) Lakin, or they may be William and Elizabeth Symons Lakin.  One would indicate a birth date of 1695, the other of 1675.  So the first thing we know for sure is that he married Martha Lee in October of 1717 in Prince Georges County, Maryland.  I'm also unsure of the identity of Martha's parents.  Long tradition says she is the daughter of William and Ann or Anna Lee, and had ties to Cold Spring Manor, but I've not found anything to support that statement.  

Regardless, these two people, Abraham and Martha, found each other, married, and made a life together in Prince Georges County, Maryland.  They had at least ten children together, and we have at least names for them, but not always detailed birth or death dates.   Abraham died in 1744.  In this time and place, it is always a question "Was he a slaveholder?" and I don't know yet know the answer to that question.  There is no mention of slaves in his will, but slaves, especially field slaves, were considered personal property and were not necessarily regarded as worthy of note.  

Sarah seems to be the first born child, about 1720.  She married Robert Lyeth (also seen as Leith), the daughter of Abraham and Mary Lyeth, although again, there are alternate parents for Robert.  Their children are Samuel, Mary, and Sarah.   Sarah died about 1761.

Abraham was born in October of 1722 and died in January of 1796, sill in Prince Georges County, Maryland.  He was a veteran of the French and Indian War.  He married Sarah Hook, the daughter of James and Margaret Hawker Hook.  Their children are Abraham, Basil, Daniel, John, William, Nancy, Sarah, and Eleanor. 

Martha was probably born about 1725 and died after 1744, because she is mentioned in her father's will.    She married Isaac Plummer, who may have been the son of a Thomas Plummer.  I have found no further information regarding Martha, so I don't know whether she had children, or when she died.  

Joseph was born in 1729 and died in 1790 in Marlboro, Prince Georges County, Maryland.  He married Elizabeth Fee, the daughter of George and Parnell (maiden name unknown; she may have been the widow Snowden) Fee.  Their children are John, Samuel, Mary, William, Thomas, Benjamin, Joseph, James, Elizabeth, and Rachel.   I will follow this family in my next blog post.

Deborah Lakin was born in 1732 and that is all that I know of her.  She may have died young, or she may have made a life for herself away from her family, for one reason or another.  

Rachel was born in 1734.  She may have married a Samuel Martin or Merkens, but I have no further information.   

Elizabeth was born in 1735 and died in or before 1811.  She may have married John Ankrom, although I found a later Elizabeth Lakin who did marry a John Ankrom, so the jury is still out on this one.  

Ruth was born in 1736 and died in 1738. 

Mary was born in 1737 and died either that year or the following year.  There is so much sadness in that sentence, since Ruth died about the same time, and especially if Deborah had also died very young.  It was very hard to keep children healthy in the Maryland climate, where illnesses caused by germs and bacteria, or carried by insects, or caused by poor nutrition or sanitation, were a part of life.  Measles, smallpox, diphtheria, and other now "conquered" diseases caused many deaths during that time period.

Finally, there was Benjamin.  He was born in 1739 and died on April 6, 1776.  He was a mariner, and was trying to get goods to the French West Indies when his ship was fired on, and sunk, by the British.  He married Rachel Fee, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Margaret Hook Fee.  Their children are Thomas, John, Benjamin, Joseph, William, James, Elizabeth, and Rachel.  I wish I knew what happened to his widow, Rachel, with so many young children left at Benjamin's death.  And how and when did she receive word of the ship being lost?  She may have been a widow for some time before she learned of Benjamin's death.

We will never know or understand all that families like the Lakins endured.  We know Abraham Junior served in the French and Indian War, and it is quite possible that Joseph did, also.  Benjamin may have also been part of that war, or in the battles with the indigenous people that preceded and succeeded it.  Prince Georges was not the hot spot that other areas were, but they may have been called, or volunteered, to go "where the action was".  I would love to know more.