Holbrook line: Nathaniel Henchman, Immigrant

When I started gathering information for this post, all I had was an approximate death date and location, and the name of a daughter.  I don't have a lot more information than that now, but it an hour or so of internet searching (also checking a couple of reference books I own), I have more than I started with. 

The first thing I learned is that most of the trees showing Nathaniel Henchman born in 1640 in Massachusetts and married in 1693 in Massachusetts, then dying in 1695 in Maryland are not correct.  There obviously was a Nathaniel Henchman born in 1640 etc but he is not the one we are still learning about.  Our Nathaniel was in Maryland in 1665, according to both Robert W. Barnes and Gust Skordas. . I have only found the references at this tme and haven't seen the actual books that they wrote, but believe me, this will be high on my list for my next library trip. 

What I found, that is new to me and apparently to most of those who have posted trees for Nathaniel Henchman, is that he was listed in the taxpayer records of 1692 in Baltimore County, Md.  He was listed on both the north and the south side of the Patapsco Hundred, and is denoted by the number one, meaning he was the only taxable person there.  This is not absolute proof of his family status, but it likely indicates that there were no other men over the age of 16 living with him. He apparently lived near his son in law, Jonas Bowen   Also exciting to me is that the constable on the North side was Nicholas Corbin, who is probably the Nicholas Corbin who is a brick wall on our Allen side. 

I was unknowingly either on or very near this land of our ancestors in 1993, when I was in Baltimore on a business trip, because the Patapsco River runs right through Baltimore.  Of course, even had I known, I wouldn't have been able to get the feel of the place even by standing on the actual property, but it still would have been a thrill to do so  The Patapsco River estuary now forms Baltimore Harbor, and in 1665 the settlers likely would not have been very far upriver from there. 

Unfortunately, this is all I know of Nathaniel until we come to his will.  I found a copy of it, too, and it would be very readable is I knew how to decipher the old handwriting.  It was written in October of 1694 and proved in June of 1695.  He left his land and plantation to his grandson, Benjamin Bowen, (will says son of Benjamin but it is believed by others that this was an error and should be son of Jonas Bowen; internal indications of will are that Jonas Bowen, mentioned later, is correct) and other bequests also.  There is mention of his wife, who may be either Mary or Margaret, but we don't know if she was the mother of his daughter.

As far as is known, the only child of Nathaniel Henchman and his wife was Martha, although it is possible that a study of land records would show other children also.  Martha is believed to have been born about 1661, which would mean Nathaniel was born probably 1640 or earlier.  We don't know where Martha was born, either, so that is another of many mysteries still to be solved about this family. 

This is as much as I know of Nathaniel, but it is so much more than I knew when I started this that I am indeed thankful to have learned this much.  The search will continue, and I'm hopeful, because there are apparently so many cousins out there, that someone will contact me with more information. 

The line of descent is:

Nathaniel Henchman-possibly Mary or Margaret
Martha Henchman-Jonas Bowen
Martha Bowen-John Merryman
Martha Merryman-Alexis Lemmon
Alexis Lemmon-Rachel Stansbury
Sarah Lemmon-Abraham Hetrick
Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis E Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants