The Cecil Whig., 1879-01-18
Copyrighted IN 1878. By george Johnston
Historical Researches that auiip
made as Il Bohemian.
Geuera, History Of the Comfy from the
Middle af the Last Century Till the
Re, oiutionary War.
CHAPTER NXNV

BOHEMIA MANOR JOHN AND rLTEE LAW
SON rETaR EnUCHEIL--THE EAsstTT
FAMILY -. CHARLES CARROLL. nF CAR
RoLLroN -LIIIGATIoN- nF THE
MANOR
John Lawson and Peter Buuchcil and
their wives weIe in the enjoy ment al the
Manor a. joint tenants for several years,
and uo doubt had 4 fine ime; but the de-
signing LAWSON was, at length, brought face
io face with an enemy, in combating whom
his legal knowledge and cnnniug availed
him nothing. lie seems to have done the
best he could to secure the property he So
nearly acquired tn his brother Peter Law
son. This Peter Lawson had received
power Of attorney from his brother John
and wife in 1851, which empowered him 10
transact all business appertaining To their
snare of the Manor, and il is probable that
he continued to be their attorney until the
time OF his brother $ death. John Lawson 5
will is dated September 3rd. 100. II was
admitted to probate on the 18th of the fol-
lowing October. He dcv sed all his prop
erty, real and personal, to his brother Peter,
and the records of the Orphans Court show
that his wife gave notice on the day his vii!
was proved, that she would not abide by il.
and that she demanded her third of the
property agreeable with the act Of Assem-
bly,. from which we infer that her husband
had presumed To dispose of her share of the
Manor in his will. lie died childiess; and We
will state Just here, that we have found moth.
ing to lead us 10 believe his brother, Peter
lawson, TO whom he devised his property.
was ever married. Ou the ith Of Decem-
Der, 1875, this simple minded Mary Lawson
leased her share of the Manor TO the aiorc.
said Peter Lawson "for II years, or dur
ing the lives of Judith Basseit and Michael
and Richard Basselt. hor sons" This is
the first reference we lind in the records OF
the county to Richard BasseIt, who became
distinguished lawyer, aud was 4 member
of the convention that framed toe constitu-
tioa of the United States; afterwards meIp-
Der of Congress ard Governor of the State
of Delaware. lie was also a warm friend
OF Francis Asbury. and leading and lnilu-
entia! member Of the Methodist church.
Ga the day following the date of this lease,
the widow of John Lawson gave her broth.
er.in.law, Peter lawson. special power "f
attorney to act for her in all business mat
tiers pertaining 10 the management of her
share of the Manor. In this instrument Size
coycuan:ed not 10 interfere with him in The
management of her estate from which we in
fer that she had unlimited confidence in him.
or that she was certainly the simple minded
mortal that tradition states her to have
been. AT all events, Peter Lawson seems
to have been AS securely invested with one
undivided hall of the Manor as oircum-
stances permitted him to he lie Is de-
scribsd as '' inn holder y in the lease from
Mary Lawson, from which we infer that
he lived on the rnanu: plantation and kept
an inn at Bohemia ferry, which still con-
,inued to be place of much Importance.
We learn that q short time after this, in
1860. Peter Bayaid, who was probably in
inspection house at TIE ferry, that placr
being one of the places designated for the
inspection OF that staple, which was then,
no doubt, cultivated to considerable ex-
tent upon the Manor ani in that part of
the county south o; the Bohemia river.
We will now trace the history Of Ca,ha-
Tinc Herman, who. the reader will I-cnl-
lect. married Peter Bnuchril. She died
about the year l152. leaving two daugh-
ters, Mary and Ann. Marry married Joseph
EnsoE i'll 80; and Auu. being quite young.
was raised by her grandmother, Mary liol-
land. This is 50 stated in bill filed in
chauceiy to compel Jcsepi. Ensor who had
been appointed her guardian in l.J1 To
pay her her share Of the rents. This Mary
Holland must have been the mother VI
Peter BoucheIl, who had married 4 gentle
man by the name of Holland.
Joseph Ensor was one Of the Ensor fam.
lily Who settled in Baltimore county very
early in the history Of the colony. A. this
time he xas called Joseph Eusor. merchant
of Baltimore county. The family. we a.e
informed by John Ersor, Esq OF Towsnn-
town, at one time owned a large tract of
land just east Of Jones Fails, upon which
par, of the city Of Baltimore has been built;
Joseph Ensor is believed To have resided in
North Elk parish in 1860, FOR the birth ni
his eldest son, Augustine Herman Ensol.
may yet be seen upon the register Of that
parish, and was recorded in that year. IL
1860 - he and his wife aud Ann Bpuchril,
an infant 10y the said Joseph Ensor, hen
next friend" instituted a suit in chancery
against Peter lawson aud Mary Lawson.
alleging that they and John Lawson. for a
long time, had collected the rents of the
Manor, as had also Peter Buuchell. aud that
Peter Bonchell had kept book of meme
Tandums II the rents received from the said
Manor and leased lands, and (Which rents
amounted TO the sum Of 81 900 or some
other large sum Of money, besides n vcry
great number Of dung-hiIl fowls received
as rent on the said leases - aud that the
said Mary lawson had actually filled, cut
down, and carried away, OF aud fsnm the
Manor plantation suudEy and grca; uuautl-
ties Of wood aud timber, inspruucA that
there is M; left on that plantation any
quantity Of timber to suppoI; the same.
nor iiGc-xood sufficient therefor fog any
number "f years. sc. &c, praying that
they might 0e compelled to make discovery
Of the book kep; by Bouchrll aud Of the
rents since received, aud be crriliucd to
desist from the waste of ths timber. &c
&c; 20 which the defendant replied at the
April term Of court, 1861. that on the death
OF Ephralm, their hall brother, Carhariue
and Mary had possession Of the said Manor.
Claiming aud taking the same in right aud
quaiIty of joint tenants entail in remainder
according to tho express words and slmuIa
tions of Augustine Herman's will. that the
two SISTERS continued to hold the Manor
TIL the death "f Catharine, when her hus
band, Peter BOuchell, took his wlf,,'s mart
as tenant by courtesy. and continued 10