William Hannibal Gantt, a Black landowner in Cheltenham, died prior to 1898 and the use of death certificates in Maryland. The purpose of this post is to propose a set of parents and siblings for William Hannibal Brown Gantt.

A Note, first, on William Hannibal Brown Gantt and his Surnames

Connecting the 1870 & 1880 Census

In 1880, William H Gantt was enumerated with David Crack in the district of Brandywine.  David and his family are listed first, at dwelling number 169, and William H Gantt, with his wife, Mary A, and children, are listed at dwelling number 170. 

In 1870, a William Brown was enumerated with Davy Crack at dwelling number 20; his wife, Agnes is not listed, however, the children match those of the 1880 William H Gantt entry.  The alignment of children’s names with the inclusion of Davy Crack suggests that William Brown and William H Gantt are the same person. 

Land Records

Hannibal Gantt purchased property in Cheltenham, MD after the Civil War with David Crack that had been part of the “Poplar Neck” estate owned by the Brooke family in the 18th and 19th centuries.  Araminta Brooke, the widow of John B Brooke, sold the land to Adam Diehl in 1870, who subdivided the land for small farmers.  Their names appear on the 1878 Hopkins map of the Brandywine District as “H. Gaunt and D. Crack”.  (Prince George’s Co. Land Records, HB 5:13-14, HB JWB 33:82-3, 79:99 | mdlandrec.net)

In the land records, he is consistently referenced as William H Gantt.  In an 1874 Post Office Directory for Maryland, he is listed as Hannibal Gant, Farmer, which is consistent with the 1878 Hopkins map. This suggests he changed his surname between 1870 and 1874.

Marriage Record of Clora Ann Crack and Joseph Henry Brown 

A review of the Index to Marriage Licenses for Prince George’s County does not return a marriage license for William Gantt/Brown and Agnes Crack.  There are two entries for the surname Crack:

• Clora Ann Crack to Joseph Henry Brown
• John William Crack and Eliza Jane Savoy

As evidenced by the land records (namely the 1912 record in which the heirs of Clora Brown transfer their inherited property to Agnes Gantt: PG Land Records: 79:99), Clora Ann Crack and Agnes Crack are sisters.  It appears that they may have married Brown brothers. 

Brown-Wood Family Group

Joseph Henry Brown died in 1915; his death certificate lists his parents as “Charles Brown and ? Wood”. In 1870, Charles Brown, age 75, was living in the household enumerated immediately prior to William Brown. The geographic proximity of William Hannibal Brown Gantt to Charles and Susan Brown in the 1870 census with the twin marriages of siblings suggests further research into the Brown-Wood Family group to further identify relationships.

Death Certificates

In addition to Joseph Henry Brown, the following death certificates were identified:

• John A Brown died in 1904; his death certificate lists his parents as “Charles Brown and Susan Wood”.   
• Crissie (Brown) Wilks died in 1912; her death certificate lists her parents as “Charles Brown and Susanna Wood”.

1853 Robert D Sewall Inventory

William and Agnes’s daughter, Ella Gantt married Frank Wilkes in 1898. In my search for Frank’s parents, I had researched the Wilkes family previous to this post. I have yet to definitively identify Frank’s parents. However, the search for Wilkes lead me to the Edward and Maria Wilkes family which had been enslaved by Robert D. Sewall, the owner of Poplar Hill, and identified on the 1853 Inventory of his estate.

“Poplar Hill”

Robert D Sewall owned Poplar Hill, a large tract of land near Woodyard, in Prince George’s County, MD.  He died in the early 1850s, and as part of the probate process, an inventory was created of his estate (JH 2:699-703).  It included the names and ages of over a hundred people he enslaved on the land.  The Brown-Wood Family group is on page 702 in the portion detailed as “property managed by Mr. Jenkins”.  

Charles and Luck are the inferred parents, Charles and Susan, from their ages of 54 & 47.  

Sukey is a common nickname for Susan and the possibility exists that Luck was mistakenly written for Suck/Suckey.  If so, this would suggest that the mother’s name was Susan

The 1853 inventory includes the names of eight children.  No further information has been located for Paul, Michael and Philis.  

Below, I attempt to track Charles and Susan, and their children, across the census records.

Census Comparison

The 1870 Census

Cheltenham

In 1870, Charles and Susan Brown (parents) are enumerated living in the Nottingham District in the neighborhood of the TB Post Office.  Based on the landowners enumerated around them, it can be inferred that they are closer to what would become Cheltenham by the late 1870s.

On the annotated map, the villages of Upper Marlboro, Surratsville, Croom, Brandywine and TB are marked with white lettering.  By 1880, the additional villages of Cheltenham and Rosaryville were developed and are seen on the 1878 Hopkins Map.  These are marked in light gray. 

Two tracts of land are identified in light green and placed by their landowners: Robert D. Sewall’s land (Poplar Hill) which is identified by the name Henry Dangerfield that guardian of Sewall’s heirs and the land of the Brooke family (Poplar Neck) which is identified by the name Mrs. Brooks, the widow of John B Brooke.  The numbers represent the dwelling numbers, or the sequence of households visited by the census enumerator in the 1870 census. 

Charles and Susan Brown are enumerated at dwelling 19, with their son, John Brown and a child named Alice Willis.  They are enumerated next to William Brown (dwelling 20).  William Brown is living with his father-in-law Davy Crack, who was enslaved by Mrs. Brookes on the “Poplar Neck” track.  Davy Crack, his wife, and children were identified in the 1853 Inventory of her husband John B Brooke (WAJ 1 3-5). William Brown and Davy Crack purchased land in Cheltenham, which is at the center of the circle.  They are identified on the 1878 Hopkins Map as H. Gaunt and D. Crack.

Charles is listed as 54 in the 1853 census and 75 in the 1870 census.  This provides an estimated birth year range of 1795-1799.  

Susan is listed as 47 in the 1853 census and as 60 in the 1870 census.  This provides an estimated birth year range of 1806-1810.

John Brown appears unmarried in the 1870 census.  Later census records suggest that he may have been married with two small toddlers living with his wife at another location.  A marriage record for John Arthur Brown and Mary Jane Jackson is consistent with the older census record. 

Susan Brown (age 40), the daughter of Charles and Susan, is living nearby working for the household of Martha Townshend.  

Year: 1870; Census Place: Nottingham, Prince Georges, Maryland; Roll: M593_592;Page: 115B

Rosaryville

North of Cheltenham is the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, around which the village called Rosaryville developed.  Rosaryville, not present on the 1861 map of Prince George’s County, is shown on the 1878 Hopkins Atlas of Prince George’s County.  It sits on the border of the Brandywine District and Upper Marlboro District.  

Joseph Henry Brown, the third youngest child in the 1853 inventory married Clora Ann Crack, the daughter of David Crack, in 1865 (Index to Marriage Licenses, PG Co).  

In 1870, Joseph Henry Brown and his family were living in Marlboro District, at dwelling number 456 & 457.  Joseph is listed in the household of Lawrence Wood, and his wife, Dinah.  Chloe/Clora is listed in the next household with their children, James, Julia, Peter.  The names of the children are consistent with the heirs of Clora Brown named in a 1912 land record (Liber 79, Folio 99). 

They listed immediately prior to a merchant named Washington Beall.  Both Beall and Joseph Brown are labeled on the 1878 Hopkins Map of Marlboro, showing their location in the village of Rosaryville. 

Two land records show that Joseph H Brown purchased land in Rosaryville (JWB 1:130 & JWB 1:220).  The first, dated 1882, shows that Joseph purchased a parcel of land from the tract “Woodstock” owned by Henry Clagett and adjoining the residence of Charles Brown. It is on the north east side of the main road leading from Rosaryville to Centreville.  This is consistent with the map, as the pink area is north and east of the road that leads to Centreville (which is northwest of Rosaryville).  The second, also dated 1882, shows that Joseph purchased land from James Belt, next to land owned by Peter Wood and Washington Beall. 

Croom

Charles Henry Brown, the third oldest child of Charles and Susan (Wood) Brown was likely married to Annie Gordon in the 1850s, after 1853 (the inventory) and before 1856 (birth of his eldest child in the 1870 census.)

In 1870, he was enumerated in Marlboro District, at dwelling 105, living near the landowner W. D. Bowie.  

This places him in the larger neighborhood of the Charles/Susan Brown family groups living near Cheltenham and Rosaryville.  The proximity to W.D. Bowie suggests that he is on the road that runs between Rosaryville and Croom, which is the border between the two districts, Marlboro and Nottingham.  

Charles’ household is himself, his wife Annie, and their children, whose ages range from 14 to 1, which allows for the estimated marriage year in the mid 1850s.  

Immediately enumerated after Charles and his family are Joseph Gordon, age 50, and Polly, age 78.  Based on Annie (Gordon) Brown’s death certificate, it is inferred that Joseph is an older brother, and Polly is her mother.  

1880 Census

Rosaryville

By 1880, the surviving members of the Charles-Susan Wood Brown family named in the inventory had moved to Rosaryville.  Joseph Henry Brown, though documented in 1882 land records to be in the area and marked on the 1878 Hopkins Map, is not recorded in the 1880 census.  His other siblings and mother are however.  

Dwelling Number	Head of Household	Notes
139	Cornelius Gordon	Possibly related to Charles’ wife, Annie Gordon
140	James Dorsey	Contains the household member Lawrence Wilks
143	Henry Claggett	Large Landowner prior to the Civil War Residence noted on the 1878 Hopkin Map
146	John Brown	Son of Charles Brown and Susan Woods
147	John Thomas	Occupation listed as Teacher, suggesting residence near School House
151	Barney Johnson	Residence noted on the 1878 Hopkin Map
153	Lawerence Wood	Husband of Dinah WoodIncludes both Susan (mother) and Susan (daughter) in household
154	Charles Brown	Son of Charles Brown and Susan Woods
155	Robert Wilkes	Husband of Crissy (Brown) Wilks
157	Uriah Goldsmith	Residence noted on the 1878 Hopkin Map

1900 Census

By 1900, Susan Brown has died, and Dinah (Brown) Wood, a widow, has moved to the District of Columbia.  

The remaining male siblings are still living in Rosaryville. The census enumerator did not record complete details for the series of dwelling numbers recorded below.  Ages and birth years are missing and relationships are not obviously clear.  Numbers are crossed out in the column for dwelling numbers and other numbers are scribed above them. 

Dwelling Number	Head of Household	Notes
40/41	Joseph Brown	Living with his daughter Mary, son Peter, his daughter-in-law- Mamie, and Peter and Mamie’s child, Ellen
41/42	Robert Wilks	Husband of Crissy (Brown) Wilks
42/43	John A Brown	Living with his wife and children
43/44	Barney Johnson	Residence noted on the 1878 Hopkin Map
54/53	Charles H Brown	Living with his wife and children

Christianna “Chrissy” (Brown) Wilks

Crissy Wilks is not included in the 1853 inventory of Robert D Sewall’s estate, though her estimated birth year (1840) suggests that she should have been if she was living with her family.  Her husband, Robert Wilks, is listed on Sewall’s inventory, with the Wilks family group. 

1870 Census

In 1870, Edward Wilks and his children are enumerated in the Surratt’s District in the neighborhood of the TB Post Office.  They appear to be still living in the quarters provided them on Poplar Hill with a number of other people enslaved by the Sewalls/Dangerfields prior to emancipation in 1864.  

Dwelling Number	Head of Household	Notes
21	Henry Tarman	His occupation is listed as a Miller; a mill is indicated on the Martenet Map at Woodyard, where “Poplar Hill”, or Sewall’s estate is located.
22	Annie Marshall	White landowner, likely the mother of William H Marshall who is listed as a planter with real estate valued at $14000 in Surratts.  In 1870, he has moved to Kentucky.
24	Edward Wilks	Edward and Maria, inferred parentsLawrence, Richard, Susan, Washington are listed in household
29	Robert Wilks	Sole member of the household
30	Christinia Wilks	She is listed with 5 children, suggesting they had been married since at least 1860.

1880 & 1900 Census

Edward Wilks died in 1879.  His account in the Freedmen’s Bank references his death and directs payments to his wife, Maria Wilkes, who is living with Robert in the 1880 census.  His original deposit slip also notes his relationship to Poplar Hill.

As noted above, Robert Wilks, his wife Chrissy and his brother have moved to Rosaryville by 1880.  Robert and Christiana/Crissy are enumerated as neighbors of the Brown siblings in both the 1880 and 1900 census. 

Conclusions

Although there is no direct documentary connection between Charles and Susan Brown with William Hannibal Brown Gantt, I suggest that that the families are connected and that it is highly likely that William was the son of Charles and Susan and sold to another enslaver prior to the 1853 inventory.

1. They were neighbors in the 1870 census
2. Both William Brown and Joseph Henry Brown married daughters of David Crack
3. Crissie Brown married into the Wilks family; a daughter of William Hannibal Brown Gantt married a Wilkes man (connection unclear, though the surname occurs only in the Surrattsville/Rosaryville area)

Based on these reasons, I propose that Charles Brown and Susan Wood are the parents of William Hannibal Brown Gantt.