Mark Manlove1

M, (1677 - 8 January 1749)

Father*William Manlove1 (1645 - 1694)
Mother*Alice Robins1 (c 1662 - a 10 Oct 1694)
Mark Manlove|b. 1677\nd. 8 Jan 1749|p2652.htm|William Manlove|b. 1645\nd. 1694|p2659.htm|Alice Robins|b. c 1662\nd. a 10 Oct 1694|p2660.htm|Mark Manlove|b. bt 1610 - 1620\nd. 1666/67|p2663.htm|Hannah (?)|b. 1622\nd. b 1659|p2664.htm|Samuel Robins|d. c 1662|p2661.htm|Mary (?)||p2662.htm|

Charts Pedigree for Stanley Russell McKinney
Relationship 8th great-grandfather of James Jay McKinney.
Last Edited 29 Jan 2006
Reference MMMMFFMMMFMC
Researcher 0
Unrelated 0

(Witness) Document© 

Document(s):

  • The Manlove Family. Bruce A. Bendler, 1987. Excellently researched book provided a detailed list of sources. Traces our line from Keziah Manlove back.

, Principal=Kezia Manlove 
(Witness) Document 

Document(s):

  • Manlove Notes. Provided by Jim Martin, originally from Louise Horton, lists some sources.

, Principal=Kezia Manlove, Principal=John Wheeler 
Note* DE, Son Mark was to achieve local prominence. Besides being a large landowner, he was deeply involved in colonial politics. First, we will review land transactions in h!s name to set the extent of his landholdings, after which we will discuss his political career and his family. His will of 1747 describes some of the land he owned. His home plantation was a tract called "The Exchange" on the main branch of the Murderkill River. He also had land in Dover Hundred and two lots in the town of Dover itself. A summary of transactions in Mark's name is perhaps the best way to show the extent of his holdings:
1735-183 acres in Murderkill Hundred
1735-200 acres "in the forest"
1735-800 acres on Bishop's branch
1735-300 acres on the north side of Jones Creek
1736-640 acres on Bishop's Branch In Murderkill Hundred. This was Dart of a trach called "Manloves Berry".
1739-Two transactions involving 200 and 150 acres in Mispillion Hundred.
1739-150 acres in Murderkill Hundred.
There are also a number of land records in which Mark Manlove sold land to his sons, but these will be discussed later. The above items are sufficient to show that Mark had considerable wealth in land.

Mark Monlove began his political career as an overseer of roads in 1707. By 1717, he was a Justice of the Peace in Kent County, remaining in that post until 1726. In 1727, he was elected to the Assembly of the Three Lower Counties on Delaware, a position he held off and on until 1745. In addition to these posts, he was a trustee of the Loan 0ffice for Kent County. The loan office was a colonial agency which issued paper currency backed by mortgages on property, in an effort to alleviate a shortage of gold and silver money in the colonies. Judge Richard S. Rodney, in his essay 'Colonial Finances
in Delaware", states his beiief that Mark was a trustee from the Office's inception in 1729 until at least 1741. There is a reference in the Assembly minutes of April 19, 1739 to Mark Manlove, "Surviving Trustee of the f!rst General Loan Office for the said county of Kent". In this instance, he and John Tilton, the other trustee, were ordered to pay certain charges brought about by an auditlng cornmittee, rather than having them paid from Loan Office funds. By 1746, Mark was no longer connected with the Loan Office.

Numerous other references to Mark Manlove shed some light on his responsibilfties as a member of the colonl al Assembly. His name is mentioned in several roll-call votes taken in the October 1740 session of the Assembly. He was involved in some manner in the ongoing boundry dispute between the Penn family and the heirs nf Lord Baltimore of Maryland. The minutes of October 22, 1740 meeting of the Assembly record a "motion made by Thomas Noxon and Mark Manlove Severally that they have been subpana'd to arpear at Philadelphia to Morrow to give evidence in an Affair between the
Proprietors of Pennsylvania and the Lord Baltimore--and desire the Leave of the House to go. . .“, which was granted. The minutes note that he returned to his seat In the Assembly on October 27. The published archives of Pennsylvania record Mark's deposition, in which he related his knowledge of the different streams and rivers flowing into the Chesareake and Delaware Bays. Mark also stated that his age was 61. On October 29 of the same year, reference to his responsibtlities as Trustee of the Loan Office recurs. Here, it definitely asserts that Mark had been Trustee since 1729. Mark's particular request wss for reimbursment for expenses incurred in travelling to Philadelphia to exchange Pennsylvania and New Jersey bills of credit for Delaware bills received in those colonies. After considerable debate, the Assembly granted him the sum of five pounds after a motion to want him ten pounds had failed. On October 24, 1741, he was appointed by the Speaker to be a member of a committee to revise and amend "such of the Laws of this Government as Stand in Need of revisal and Amendment as this House shall direct". Another petition by Mark, in 1741, for an allowance for his services as Trustee of the Loan Office was rejected by the Assembly. The Assembly met in March of 1742 to act on recommendations of the committee to revise and amend laws to which Mark had been appointed.

Mark Manlove seens to have had a mixed reputation. On August 5, 1735. Patrick Gordon, Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania and the Delaware counties, commissioned Mark Manlove and six other Kent Countians to organize and record all court and probate records . 0n the other hand, George Thomas, Governor of the colony in 1741, wrote to John Fenn, commenting on the work of Samuel Chew:
"Dr. Chew has long been settled in Kent County where he has done great service. The most dissolute people of the Government by a regular administration of justice have become the most orderly. The malignant party there too was headed by Mark Manlove and some more righteous friends, but removing them from the Magistracy has not only mended the people but mended them likewise."

Whether Governor Thomas' opinion of Mark Manlove is based on concrete evidence or on a clash of parties or personalities !s not known. We do know that Mark continued to serve In the Assembly after the governor's critical remarks.

Much can be learned about Mark Manlove's family through his will. He lived to be about seventy years old, and married twice. His first marriage was to Margaret Hart, about 1697. She was the daughter of Robert Hart III and Margaret Cordray, his wife. She was the daughter of Josias Cordray (d. 1679). who was son of Benjamin (d. 1684). Both the Hart and Cordray families had also moved north from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Mark married a second time to Ruth Curtis Rodney, daughter of John Curtis and widow of William Rodney. Because Mark's second marriage did not take place until later in his life, it is likely that all of his children were by his first marriage. There were five sons and at least one daughter: Absalom, William, Ebenezer, Mark, Gideon and Ruth. Ruth married Caleb Hunn, son of Nathaniel Hunn. All of the children, except Gideon, left issue.

Mark Manlove's will reveals the division of his huge landholdings. Son Absalom was given a tract on the north side of the Murderkill, where he was living at the time. This land was bounded by a tract which had previously been deeded to son Ebenezer, and land which had belonged to his late son William. Sons Absalom and Mark were jointly willed a tract of marsh, probably along the Delaware Bay, and two lots in the town of Dover. Son Gideon, possibly under age at the time of his father's death, was to have use of the proceeds of the sale of a tract called "Moldsfield". It was stated that the money was to be ratained for Gideon's use. Grandson Nathan, son of son Mark, was given two tracts called "Heither's Adventure" and "Edmund's Choice", plus part of another tract. Grandson Matthew, son of Absalom, was given a part of "Moldsfield" not reserved for Gideon's use. Mark, son of Ebenezer, was given two hundred acres in Dover Hundred. Other grandchildren were given Items other than
land. Grand-daughter Eunice, daughter of Mark, was given a Negro slave. William, son of William, was given five pounds cash. Finally, grand-daughter Keziah Wheeler was given a cow. The residue of the estate was given to the executors: sons Mark, Absalom, and Ebenezer. The will was witnessed by Semuel 3ussee Sr., Samuel Bussee Jr., George Brown, and Mary Bussee. It was probated on January 8, 1749.

An Interesting aspect of Mark Menlove's will is the opening statement, wh!ch reads almost like a confession of faith. Many wills have a brief reference to the Creator, but few are quite this extensive:
"I Mark Manlove of Kent County on Delaware, being well stricken in years, and knowing all men are born to die, do make and ordain this my last will and testament, in mamer and form following, that is to say: First and principally, I assign my soul into the hands of Almighty God who gave it, hoping for a joyful resurrection at the great day of judgement; believing all things that among all kindred, tongues and people shall be saved. But this I confess that after the day many men call --?-- so wnrship by the God of my fathers believing all things that are written in the scriptures are truth that are necessary for salvation, and that the Bible was writ by holy men that were inspired by the Holy Spirit. . .”
The original copy of the will is in poor condition and is difficult to read in many places. Thr punctuation is almost obliterated. But the thrust of Mark Manlove's testimony is clear; he wished to affirm his faith in God, and in the truth of the Scriptures. Because many Manloves appear in Quaker records, it has been assumed that all of them adhered to that faith. Many Manloves, however, joined military units, a practice opposed by most Quakers. It is also possible that Mark Manlove was influenced by the religious revival of the 1740's the Great Awakening.

An inventory of Mark Mnnlove's estate was completed by January 1749. Appraised by Thomas Clark and Waitman Sipple, Mark's estate was worth 414.18.7 pounds, a substantial estate in that time. The inventory reveals that he owned seven slaves, although one was described as old, and two were children. He also left a sizable amount of livestock, including cows, oxen and pigs. His estate also Included farm products such as bacon, cheese, and grains. His personal estate included furniture, teble-ware and books. Such items show clearly that Mark was in the upper level of his society, as would be expected of a countv office-holder and legislator. Although Mark Manlove and other Delaware planters did not compare in wealth to their Virginia counterparts, Mark's was a substantial estate which indicated a comfortable lifestyle.

See appendix in Manlove Family for inventory done upon death and important sources.2 
Birth*1677 Somerset Co., MD1 
Marriagecirca 1697 Sussex Co. or Kent Co., DE, Principal=Margaret Hart1,3 
Marriage*after 1712 DE, Date is a pure guess. Manlove history states: Mark married a second time to Ruth Curtis Rodney, daughter of John Curtis and widow of William Rodney. Because Mark's second marriage did not take place until later in his life, it is likely that all of his children were by his first marriage., Principal=Ruth Curtis3 
Death*8 January 1749 Kent Co., DE1 

Family 1

Margaret Hart
Marriagecirca 1697 Sussex Co. or Kent Co., DE, Principal=Margaret Hart1,3 
Children

Family 2

Ruth Curtis
Marriage*after 1712 DE, Date is a pure guess. Manlove history states: Mark married a second time to Ruth Curtis Rodney, daughter of John Curtis and widow of William Rodney. Because Mark's second marriage did not take place until later in his life, it is likely that all of his children were by his first marriage., Principal=Ruth Curtis3 

Citations

  1. [S1] Louise Horton, Genealogy of the Wheeler - Millikan and Allied Families (n.p.: n.pub., 1970).
  2. [S69] Bruce A. Bendler, The Manlove Family (n.p.: n.pub., 1987), pg. 33-39.
  3. [S69] Bruce A. Bendler, The Manlove Family (n.p.: n.pub., 1987), pg. 36.
  4. [S69] Bruce A. Bendler, The Manlove Family (n.p.: n.pub., 1987), pg. 37.