| Notes |
- Born in Gisborough, Yorkshire, he was referred to as Captain and as a Gentleman. He died in St. Mary's County, Maryland.
By 1662 John was in St.George's Hd St Mary's County, Maryland and by 1666 in Charles County, Maryland. He had a plantation called Cool Springs, a manor named Westbury on the Wicomico, and the manor Ginsboro on the Potomac. This last seems to add circumstantial evidence linking him to the Yorkshire and Cambridge Dents. By 1672 John was at Chaptico Hd St. Mary's County, Maryland.
“Perhaps no family of Southern Maryland is better known than the Dents. In the formative days of the Province it produced some of the most prominent and outstanding colonial subjects of Lord Baltimore and the Crown. The early members were conspicuous for their public services.
On May 26, 1662-63 Thomas Dent, born circa 1630 in Gisborough, Yorkshire appeared at the land office in St. Mary’s City and proved rights to land. “Came Thomas Dent of St. Mary’s County, Gentleman and proved his rights to 600 acres it being due him for transporting 12 persons (including John Dent) into the Province to inhabit.” On March26, 1673 he again entered his rights for John Dent, four others and himself for land due him. Therefore the Surveyor General issued a warrant “to lay out for Thomas Dent 300 acres return 30, September next.”
It is noted here that he twice proved headrights for a John Dent. It seems reasonable to believe that both were for one and the same man. Settlers returning to England for a temporary period were not infrequent. At least one of these John Dents was certainly the Captain John Dent who later appeared as an important personage in St. Mary’s County.
It has been claimed that Thomas and John were brothers. No facts have been found to establish that relationship. The two led separate lives in the province and were not connected in business nor were there any matrimonial alliances between the two families. John was undoubtedly the son of Thomas’ brother William. He was too old to be the son of Peter Dent of Cambridge or of the even younger brother George. Peter was the name of the sons of both Thomas and John thereby giving much credence that both settlers were descended from the second and third Peter Dent of Gisborough.
Further, a memorial plaque to the Reverend Hatch Dent which is installed in the Dent Chapel at Charlotte Hall Military Academy reads as follows: “Reverend Hatch Dent, son of Hatch and grandson of Captain John Dent of Yorkshire, England, and one of the early settlers of Maryland was born May 1757 and died December 30,1799. Hatch was an honored officer in the army of the Revolution of 1776 and an eminent teacher and Minister of the Church, ordained by Bishop Seabury in 1785.”, a memorial plaque to the Reverend Hatch Dent which is installed in the Dent Chapel at Charlotte Hall Military Academy reads as follows: “Reverend Hatch Dent, son of Hatch and grandson of Captain John Dent of Yorkshire, England, and one of the early settlers of Maryland was born May 1757 and died December 30,1799. Hatch was an honored officer in the army of the Revolution of 1776 and an eminent teacher and Minister of the Church, ordained by Bishop Seabury in 1785.”
“Captain John Dent, Gentleman born 1645/1651, died 1712, possibly settled in Maryland as early as 1658 but probably not before 1662. He was claimed as a headright by his (uncle?) Thomas in 1663.
John returned to England and came back to Maryland in 1773 where his relative Thomas claimed headrights for him a second time for additional land. There are definite indications that John married in England and left a wife and children there. His first wife is reputed to be Mary Schercliffe, born 1647, daughter of John Schercliffe and Anne Spinke. John and Mary’s children were Peter and Abigail. Captain John Dent had a warrant for a tract named “Promise” which was surveyed by Richard Edelen on September 26, 1673, and was located adjacent to “Baker’s Rest” and the lands of Edward Swann and Richard Marshall.
An exact quotation from the Land Office liber 18 folio 193. “Cecilius, Absolute Lord and Proprietor of the Province of Maryland and Avalon, Lord Baron of Baltimore etc.-To all persons to whom these presents shall come - greetings in our Lord God Everlasting. Know you that we for and in consideration that John Dent of Charles County in our said Province of Maryland hath due unto him 140 acres of land within our said Province, 40 acres due unto him for remainder of a warrant for 200 acres to him formerly granted and 100 acres by assignment from Giles Wilson and Nicholas Clemens for their time of service performed within our said Province as appeared upon record 1674. Witness: Son Charles Calvert Esquire, our Captain General and chief Governour of the Province.
A careful reading will show that Wilson and Clemens had been indentured servants of John Dent and had assigned their land rights to him. John is believed to have been a widower at the time of his second entry into Maryland. Two of his children by his first wife, Peter and Abigail are named in his will. Peter was still living outside the Province in England when John died. Abigail is believed to have come to Maryland in 1677 when John Harris proved rights for 50 acres of land for the transportation of Abigail Dent. Before 1678 John married Mary Hatch, daughter of John Hatch who was an employee of the William Cloberry Company and associate, employee or servant of William Claiborne who managed the company’s interests on Kent Island at the site of the very first English settlement in Maryland.
John Dent, like his father-in-law, and unlike his relative Thomas Dent seems to have been a liberal. He escaped impeachment during the Fendall Rebellion despite indications that he was involved in it. During Council investigations on October 12, 1682, Thomas Perry of St. Mary’s County made several references to him. Perry stated, “if he (Dent) declared all that he knew against Fendall and which he (Dent) heard Fendall say at his (Dent’s) father-in-law’s (Hatch’s) funeral he could have handed him.” He was also a witness against Fendall in 1682.
In the trial of Captain Fendall, a onetime Governor of the Province, John Dent was summoned by the Prosecution. On the witness stand he related how quite recently he had met with Captain Fendall “who after mutual salutations passed between them asked him how he did and told him he was glad to see him.” Then according to Dent the following conversation ensued:
Fendall: What news?
Dent: I live in the forest, where we have little or no news stirring.
Fendall: What? Do you hear no news of the Indians and the Papists joining with the Senaca Indians? Have you not heard of a track of two Indians lately seen in the snow? Do you not hear what my Lord has done?
Dent: No, What is it?
Captain Fendall then recounted how he had been forced “to flye his house” for fear that Calvert might arrest him. In order to prevent the conspiracy between the Catholics and the Indians, Fendall said he thought it would be a good idea to seize the Proprietor and all his officials. At the end of their talk together, Dent said that he had told Fendall that his remarks were “plain rebellion and so we parted.” William Fendall heard Dent make this last remark and asked why? Since he was Justice of the Peace he had not at once notified the Proprietor of these treasonable words. As a matter of fact, continued Fendall, Dent himself had told him of the alleged plot, “and how Dent has inverted the scene and to save him self throws it upon me.” Fendall was later found guilty and fined 40,000 pounds of tobacco.
John Dent became one of the leading planters in Maryland and held many offices of trust under the Lord Proprietor. In 1670 he and James Walker were appointed by the court to appraise the estate of Walter Beane. On November 9, 1673 he patented “Promise (see above). In 1674 he patented another 60 acres in Chaptico Hundred in St. Mary’s County that became his dwelling plantation named “Barnaby.” Before his death he had accumulated by purchase or inheritance an estate in excess of 3000 acres.
On August 13, 1678 John Dent and his wife appointed Richard Edelin their attorney to convey the right and title of “Promise” to Richard Ashman of Charles County. John was a commissioner and Justice of the Peace for St. Mary’s County in 1679, 1680, 1684 and 1685. He served in the war against the Indians at Susquehanna Fort in 1681. In November 1683 he was commissioned to purchase land for, and to lay out towns for the advancement of trade in St. Mary’s County. In 1689 he was commissioned to raise a troop of horses from Chaptico Hundred and was made a Captain at a session of the General Assembly. In
1689 he signed a petition to Their Majesties William and Mary and identified himself as “a dutiful and loyal Protestant subject.” In 1690 John Harrison of Charles County named John Dent executor of his will and principal heir. The will on page 56, Md. calendar of wills reads as follows:
John Dent of St. Mary’s County executor and residuary legatee of the estate of John Harrison of Charles County, dated 5 December 1690, probated 30 May 1705, real and personable property including “Harrisons Adventure” and, 215 acres “Providence.” In event of sale of latter not being confirmed to Edward Greenhalge it is devised to Mr. Dent as also all land in Correctoman, Virginia 3.483 (acres ?). Dent in the administration of this estate showed that Harrison removed to Virginia and had no personal estate in Maryland.
In 1691 he was appointed a member of the King’s Council by King William. In 1692 John Dent became one of the first vestrymen of the newly organized of King and Queen Parish incorporated by William and Mary from the parish land bordering the eastern bank of the Wicomico River in Chaptico Hundred. In 1693 he was referred to as Captain of the Proprietary Forces and was designated to regulate military affairs in Chaptico Hundred in 1694. He was Justice of the Quorum and vestryman of King and Queen Parish in 1694.
On November 24, 1698 the vestry of All Faiths Church ordered the Parish to purchase 50 acres of land from Captain John Dent for 25 pounds. This land “near a fountain of healing waters” is the site of the Charlotte Hall Military Academy. John Dent had six children by Mary Hatch. His will dated September 25,1711 was admitted to probate in St. Mary’s County on May 5, 1712 as follows:
To son John and heirs 200 acres “Cumberson”; 60 acres “Barnaby”; 300 acres “Reading”; 100 acres “Evans Addition”; house and lot at Newporttowne; 215 acres “Providence”; 200 acres “Pearly Progress”; 250 acres “Harrison’s Adventure” and all land given testator by will of John Harrison excepting 50 acres “Haphazard” (total 1325).
To son George and heirs 50 acres ’Haphazard” and 324 acres “Greenstone Point”
To daughter Mary and heirs “Ashman’s Freehold”
To daughter Lydia and heirs 100 acres “St. Anne’s”
To daughter Anna and heirs “St. Stevens” and 200 acres “Coldman” and 100 acre“Evan’s Reserve”
To daughter Abigail (by his English wife) and heirs 136 acres “Loves Adventure”
To daughter Christina and heirs 331 acres “Coldwells”; 25 acres bought out of “Trentforke”; 200 acres of
“Horserange”. Should said daughter die without issue that land is to revert to the heirs of the testator.
In the event son Peter by his English wife coming in to the Province to settle he is to have a portion of lands devised to son John, also part of “Horserange” and half of “Freestone Point” To wife -personality and joint executrix with son John.
An inventory of John’s personal estate was taken on May 5, 1712 with George Dent and Samuel Turner signing as nearest of kin. His widow and son John rendered an account to the Court on April 5, 1713 when all children were declared of age. Mary Hatch Dent died intestate during 1726 at an advanced age. The inventory of her personal estate was taken June 2, 1726 with George Dent and Samuel Turner signing as kinsmen.” [2]
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1640 - 1712 (72 years)
[4, 5, 6] 
