Hon. John Dorsey [son of Michael] ^{1 2 3}

  Research Notes:

There were apparently two men named John Dorsey, and both may have held the rank of colonel during the Revolutionary War.

From Revolutionary Patriots of Anne Arundel, p. 50:

"Son of Michael Dorsey and Ruth Todd... John was a prominent figure during the Revolutionary War. He was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Elk Ridge Battalion under Col. Thomas Dorsey in 1778..., and one of the Justices who administered the Oath of Allegiance in 1778... He is probably the John Dorsey who took the Oath of Allegiance before Hon. Reuben Meriweather on March 2, 1778... He served on the Committee of Observation in 1775, and a Delegate to the Maryland Convention in July, 1775..."

Ibid., p. 51:

"DORSEY, JOHN (OF MICHAEL). He was one of the petitioners to the Convention of Maryland to form an independent rifle company in July, 1776 (Ref: B-3). He served on the Committee of Observation in 1775 (Ref: F-222. Note: See the information contained under John Dorsey, of John, q.v., regarding the Oath of Allegiance in 1778)."

Ibid. pp. 50-51:

"DORSEY, JOHN, OF JOHN... He also took the Oath of Allegiance before Hon. John Dorsey on March 12, 1778, according to Source R-184, which cites as its source The Maryland State Papers, Red Book, Part 4, Item 155. However, this published list appears to be in error as the original lists show the name as 'John Dorsey of Ml.', which would indicate John Dorsey of Michael, not John. If such is true, then this entry belongs to him, q.v.)."

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This person may be the John Dorsey found in the following, although some or all could be the other one (John Dorsey, 1736-1810).

From Inhabitants of Baltimore County 1763-1774, pp. 7-8:

"DELAWARE HUNDRED, 1763

[Among those listed are:]
Dorsey, Charles
Dorsey, Lanslot
Dorsey, Andrew
Dorsey, Edward
Dorsey, John, Qtrs
Wells, Valentine

Ibid., pp. 16-23:

"INDEX TO AQUILA HALL'S ASSESSMENT LEDGER, 1762-1765

Aquila Hall was High Sheriff of Baltimore County and after Harford County separated from Baltimore County in 1773 he was appointed Colonel of Militia and one of the Lord Justices of the new county of Harford from 1774 to 1779. While serving as Sheriff of Baltimore County he compiled a tax assessment ledger of 145 pages which named 1,380 persons, their land tracts, and their assessments... Its index contains the following names...

"William Cockey,... Joshua Cockey,... Edward Cockey,... John Hammond Dorsey,... Caleb Dorsey, Bazil Dorsey, Edward Dorsey,... Caleb Dorsey,... Richard Dorsey,...John Dorsey,...Samuel Owings,... John Owings, Joshua Owings,... Sarah Owings,... Stephen Owings,... Samuel Owings,... Elijah Owings,... Henry Owings,... Christopher Randell,... John Ridgley,... Charles Ridgley, Jr.,... Capt. John Stinchcombe,... Nathan Stinchcombe,... Edmund Talbott, Thomas Talbott,... William Talbott's heirs, …Philip Thomas,... John Talbott, …Edward Talbott,... Samuel Underwood,... Benjamin Wells,... James Wells,... William Wells, James Wells, Jr.,... Charles Wells,... Elex Wells..."

Ibid., pp. 27-41:

"JOPPA COURTHOUSE PETITION OF 1768

"The petitions for and against the removal of the county seat of Baltimore County from Joppa to Baltimore Town in 1768 are discussed at length in the Archives of Maryland, Vol. 61 (Appendix). Notices were posted in January, 1768 at the door of the courthouse in Joppa, at the church door of St. Paul's Parish, at the church door of St. Thomas' Parish, at the church door of St. John's Parish, at the church door of St. George's Parish, at the door of the chapel of St. George's Parish, at the door of the chapel of St. John's Parish, and at the house called St. Thomas' Chapel in St. Thomas' Parish, by Absalom Butler and sworn to before the Honorable Benjamin Rogers. Notices were printed in English and German. Tabulations indicate that 2,271 voted for the removal of the courthouse, and 901 voted against it. (It should be noted that some signatures are missing due to the disintegration of the paper, and there also appears to be some who signed more than once.) Five years later, Harford County separated from Baltimore County and set up its court house at Bush (Harford Town) in 1774 and at Bel Air in 1782.

"SIGNERS FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE COUNTY SEAT TO BALTIMORE TOWN (1768)

"…Edward Owings…Charles Ridgely (son William)... (Petition endorsed by Jonathan Plowman)
"Elisha Dorsey... (Petition endorsed by Charles Rogers)
"…Alexander Wells, Nathaniel Owings...Stephen Hart Owings…(Petition endorsed by Alexander Wells)
"…Nathaniel Stinchcomb, Sr., Thomas Wells…Richard Wells…(Petition endorsed by Dr. William Lyon)
"...Lott Owings... Anthony Arnold... John Calvert (Petition endorsed by William Lux and Benjamin Rogers)
"…Richard Owings... William Cockey.(Petition endorsed by Joseph Cromwell, Sr.)
"... John Talbott (son Edward)... William Worthington…Larkin Randall…Bale Owings…John Fishpaw…Richard Cole…(Petition endorsed by John Merryman, Jr. and John Leet)
"…Benjamin Rogers…William Cole… (Petition endorsed in the Market Place by John Leets)
"…Edward Dorsey (of BC), Nicholas Dorsey, Jr….Edward Talbot… Vachel Dorsey... Christopher Owings, Richard Owings... William Arnold… Edward Dorsey (son John)... Lancelott Dorsey, Charles Dorsey (son Nathan), Ely Dorsey... Henry Dorsey... James Dorsey… Charles Dorsey… Nicholas Dorsey, Sr…. (Petition endorsed by George Ogg)
"…Edmund Talbott… (Petition endorsed by Thomas Jones)
"… Samuel Owings (of Thomas)… (Petition endorsed by Abraham Walker and Benjamin Rogers)
"… Samuel Dorsey, Jr.... (Petition endorsed by Moses Galloway)
"… Joshua Owings, Jr.... (Petition not endorsed)
"…Joseph Cole… John Hall (son of Joshua)… (Petition endorsed by Capt. Richard Richards)
"… Henry Dorsey, Jr. (Mutilated petition; at least five names torn away)
"… Henry Griffith Dorsey, Sr… Leakin Dorsey… Thomas Gist… (Petition endorsed by John Riston)

Ibid., pp. 57-60:

"A LIST OF TAXABLES IN DELAWARE HUNDRED, BALTIMORE COUNTY, 1773

"[Among those listed are:]
Dorsey, Edward; Edward Dorsey; John Goodlan; Wm. Shavens; William Price; Joseph Holdin; Comfort
Dorsey, Basel (Qtr.); Thomas Gilbert; Henry Gilbert…
Dorsey, Caly…
Dorsey, Nicholas; Abrim, Soloman
Dorsey, Charles (of Nich.); Joseph Chapman; John Carter; John Langley; George Miller; Absilam Frisel
Dorsey, Nicholas Jr.; William Aston; John Martin; Thomas Miller
Dorsey, John (Qtr.); Ka(?)es Conener; Edward Gattle; Thomas Giffiry; John Poe; John Mikes; John Cocks; Richard Williams; Harry Cater Cub
Dorsey, Ely (Qtr.); John Randle; Will; Joe
Dorsey, Ely...
"Owings, Richard (son of Samuel); Jamees Riley; John Highnmarsh; Timothy Philips...

From Inhabitants of Baltimore County 1763-1774, pp. 89-102:

"TAXABLES IN ST. PAUL'S PARISH, BALTIMORE COUNTY, IN 1774

"This list of taxables is recorded in Reverend Ethan Allen's book entitled Historical Sketches of St. Paul's Parish in Baltimore County, Maryland which he compiled in 1855. A copy is available in the Maryland Historical Society Library in Baltimore. Each person named therein is followed by a number which represents the number of taxables in his house. This list, in 1774, ony gives the household head by name. The list also contains names of persons in Rev. Dr. West's list in the year 1786/7, and these names (marked with an * asterisk) appear to have been in St. Paul's in 1774 as well.

"WESTMINSTER HUNDRED, 1774

"...*Col. John Dorsey,...William Richardson, carpenter, acct., Charles Ridgely, Jr. - 3,... Ridgely & Nicholson, acct., William Robinson - 0,...

  Noted events in his life were:

• Will, 28 Jan 1779.

• Probate: of his estate, 9 Mar 1779, Anne Arundel, Maryland, (United States).

John married Anne Dorsey, daughter of Captain Philemon Dorsey and Catherine Ridgely, about 1756. (Anne Dorsey was born on 2 Oct 1740 in Christ Church, Queen Caroline Parish, Anne Arundel, Maryland, (United States).)