Jonathan Plowman, Jr. - Father's Arrival in America

Father's Arrival in America

January 27, 1701 (1700 O.S.), Liverpool, England a young 12 year old Jonathan Plowman of Yorkshire, England found himself boarding the ship Robert and Elizabeth as an indentured servant the ship's captain known as a 'Master' was Ralph Williamson. The ship was bound for Jamestown, Virginia. Records from Jamestown, Virginia do not record his landing there. It wasn't uncommon for ships to not sale out of every single indentured servant and so the ship would move on to other colonial cities such as Baltimore, Maryland. At age 12 he may not have been a very attractive indentured servant. The next record of Jonathan Plowman Sr. is in Baltimore County, Maryland. Once in Baltimore County he met Ann Vickory Stevenson, a widow two years younger than him who also was born in England. She had a young son named Richard Stevenson Vickory(bef 1711-1737) from her first marriage to John Vickory then deceased. They were married in February 1713 O.S. (1714 N.S.). One year later on February 22, 1714 O.S. (1715 N.S.)they had their first child together, a daughter named Rachael Plowman who would go on to marry her cousin Richard King Stevenson. On February 25, 1716 O.S. (1717 N.S.) their son and subject of this article Jonathan Plowman was born. A third child, a son named John Vickory Plowman, was born about 1718. On March 30, 1747 at age 59 Jonathan Plowman Sr. died. By this time Jonathan Plowman had started his own business as a merchant in the newly created town of Baltimore established in 1729.

(Note: Dates marked O.S. for Old Style are from the Julian calendar which applies for dates before September 1752. Our current Gregorian calendar system for dates after September 1752 when Britain and its colonies around the world adopted it is translated for dates predating this by N.S. or new style.)