Tom McCabes Genealogy 2022

From the Maryland Archives

Acts of October 1712, Ch. 24. An act for Naturalization of ... and Ambrose Nelson of Baltimore County, planter;

Be it Enacted by the Queens most Excellent Majty by & with the advice & consent of her Majesty's Council & Assembly of this province and the Authority of the same, That .. Ambrose Nelson of Baltimore County, Planter, be in all things Adjudged, Taken, Reputed, had held and Governed as her Majesty's Natural born Subjects of this Province and that they and every of them, by the Authority aforesaid, be enabled and adjudged to all intents and purposes to demand & challenge, have, hold, and enjoy , any Lands Tenants, Rents & Hereditants, to which they or any of them might in other wise Entitled, as if they and every of them had been her Majestys free and Natural born Subjects and liege people of this Province ... (Passed, on November 15, 1712).

In 1712, Ambrose also appeared on a documented list of names of Jacobite Loyalists that were sold in "White Slavery" in Maryland (indentured most of the time for seven years, to pay for passage, allotted Land, etc.) His indenture years were undoubtedly circa 1665-1672 in service to Thomas Roper. At the end he received 50 acres of land and by 1677 he had sold this allotted land.

Source Code: 6157.35

From Harry Wright Newman's, TO MARYLAND FROM OVERSEAS: A complete Digest of the Jacobite Loyalists Sold into White Slavery in Maryland, and the British and Continental Background of approximately 1400 Maryland Settlers... Ambrose Nelson was listed as one of the immigrants.

[Annapolis, Maryland: Newman, 1982. Reprint. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1985, 1986, 1991. 190]

Probably from Scandinavia, likely Sweden. Ambrose arrived on the shores of Baltimore, Maryland, in about 1665. He appeared on a list of immigrants to the New World, who arrived by Passenger Ship, The South, from England.

From SUPPLEMENT TO EARLY SETTLERA by Dr. Carson Gibb, it appears that Ambrose came before 1677 as an indentured servant. [ Nelson, Ambrose, LL:626 Film No.,Of Anne Arundel County, service to Thomas Roper by 1677, Transcript. 15:439, MSA SC 4341]

Ambrose appeared on a Record of Land Patents, in 1677, of Anne Arundel Maryland. This is most probably the first property owned by Ambrose. It seemed to be common practice to give new Immigrants, of age, a 50 acre tract of land. The following is a typed version of the original Land Document, with the wording and punctuation, as it appeared::

Appears Ambrose Nelson and proved his rights to 50 acres of Land, for his time of service preformed in this Province. Know all men, by these present, that I, Ambrose Nelson, of the County of Anne Arundel, for valuable consideration to me paid, by John Thornton, of this same County, have afor given all my rights, title,and interest, for and to the rights for 50 acres of Land, due to me for my time of service preformed to Thomas Roper, to have and to hold the same to him, the said John Thornton, his heirs and assignees, forever wittness my hand and Seal the 27th day of September in the 2nd year of the document of Charles_________( compiler note; rest not legible). Note: Credit to Sue King for this copy,

1. A Quit Rent entry for Middle Neck 100, 1707 from MARYLAND HISTORICAL MAGAZINE: OWENS RANGE

162 A: Sur 15 Feb 1688 for Richard Owen in Anne Arundel Co Rate.--6..6 Possr Ambrose Nelson.

2. Ambrose NELSON, Baltimore Co., planter, with dower released by Martha NELSON, 15 Aug 1717, recorded 9 Oct. 1717, deeded for twelve pounds sterling, to Timothy WHITE, AA, planter, original grant of 26 Mar. 1696, to Richard OWINGS for \"Owings Range,\" adjoining Jabez PIERPOINT. By indenture of 5 Aug. 1690, OWINGS conveyed to Ambrose NELSON. This indenture is for 143 acres of \"Owings Range\" except for two acres at the bottom of a point on both sides of a branch sold to Jno. MARSH, intended for a mill by Wm. STEVENS, wit. by STEPHENS & Wm. GRIMES. (Via MarilynRoth58 21 Oct 2007)

From Genealogy.com:

ORIGINS OF AMBROSE NELSON (d.ca 1728), of Baltimore Co., MD by Charles Ward

A great deal has been written speculating on the origins of AMBROSE NELSON (d.ca 1728), of Baltimore County, Maryland whose will was dated 15 Aug 1717 and proven 12 Mar 1728.Some have stated he was from Sweden and some have denied such assertions.Although we know nothing specifically regarding his parentage, two facts are known which point to his origin. .... Ambrose Nelson, of Baltimore County, Maryland became a naturalized British subject in Oct. 1712 by act of the Maryland General Assembly. ...

A descendant of Ambrose Nelson, as given on the Nelson Familytreedna online site, has his Y-DNA identified as being of the haplogroup I-M253, which is found in its greatest concentration in Scandinavia, with a frequency of nearly 40 percent in Sweden. ... An argument citing onomastics has been cited indicating that the given name “Ambrose” isn’t found in Sweden, etc.I disagree with this assertion, even if someone in Sweden (cited as an authority) made such a claim.An examination of Swedish christening records of the mid-1600s clearly shows male children being christened with the given names of Ambrosius, Ambross, and Ambrus.See: .... The Act of Naturalization shows Ambrose Nelson was foreign born and the Y-DNA results of a descendant are consistent with a haplogroup frequently found in Scandinavia, particularly Sweden.The given names of Ambrosius, Ambross, and Ambrus can be found as given names bestowed on male children in christening records in Sweden dating from the mid-seventeenth century, around the time Ambrose Nelson would have been born.Although there is no definitive “proof” Ambrose Nelson was Swedish, there are certainly suggestive indicators that he possibly might have been.

Charles Ward CMW12635@aol.com

In document DESCENDANTS OF AMBROSE NELSON, found on Internet:

In another probate record, of Baltimore County, it was noted that by March 12, 1722, Ambrose Nelson had died, leaving a Will. (Compilers Note: It would be a pretty accurate assumption, that Ambrose passed away by early March of 1722. In a Family History of Baltimore County, Dated March 12, 1722, it indicated Ambrose Nelson, Deceased.] Most abbreviated records show a date of August 15,1717; March 12, 1728, but this only means August 15, 1717 as filing or recording of Ambrose's Will, and the date, March 12, 1728, is when Martha Probated original will, son Ambrose Jr. to be Executor, after her death.

MARYLAND CALENDAR OP WILLS 118

Nelson, Ambrose, Baltimore Co., 15th Aug., 1717; 12th March, 1728. To wife Martha, 200 A. dwell, plan. ''Smith's Range'' during life, 50 A. excepted. ** grandson Ambros Johnson and hrs., 50 A. of af sd. tract; he dying without issue, to granddau. Ruth Johnson and hrs.; and personalty at age of 21. ** 5 child*, viz. Ambrose, Richard and John and daus. Martha Pinkston and Sarah Frissel, dwell, plan. afsd. at decease of wife (for div. see will). ** dau. Sarah Johnson, 10s.

Wife extx. and residuary legatee. Test: Timothy White, Phillip Tennerly, Richard Young, Jr. Note: Vide further probate. Lib. 20, page 118, anno. 1730.

19, 704.