John COURTS

                   Name Suffix: Sr. REFN1288 JOHN COURTS (1614-CA. 1702) (10th Great-grandfather of Kelsey Elizabeth Denkers) immigrated f rom England to Charles County, Maryland during or before 1637, and married Margaret Robinso n in 1645. Descendants and relatives lived in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee a nd elsewhere. JOHN COURTS, the first of the Courts family in America was baptized on October 16, 1614 , in Otley Parish, Yorkshire, England. Yorkshire Parish Register Society, vol. 33.  The Parish Registers of Otley, County York . Part 1, 1562--1672 (Leeds, 1908), page 39.  1614, John son of Francis Coate of Caley, bapt . the 16th of October. The General Assembly of all Freemen of Maryland was called by order of Lord Baltimore t o meet at Saint Mary's, Maryland on January 25, 1637. In the first days of the proceedings o f this Assembly it was stated that JOHN COURTIS, Planter of Saint Mary's, Saint George's Hund red failed to appear or to make it proxy. This is the earliest known record found in Americ a of JOHN COURTS. On the second day of the Assembly January 27, 1637, it was answered for JOH N COURTIS that he could not appear for want of passage on Saint Georges River. On January 29 , 1637, Captain Fleet presented a proxy for JOHN COURTIS. In February, 1637, JOHN COURTIS wa s made a member of the Grand Jury. At the twelfth meeting of the Assembly March 13, 1637, JOH N COURTIS was on of thetwenty-three members present. J. Thomas Scharf in his HISTORY OF MARY LAND stated that "The Constitution of this Assembly is one of the most interesting factsin the hi story of the country and it is easy to see in it the germ of all subsequent political organiz ation." On February 21, 1638, the twenty Freemen of Saint Georges Hundred selected one of thei r number to represent them in the first House of Burgesses. JOHN COURTIS was one of the ninet een men who signed thereturns of election.     JOHN COURTIS dropped the "is" from the spelli ng of his name as a member of the General Assembly in 1642 and when sworn to the Oathof Feal ty on September 12, 1647, his name was spelled COURTS. On June 3, 1649,the Court held at Sai nt Marys, Maryland, granted a cattle mark to JOHN COURTS. JOHN COURTS while on a stay in England married MARGARET ROBINSON on April 7,1645, in Ot ley Parish, Yorkshire, England. Yorkshire Parish Register Society,vol. 33. The Parish Registers of Otley, County York , Part 1, 1562-1672, page 164. Anno Domini 1645 Renig Dni Caroli Regis nostri Anglie Scotie et Hibernie fidiei defensor ies etc. vicesimo primo April: JOHN COUTES and MARGARET ROBINSON7 mo. Thus we learn that on the seventh day of the month of April, 1645, took place the marria ge of JOHN COURTS and MARGARET ROBINSON. MARGARET ROBINSON wasbaptized in Otley Parish, Yorkshire, England, on October 1, 1620. Yorkshire Parish Register Society, vol. 33. The Parish Registers of Otley, County York , Part 1. 1562-1672, page 48. 1620 October, MARGARET, daughter of Anthonie Robinsonbapt. first day. MRS. MARGARET ROBINSON COURTS was not mentioned in the will ofher husband, JOHN COURTS , and it is assumed that she died before the writingof his will. The births of three children of JOHN COURTS are recorded in the "Maryland Genealogical B ulletin", vol. January 1, 1930, page 28. (A) JOHN COURTS, son of JOHN and MARGARET COURTS, born February 19, 1655. (B) ELIZABETH COURTS, daughter of JOHN and MARGARET COURTS, born May 16, 1663. (C) MARGARET COURTS,daughter of JOHN and MARGARET COURTS, born January 15, 1665. (A) JOHN COURTS II married Charity Henley. (B) ELIZABETH COURTS married James Keech. She died leaving a will in St. Mary's County , Maryland dated October 13, 1718. (C) MARGARET COURTS--no further record.  The will of JOHN COURTS, Senior, of Charles County, Maryland, was dated January 27, 1697 , and was probated on December 13, 1702. Land patents to JOHN COURTS, Senior, Francis Pope and JOHN COURTS, their patent, 200 acr es. Calls for Popes Spring, Second B