John Disharoon Sr. ¹

In the Somerset Tax Lists, we find John with Michael in the earliest list for 1724 and dependent William Stevens. John Sr. disappears from those lists in 1740 as he is living in Worcester County (very close to the line but Worcester nonetheless in the modern day town of Fruitland, MD) when it was formed in 1742 (there is no 1741 Somerset list extant). However, sons John Jr., William and Michael Disharoon continue to show up in the lists through their end in 1759 because they were living firmly in Somerset.

John Disharoon had the tract "Come By Chance" surveyed for him on Jul 31 1713 for 85a. The tract is situated in modern day (2018) roughly from where St. Lukes and Division meet, out St. Lukes to where it hits Cedar Lane, then turns south to Meadow Bridge, then west to Brown Street Extended and then diagonals back to the intersection of St. Lukes and Division. 90% of the tract would end up in Worcester County in 1742, including the location of his dwelling house. His grandson George Disharoon inherited his house when John Sr.'s son John Jr. (George's father) died in 1761. John Jr. left it to George's brother Stephen but Stephen died young and the house reverted to George. It was on the Come By Chance tract. We get a clue to better locate that house when the "Come By Chance," "Disharoons Adventure" and other tracts were combined in 1801 by Joshua Morris to form "Morrises Conclusion." The first boundary of that land is located out St. Lukes Road a little past Brown Street where a new housing development now stands (in 2018) and that bound is described in 1801 as "the first bound of tract Come By Chance, a small distance east of the dwelling house where George Disharoon formerly lived." This is likely the old John Disharoon plantation dwelling house that George inherited and lived through his life and was located on the east side of Meadow Bridge Road just out from town past Brown Street in Fruitland.

In the March court of 1723, we find, "Ordered by the Court that John Disharoon Clear the road by William Cary's Plantation as he shall think fitt &c." (SoJ-1723/25:148)

On Jan ?? 1726, John Disharoon, planter, purchased the tract "Ascues Choice" from George Clifton, carpenter, and his wife, Mary (SoLR-GH:295). In the modern day, this tract runs along Passerdyke Creek bewteen Allen Road and US Route 13 along and south of the Somerset/Wicomico County, MD line. On Mar 2 1726, John Disharoon, planter, purchased 150a tract "Frizzells Enjoyment" from from Andrew Bashaw, planter. (SoLR-GH:309). This tract in the modern day straddles US13 just south of where the bypass comes back to meet it south of Fruitland, MD - it runs along Stockyard Road west of the highway and Jones Road to the east. On Apr 10 1726, John Disharoon and wife Margaret of Somerset and John Stevens with wife Frances of Sussex sold 150a of the 300a tract called "Coxes Fork" to William Oliphant (SoLR-TH:9)

John Disharoon was one of the Commissioners assigned to lay out the town of Salisbury, MD iin Somerset Co. as ordered by the court in 1732: "Mr. John Caldwell, Mr. Ebenezer Handy, Mr. Thomas Gillys, Mr. Isaac Handy, and Mr. John Disharoon, or any Three of them, shall be and are hereby appointed Commissioners for Somerset County aforesaid, and are hereby authorized and impowered, as well to agree for the buying and purchasing Fifteen Acres of Land out of the Tract aforesaid (Pembertons Goodwill), and such Part, not exceeding Fifteen Acres, as lies most convenient to the Water, as for surveying and laying the same out, in the most convenient Manner, into Twenty equal Lots, to be erected into a Town." (SoJ-1730/32:537)

In the March court of 1733, "Ordered that John Disharoon be Overseer of the road from the Long bridge to Thomas Breretons plantation &a." (SoJ-1733/35:138). In the March court of 1735/6 "John Disharoone Jun.r appointed Overseer of the Roads in Stead of John Disharoon Sen.r (for) Wickacomoco hund" (SoJ-1735/37:131)

On Jul 8 1738, John and his wife Margaret and Lewis Disharoon with wife Jane sold the 200a tract "Friends Good Will" to William Hayman (SoLR-EI:306). This land lies in the modern day as a strip of land beginning about where US business 13 intersects with Main Street in Salisbury, MD and extands to the SE all the way out to Schumaker Drive and Parkside High School.

John Disharoon wrote his will on Mar 19 1754 and it was proven in Worcester Co. but no date is given. (He states herein that he is near age 78)
- To son Michael, the plantation whereon he now dwells part of tract "Ascues Choice" with a division with my son John Disharoon. He also to get my (black)Smith's tools and one bond I have against him for £20 and one for £10.
- To son John, the plantation whereon he dwells, part of "Ascues Choice" and the dwelling plantation whereon I now live and the land on tract "Come By Chance" containing 85a, also negro woman Fancy, negro girl Joan and all their increase, one old negro man Coffey, one old negro woman Grace and my best set of wearing clothes of a dark color, a fine hat, a silk handerchief, one stock and stock buckle, pair of shoes and silver shoe buckles, and one pair of wistord stckings
- To son William, the plantation whereon he now lives, on tract "Frizzells Enjoyment" containing 150a of land and negro man Obing and negro child Ploynah
- To daughter Mary Dorman, negro girl Grace and negro boy Ben
- To daughter Betty Owens, negro girl Subbinah for Betty's life and afterwards to go to 3 grandchildren James, Sarah and John Collet
- To 2 grandchildren mainly John Waples and William, negro boy Jack
- To son-in-law Peter Waples, one shilling
- Rest of my estate to be divided among my children Michael, John and William Disharoon, Mary Dorman, Betty Owens and five of my grandchildren
- Appoint son John Disharoon as executor.
Witnesses: Joshua Porter, William Roach, Stephen Roach (WoW-1742/59:134, MdW-29:229)

John married Margaret Stevens, daughter of John Stevens and Unknown. (Margaret Stevens was born about 1682 in Somerset Co., MD and died before 1754 in Worcester Co., MD.)