Robert Hastings

On Dec 20 1717, Robert Hastings (as Hastin) had a tract of land surveyed for him in Somerset Co., MD called "Betty Margery" for 50a and a patent was granted on Sep 10 1724 (SoCert:0326). This land is located in the modern landscape about 3/4 of a mile north of the MD/DE line at the town of Delmar between Alternate US Route 13 and the railroad and just reaches the south border of where the old Delmar Drive-In Theatre was located (2018). It is an interesting name for a land tract - Betty Margery - perhaps Robert Hastings had daughters Elizabeth and Margery for which he named the land, or other members of his family. He would of have to have been age 21 or older for this so, his birth year would be 1696 or before.

Robert Hastings (various spellings) shows in the Somerset County Tax Lists from 1723 to 1740 in Wicomico Hundred (except 1739). He adds children in his household as William (1731), Benjamin (1735) and Robert Jr. (1738). He disappears after 1740 as the portion of the county where he is living converts to Worcester in 1742 (and there is no surviving list for 1741).

On Mar 11 1757, Robert Hastings sold the "Betty Margery" tract to his son John Hastings, planter, for 40 shillings current money of Maryland. This transaction was witnessed by Isaac Handy and William Winder. On Apr 6 1757, John Hastings paid two shillings as an alienation fine on the said land. (SoLR-B:167) This MAY indicate that Robert Hastings had died between Mar 11 and Apr 6 1757 or simply that John was catching up on old land fees.

Robert married Elizabeth Scott about 1715 in Somerset Co., MD. (Elizabeth Scott was born about 1697 in Somerset Co., MD.)