John Hanson

 The USA is celebrating Presidents day this weekend. Who was the first President of the United States?  George Washington  (1732-1799) is everyone's first guess. In fact, the first President was John Hanson (1721-1783). WHO??? Is that? The Presidency did not exist as a position separate from Congress until the constitution created the role upon its ratification in 1789. He would be considered president of the Congress.

 John Hanson, born at Mulberry Grove Plantation, Maryland in April 1721 to Samuel and Elizabeth Storey Hanson. His parents were prominent and wealthy plantation owners from Marland. His father a land speculator, county official and delegate to the Maryland General Assembly, a career path that John would follow. Johns grandfather John was the first to set foot on U.S. Soil. He came from Sweeden/Norway and settled in Maryland. John began his political career in 1750 when he was appointed a sheriff. Seven years later, when he was 36, he was elected to the House of Delegates in Annapolis, where for 12 years he represented Charles County.

 In 1744 John married Jane Contee (1728-1812), Yes 84 years of age. She was the daughter of Alexander Contee, they had children  Catherine, Jane, Thomas,, Alexander, David, Elizabeth, James, John, William, Joseph, Samuel,  John, Peter, Grace. John died while visiting his nephew in Oxon Hill, Prince George County, Maryland.  He is said to be buried at Saint Johns Episcopal Church Cemetery. Fort Washington, Prince George’s County, Maryland. BUT he could have also been buried at Oxon Hill Manor. One of the archaeological surveys done in 1985 revealed the crypt and vault were there and the vault was sealed.   Two years later, the John Milner Associates dig discovered the vault “robbed and empty.”    Not long after, the crypt and vault were also no longer there. A 1993 photograph shows the mysteriously vanished, graded into a parking lot. If you know of the whereabouts of John Hanson remains, please contact Peter Michael via his web site listed below.  Otherwise, those who care will keep searching.Jane is also missing assumed to be buried in a mass burial in Mount Olivet after a reinterment Frederick's old Episcopal graveyard.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8291654

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hanson

https://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-articles-of-confederation/john-hanson-story/

https://www.amazon.com/Remembering-John-Hanson-Peter-Michael-ebook/dp/B006BG4PZ8/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=remembering+john+hanson&qid=1550534709&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

http://peterhmichael.com/PHMWebsite/Welcome.html

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/archive/remembering-john-hanson-vanished-discovering-hansons-grave/article_5d377353-5756-5d46-9546-1ee1050e04d4.html

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/economy_and_business/tourism/memorial-to-jane-hanson-an-early-first-lady-dedicated-at/article_7466bfea-2ab0-5086-bcf6-ea83ec45a7fb.html

There is a cemetery located on the property which was at one time a plantation called Mulberry Grove. This cemetery is sometimes called the Fergusson family cemetery as well. There are no Hanson buried there

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2404212/mulberry-grove-cemetery