He was mentioned in his father’s will.

Abraham was born in Harford County and inherited his father’s home plantation there but he was buried at West Liberty in Baltimore County. At the time of his death, he owned several properties including Talbott’s Hall where he lived. He bought Talbott’s Hall from his brother John Slade 28 Dec 1813 for $4000. It was 450 acres which John had acquired by patent in 1796.

1790. Abraham Slade lives in Patapsco Lower Hundred, BAL Co. There are only three people present but the headcount allows for Ann and Christopher.

1810. Abraham Slade lives in Mine Run Hundred now with a total of 11 people -- some of whom may be his siblings since his father has died. Son Christopher may be one of the males 16-25.

1820. Abraham Slade lives in ED5 and he and his wife are 45+. A neighbor is Christopher Slade.

1830. Abram Slade lives in the 5th Collection District and is 60-70 as is his wife.

1840. Two men named Abram Slade live side-by-side in District 4 BAL County. One is 70-80; the other is 40-50. The younger one has some kind of suffix to his name that looks more like Sr. but must say Jr.

Abraham Slade’s will dated 22 Nov 1825 proved 20 Aug 1847. He left household property to wife Ann. To son John, he left the plantation he (John) lives on and part of McClung’s Inheritance. To son Christopher the place he now lives on and part of McClung's Inheritance. To son Abraham, Mount Joy and part of Talbott's Hall. To son Thomas, the part of Talbott's Hall where he (Abraham) now resides and part of Mount Joy and part of Sutton's Delight. He left money to son Josias and daughters Ariel and Elizabeth.

Note that Abraham’s will was written before his son Christopher died and he bequeathed him land. Christopher, though, pre-deceased his father. Had Christopher survived to inherit McClung’s Inheritance, the twists and turns of the history of that land as it related to his and his wife’s ancestors would have made for a fascinating tale.

McClung’s Inheritance is a part of the story of quite a number of our ancestors. It’s history definitely involves people who were related, at least by marriage, to Abraham Slade but curiously his ownership of a part of the land had nothing to do with those relationships.

• The land was patented and given the name McClung’s Inheritance by Alice (Richardson) Johnson who married Christopher Mutchner, father of Abraham’s wife, Ann Mutchner. But neither Alice, Christopher nor Ann ever had any ownership stake in McClung’s Inheritance so that is not how Abraham came to own it.

• The early history of the tract is a little unclear, but it got the name McClung’s Inheritance when, as a result of the land being inherited by John McClung, it was assigned to and divided by John’s sisters when John died young without issue. That is how a part of it came into the hands of Mary McClung, one of John’s sisters and the mother of Delilah Creighton who married Abraham Slade’s son. But that was not the part of the land that Abraham came to own and that was intended to go to his son Christopher.

• The explanation behind Abraham's ownership of the land is really quite simple and is found in an 1817 deed whereby another of John McClung’s sisters (and her husband) sold their portion of the land to Abraham.

• I just find the idea of, say, Christopher Slade’s son contemplating the land’s history -- which involved, in one way or another, all of his grand-parents and some of their parents in so many different ways -- quite extraordinary.

There was a documented marriage record that in 1788, Ann Mutchner married Abraham Slade. Now if there were multiple families named Mutchner in Baltimore County at that time, I would worry that it would need to be further proven that Ann was Christopher’s daughter. But there weren’t -- just Christopher, no one else. Then there is the sale of land by Christopher and Philip Mutchner to Abraham Slade -- it doesn’t specifically say our son-in-law or brother-in-law -- but it clearly shows the connection of these people. I am certain Ann was Christopher’s daughter.

Abraham’s brother, Thomas, married Rachel Mutchner. The same logic pertains that Rachel just had to be Christopher’s daughter and since it was quite common back then for brothers to marry sisters, each fact reinforces the overall conclusions.

She lives with her husband in 1790-1840. In 1850, Ann Slade 2nd District BAL County MD is 83 living in the household of Thomas Slade 51 and wife Charlotte 49. [Abraham left his residence plantation Talbott Hall to son Thomas.] A neighbor is Keene Curry.

Ann lived barely long enough to be listed on the 1850 Census, the first Census to list every individual in a household and the first to ask a person’s birthplace. Ann, or someone answering on her behalf, said she was born in Pennsylvania. Her brother Philip, 13 years younger, said he was born in Maryland. Rachel, the oldest sibling of the three, did not live to 1850, so I have no idea how she might have answered the question.

Thus, there is this small hint that perhaps the idea of a Pennsylvania origin for Christopher has some merit. But that question in Census was not always answered accurately and in any event gives no suggestion of where in Pennsylvania to even begin to search.