On June 20, 1749, Daniel Barnett and Peter Mirer purchased the 170-acre tract of Broad’s Improvement (MSA 1749). Both Mirer and Barnett were listed as farmers in the deed. A review of the remaining Baltimore County land records and deed books indicates neither Barnett nor Mirer owned any other agricultural properties within the county prior to purchasing this property from John Hunt. Prior to purchasing the 170-acre Broad’s Improvement, Daniel Barnett purchased two one-acre lots (Lots 30 and 31) within the newly founded Baltimore Town from Charles Carroll (MSA 1748) (Figure 10). The lots were located on the southwest corner of present-day intersection of Baltimore and South Charles Streets. For Peter Mirer, the Broad’s Improvement tract was the only parcel he ever purchased within Baltimore County.

On April 13, 1752, Barnett sold his interest in Broad’s Improvement to his partner, Peter Mirer. In return for complete ownership of the 170-acre tract, Mirer paid Barnett £190, the original price both men paid Hunt three years earlier. Although not stated explicitly in the deed, it appears Barnett’s role in original 1749 purchase was that of financier. Mirer likely wanted to purchase the tract himself, but at the time could not afford the full sum Hunt was asking. As a result, Barnett financed Mirer the difference. By 1752, Mirer could apparently afford to pay his debit and as a result, Barnett relinquished his stake on the property.

After Daniel Barnett divested himself of his interest in Broad’s Improvement, he placed the majority of his resources in Baltimore Town. By 1752, Barnett owned two tracts within the town. On the same day Daniel Barnett acquired Lots 30 and 31, his brother, Lenard Barnett, purchased Lot 27, which adjoined Daniel’s Lot 30 on the south side of present-day Baltimore Street. By 1761, Daniel Barnett purchased four additional lots within Baltimore from the Carroll family (MSA 1761b). They included Lots 158, 159, 160, and 162 and were located near the present-day intersection of North Charles and W. Saratoga Streets. That same year, Barnett purchased a three-acre tract of Cole’s Harbor which was located in close proximity to Carroll’s Baltimore Town (MSA 1761a). Barnett paid between four to six pounds for each of the six town lots and £30 for the three-acre parcel of Cole’s Harbor.

Shortly after acquiring the parcel of Cole’s Harbor and the four town lots, Daniel Barnett sold several parcels. Records of the transactions appeared in the land records and it appears Barnett made a tidy profit in the process (Table 1). In addition to his lucrative real estate venture, Barnett also owned several businesses in Baltimore. Baltimore County deeds associated with his various real estate transactions refer to Daniel Barnett as both a cooper and a publican (innkeeper). The only lot Barnett did not sell is Lot 30, located at the corner of the present-day intersection of E. Baltimore and S. Hanover Streets, suggesting he likely operated both his cooperage and tavern on that parcel. The adjacent parcel, Lot 27 which was originally purchased by Barnett’s brother, Lenard, was sold in 1751 (MSA 1751). By that time, Lenard had died and the property was passed to his son, Charles Barnett, a cooper from Pennsylvania. On September 19, 1751, Charles Barnett sold Lot 27 to Vitus Hartway for £20. The deed of transaction indicated that Hartway resided on the property for the previous three years as well as operated a saddlery on the premises. Such an establishment would have complimented Daniel Barnett’s neighboring tavern.

Peter Mirer and his wife, Sarah, were likely the sole occupants of Broad’s Improvement during their ownership. The couple likely settled on the property shortly after Mirer and Barnett purchased the tract from Hunt in 1749. It is unclear where Peter and his family chose to make their home on the large tract. It is possible the simply resided in the same home the Broad family built on the property and Hunt leased out to tenants. On the other hand, that structure was likely several decades old by the time Peter Mirer assumed ownership and it wouldn’t have been out of the question if Peter chose to build a new home on the tract.

Peter and Sarah Mirer remained on the Herring Run farm for approximately nine years. On April 19, 1758, the couple sold the property to George Nicholas Miers (Myers or Meyers) for £250 (MSA 1758). It is unclear what became of the Mirer family after they sold Broad’s Improvement as they do not appear in any additional land records or patent records for the county. Like John Hunt before them, Peter and Sarah Mirer may have removed to another county or left Maryland altogether.

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References

Maryland State Archives (MSA)

1748    Baltimore County Court Land Records Liber TR C, folio 6. On file at the Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland.

1749    Baltimore County Court Land Records Liber TR C, folio 236. On file at the Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland.

1751    Baltimore County Court Land Records Liber TR D, folio 218. On file at the Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland.

1752    Baltimore County Court Land Records Liber TR D, folio 332. On file at the Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland.

1753    Baltimore County Court Land Records Liber BB I, folio 369. On file at the Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland.

1758    Baltimore County Court Land Records Liber B G, folio 149. On file at the Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland.

1760    Baltimore County Court Land Records Liber B H, folio 166. On file at the Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland.

1761a  Baltimore County Court Land Records Liber B I, folio 7. On file at the Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland.

1761b  Baltimore County Court Land Records Liber B I, folio 193. On file at the Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland.