School: Maryland
Funkstown The Washington County Court Minutes of April 1801 shows him as a native of Germany, gunsmith by trade, residing in Funkstown and naturalized in 1799. On April 9, 1799, William Steel, an orphan of Washington County, was bound to John Brent for 3 years to learn gunbarrel making. On September 3, 1798, he purchased from Daniel Kline lot No. 163 in Jerusalem Town, which was later changed to Funkstown. The April 1801 term of the Washington County Court reveals Brant and Christian Hawken had legal actions against one another. Again, in the February 1802 court term there was more litigation between the two. No doubt these actions were over compensation for rifle barrels. For additional information see, Maryland Longrifles Hartzler/Whisker.
