I came across an ancestor (John Burgin, born 1774), who was styled, John Burgan, Esqr., in the 1820 census. One never really knows what is meant by the term in “esquire.” I tend to think of lawyers, but apparently it is also used by certain Freemasons. Here is an article that describes usage of the term in more detail.

Esquire – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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