USA > Maryland > Dorchester County > History of Dorchester County, Maryland > Part 12
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162
HISTORY OF DORCHESTER COUNTY
holders of Us and our Heirs as of our Manor of Nanticoke, of free and Common soccage by Fealty only for all manner of services yielding and paying therefore yearly unto us and our Heirs at our Receipt of St. Mary's at the two most usuall Feasts in the year, Vizt, at the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and at the feast of St. Michael the Archangle by even and equal portions of the Rent of 4 s. Sterling in Silver or Gold and for a fine upon every Alionation of the said Land or any part or parcel thereof, one whole year's Rent in Silver or Gold or the full Value thereof in such Com- odities as we or our Heirs or such Officer or Officers ap- pointed by us or our Heirs from this time to time to Collect and receive the same shall accept in Discharge thereof at the Choice of Us or our Heirs or such officers or officer a fd. Pro- vided that, if the said William Jones his Heirs or Assigns shall not pay unto us or our Heirs or such officer or officers a'f'd the said Sume for a fine before such Alienation, and Enter the said Alienation upon Record either in the Provincial Court or County Court where the said Parcel of Land lyeth within one Month next after such Alienation the said Alienacon Shall be void and of none Effect, Given at our City of Saint Maries under our great Seal of our Sd. Province of Mary- land the 6th Day of September in the 39th year of our Dom- inion over our Sd Province Annog Domi V 1673-
In Testimony, That the aforegoing is a true Copy taken from liber Vi, 14 folio 83 one of the Record Books belong- ing to the Land Office of the Province of Maryland. I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said office, 20th Day of September Annog Domini 1769
Test. WM. STEUART Clk Sd Office.
SOME OLD FERRIES.
Ferries were first established by Acts of Assembly. The first of record in Dorchester County was across the Chop- tank from Talbot County to Dorchester; the next, across the Nanticoke, from Dorchester County to Somerset. They were established for public convenience in 1671.
.
163
RENT ROLLS AND QUIT RENTS
In later years, as the county grew in population others were needed and in 1690, one was in operation between Cas- tle Haven and Clora's Point, on the Choptank River,-"sal- ary paid, four thousand (4,000) lbs. of tobacco, in casks."
In 1786 the ferry over Fishing Creek, to Hooper's Island, was kept by John Griffith for an annual salary of fifteen pounds. The required capacity of the boat was for carry- ing four men and four horses at one trip. At Crotcher's Ferry, John Sears was keeper-salary, twenty-five pounds. In 1787 a ferry over Chesapeake Bay, from Tar Bay, to the mouth of the Patuxent River, was kept by Richard Tubman- salary, fifty pounds. The ferry charge on a four-wheel car- riage, was one pound and fifteen shillings. In 1788 a ferry from Cambridge, over the Choptank to Talbot shore, was kept by Dan Akers, at a salary of fifty pounds.
In 1786 "The Court agreed with Elizabeth Travers, widow of Henry, to keep the ferry over Slaughter Creek, from the main to where the said Henry formerly lived, upon the fol- lowing terms, to wit; She is to keep constantly and in good order a sufficient boat that will safely carry six passengers and three horses at once, with two able bodied hands to attend the said ferry; and is to be allowed at the rate of thirty- seven pounds and ten shillings Current money by the year for keeping the same; and the Court have named in Current money, the prices of ferriages at the said ferry, for strangers, their horses and carriages at the following rates to wit :- 'For a single passenger. 6d .; for a single passenger and horse, Is .; for a two-wheel carriage, 2s., 6d .; for a wagon, 5s."
RENT ROLLS AND QUIT RENTS.
On all lands granted in Maryland, by the Lord Proprie- tary to settlers in his province under his "condition of plan- tation," he reserved an interest in each grant, and stipulated an annual land-rent to be paid by the grantee, for two pur- poses; the first was to satisfy a demand of allegiance to the Proprietary from the freeholders, for other claims of service as subjects of his Lordship's realm; and the second, though
164
HISTORY OF DORCHESTER COUNTY
small in separate charges, yet large in the aggregate,-was his source of personal revenue, which annually amounted to a handsome income.
During and after the Revolution of 1776, the quit rents were unpaid and became in arrears. Henry Harford's arrear claim on Nanticoke Manor and other lands in the county, at 18 farthings per acre, amounted to £4297, So, in No- vember, 1786.
ACADIAN EXILES FROM NOVA SCOTIA SCAT- TERED IN DORCHESTER COUNTY.
In 1756, when the entire colony of French "Acadians of Nova Scotia" was barbarously deported and distributed like cattle throughout the American colonies, three vessel loads were brought to Maryland, one of which was sent to Oxford for distribution in Talbot and Dorchester Counties. Their unexpected arrival and no preparation to receive and protect them in wintry weather, made strong appeals for pity and help from the benevolent people of the county whose charity saved them from starving at once.
At the April session of the Assembly, 1757, an Act was passed to empower the Justices of Dorchester and other counties to make provisions for their support to some extent. Somewhere in the old documents of the Court at Cambridge there must be an interesting record of what was done for those helpless people of various ages and different sexes who could not speak or understand English. Dependent on vol- unteer charity for bread and shelter, soon after their arrival, a broken-hearted mother, separated from all her family, died homeless and friendless in Dorchester County. Might she not have been the mother of Longfellow's "Gabriel" or somebody's "Evangeline?"
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS INCLUDING DORCHESTER COUNTY.
The Eighth Congressional District laid out in 1791 was made up of Dorchester, Somerset and Worcester Counties.
165
MEMBERS OF THE CAMBRIDGE BAR
The Fourth District for holding County Courts designated in 1796 embraced Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset and Wor- cester Counties.
In 1851 the first Judicial District was made up of Dorches- ter, Somerset and Worcester Counties. In 1868 Wicomico was included in the district.
SKETCH OF THE JUDICIARY.
The first courts in Dorchester County, from 1669 to 1791, were composed of leading or prominent men in the county, appointed by the Governor and Council under the title of Commissioners, but judicially known as Justices of the Quo- rum, and Justices who organized as a court at the time of regular court sittings. After 1791 to 1806, the law required that the chief justices should be lawyers by profession, and be assisted at county courts by two of the States Justices. In 1806 and thereafter the Bench was composed of professional lawyers. In 1851 the Bench under the Constitution was re- duced from three judges to one judge and made an elective office by the people. Under the Constitution of 1867, the three judge system was adopted, elective, and is still in force. Prior to 1851 the First Judicial District was the Fourth Dis- trict.
EARLY AND LATE MEMBERS OF THE CAMBRIDGE BAR.
In 1692 the first lawyers admitted to practice in the New Court, then organized at Cambridge, were: Philip Pitt, Ben- jamin Hunt, Charles Powell, and Gourney Crow.
In 1902 the bar numbers about twenty-eight attorneys at law, namely :
Sewell T. Milbourne, Col. Clement Sulivane, James W. Waddell, Robert G. Henry, Col. William O. Mitchell, James S. Shepherd, John R. Pattison, Emerson C. Harrington, Phillips L. Goldsborough, Thos. W. Simmons, Irving R. Mace, Joseph H. Johnson, William H. Barton, William Hur-
.
166
HISTORY OF DORCHESTER COUNTY
lock, Alfred Stewart, James Higgins, John G. Mills, Willard E. West, W. Laird, Henry J. Watson Thompson, Fred. H. Fletcher, T. Sangston Insley, Thos. E. Latimer, W. Hamilton Spedden, C. L. Northrop, and S. E. W. Camper, colored.
A TAX ON BACHELORS FOR THE KING'S REVENUE.
A committee was appointed by Act of Assembly, May, 1756, to make a report on the bills of credit and dues that remain for his Majesty's service, with the balance in the "Iron Pot," and revenues derived from various sources.
In the report made by Charles Dickinson, of Dorchester County, in the tax list were these items: "1756-to the 15th of October in the same year, £31, S16, do., batchelors; £55, S18, do., liquors."
The annual tax on each bachelor was levied according to financial worth, a single man twenty-five years of age or over, worth one hundred pounds, and not over three hundred pounds, was taxed fifteen shillings; if worth more than three hundred pounds, twenty shillings was the annual tax.
MARRIAGE.
Requirements for legal marriages interesting to those con- templating matrimonial union : ·
The laws of the State of Maryland require Ecclesiastical authority over "Matrimonial Causes" and prevents marriages from being a civil contract alone, some religious ceremony of legal recognition must be used. Maryland is the only State in the Union "that requires church consent to make marriage legal."
ROBERT MORRIS, PRICES OF MERCHANDISE IN HIS STORE AT CAMBRIDGE.
There is nothing disclosed in history of the early life of Robert Morris, who was one of the conspicuous figures of
167
ROBERT MORRIS' LEDGER
American history during the Revolution. But recently there has been found in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Dorchester County, an old ledger inscribed "Robert Mor- ris." It was discovered upon examination of the contents to have been the property of the father of the "Revolutionary Financier." "Robert Morris, Junior," as it appears in the ledger on a page dated 1748, was born in England in 1734, and came to this country when about ten years of age. In Philadelphia his teacher was evidently Mr. Robert Greenway, as there is an account kept in the ledger with him for "Rob- ert's schooling, books," etc.
Robert Morris, Senior, gives a sketch of himself in the led- ger as follows:
"Ledger B-1747.
"Belonging to and containing the accounts of the sub- scriber, son of Andrew Morris, Mariner and Mandline, his wife, of Liverpoole, in the county of Lancashire, in Great Britain, where the subscriber was born April the seventeenth day in the year of our Lord, one thousand and seven hundred and eleven. On the 17th of April, 1747, the balances trans- ferred from a Former Ledger into this, were justly due to and from
"ROBERT MORRIS."
He was a factor in Maryland of Foster Cunliff, Esq., & Sons, of Liverpool, England. He also managed three stores, one at Wye, Oxford, and Cambridge, respectively. The latter was in charge of Mr. John Caile, who at that date was Clerk of the Court, and into whose possession the ledger fell. At the death of Robert Morris, Mr. Caile inverted the ledger and used it as a fee book in his office.
From the following accounts kept by Mr. John Caile the prices of various merchandise may be seen :
168
HISTORY OF DORCHESTER COUNTY
Feb. 4, 1742 To amount of store per acct. sent home and received casks Amt. of Inventory of goods Do. Household goods, etc. Debts in Sterling Money Maryland Money I Tobacco 380000 a { Bals. Cash on Hand 633-13-2% Car 337% Paper Money 6300-18 a 120 Tob. 107 hhds. 97045 a ¿ Sloop "Oxford" valued at
Total Vt.
Sterling Money
2365 10 4X 184 0 0
188
409 10
1235 0 0
25 4 10
136 10
404 I
150 0 0
1746 Sept. 6
From Capt. John Mackeel, of the "Liver- poole Merchant," as per invoice, 30 Servants @ £ sd
150
00
00
1747 June I By Rev. Neil McCallum for Sundry Books as per Catalogue
27
5
0
By 14 Bbls. Pork, a Dr. Murray
42
O
0
Capt. John Johnson, for I Silver buckle
16
6
Loundes & Whaley, I Backgammon table
I
18
6
Capt. John Johnson, 3 Umbarellas
2
13
9
1747 Aug.
IO
By the "Cundiff," Capt. Johnson, 40 Tons Pigg Iron @ 54-10
180
00
00
Dec.
24
By the "Choptank," 12 Tons Pigg Iron
54
6 0
00
1749 June
27 To amount of sundry goods now in store % " Bill due me % 71. 13. 2 Currys at 100 % " 7 doz. Bags felt Hatts { % Box +++ " I Cornrick No. 62
48
3
6
35
16
7
3
II
9
I
17
O
Paper Money
6
S
d
1747 July I
Dr. To I light coloured b & C wigg For Mr. Wm. Goldsborough
3
10
O
Cr. By John Caile for cleaning his watch
17 0
Sterling
€
S
169
PAPISTS' LANDS
Paper Money
1748 Aug. 20
Dr. To I Cult velvet waistcoat raffled away at Cambridge
15
10
O
1750 April
5 Robert Greenway, teacher of Robert Morris To I Large China Punch Bowl 21/s " I Smaller
16/s
I
17
PAPISTS' LANDS.
List of lands held by Papists in Dorchester County, re- turned by Charles Dickinson, Collector of Quit Rents, to the Keeper of the Rent Rolls, in 1758:
Patrick Bryan
67 acres.
Charles Carroll
1,500
Henry Darnell (Portland Manor) 1,500
Joseph Griffith
63434
Joseph Goutee
6957%
Robert Griffith .
777
Hannah Griffith
167
Francis Harper .
148
Joseph Harper .
438
John Meekins, Jun.
574
Abram Meekins
186
Mark Meekins
90
Godfrey Megraw
153
Felix Summers .
245
Ramon Shinton
474
Ramond Stapleford
65134
Joseph Shinton .
391
Richard Tubman
130
William Shinton
267
€
S
d
9,0887% acres.
At this time the double tax on Catholics had been repealed.
Indian History.
CHAPTER XX.
DORCHESTER COUNTY INDIANS-BRANCHES OF THE ALGONQUIN FAMILY- DRIVEN BY THEIR ENEMIES FROM FORMER HOMES-TOOK REFUGE ON THE EASTERN SHORE PENINSULA - CHIEF TRIBE, THE NANTI- COKES-PECULIARITIES IN MEMORY OF THEIR DEAD-INDIAN CHIEF, "BILLY RUMLEY," AND HIS WHITE WIFE - ENCROACHMENTS BY WHITE SETTLERS - GRANTED RESERVATIONS BY THE LORD PROPRIE- TARY - EFFECT OF LIQUOR TRAFFIC UPON THE INDIANS - OTHER IMPOSITIONS-CONSPIRACY WITH THE "SIX NATIONS" TO MASSACRE THE WHITE SETTLERS IN 1742 - THEIR GRADUAL DEPARTURE FROM DORCHESTER COUNTY-REMNANTS LEFT DISAPPEARED BY INTERMAR- RIAGE WITH THE BLACK RACE.
Some of the Indian tribes and chiefs, branches of the Al- gonquin family (recognized by their language) that inhabited the Eastern Shore before America was discovered, lived in the territory now known as Dorchester County. There is much of thrilling interest that could be said of them and their descendants. They were first seen in 1608, by Capt. John Smith and his exploring party from Virginia, and later by the colonists of Maryland.
Many suns before the pale-faces came to invade their happy land of refuge, they had come to live on this peninsula, hav- ing been driven by the superior forces of other tribes from ancient homes long loved and well remembered, which in their traditional history, they periodically pictured on the surfaces of changing nature-wood, earth and stone-and impressed on the retentive memories of each rising genera- tion. One of the largest tribes in Dorchester County was the Nanticokes. In the story of their migration, their god (Manito), providentially helped them. Somewhere on their way they came to a great water; one of their guides that went before them tried the depth of it with a long pole and found it too deep for them to wade through. In their distressed
171
INDIAN TRIBES
situation and doubt about what course to pursue, their "God made a bridge over the water in one night and the next morning after they had all passed over, God took away the bridge."
The word Nanticoke seems to mean "tide-water people," and is derived from the name of one of the Lenape subtribes, Unalachtgo. They also had the name of Tiawco, and a Mohegan name was Otayachgo, which means "bridge peo- ple." They were skillful bridge builders and constructed bridges of floating logs made into rafts.
The Nanticokes, Abacoes, Wiwashes, Ahatchwhoops and other tribes in Dorchester County, claimed by their tradi- tions, Lenape of the Delawares, to be their grandfather, and the Mohegans their brethren.
They had a peculiar and sacred respect for their dead, the corpse was buried for some months and then exhumed and the bones carefully cleaned and placed in an "ossuary," called man-to kump (Manito), with the locative termination or rather signification, "place of the mystery or spirit." When these tribes moved from one place to another they carried the bones of their dead with them. When they left Dor- chester County about the middle of the eighteenth century and settled in Northern Pennsylvania they carried their sacred relics and buried them near the present site of To- wanda, Indian name, Tawundeunk, literally meaning "where we bury our dead."
Tradition says that one old Indian chief of the Wiwash tribe, who lived near "Goose Creek" in what is now called "Straits" District, adopted an English name for himself. "Billy Rumley," he owned a large tract of land and married (?) a white woman. They lived on the place, owned some years ago and occupied by James Robins; it is now owned and occupied by Capt. Henry W. Elliott. There the old chief was buried. When his tribe left for a northern home he refused to go with them. In that neighborhood it is told that that old chief sometimes punished his wife by placing her on the lubber-pole of his big chimney and then smoked her from a smouldering fire on the hearth below. This he
172
HISTORY OF DORCHESTER COUNTY
said was done "to make her sweet." Whether his purpose was to sweeten her temper or improve her hygienically, by his smoking process, to suit his peculiar tastes may still be a ques- tion for public opinion. Descendants of that chief and his English wife are said to be living at this time.
Soon after the formation of the county by white settlers along the coast line of the Bay and rivers, they began to ad- vance their outposts and lines of settlement towards the inte- rior and Indian settlements. Through a trading intercourse between the whites and Indians various disturbances and seri- ous disputes early occurred that led to the killing of several Indians and retaliation by them. They murdered several white persons and abducted some white children. These acts of violence almost brought on a war against the Nanticokes, then the most menacing tribe. However, every contention between the whites and Indians resulted in additional advan- tages for the whites, and a gradual withdrawing of the natives from the locality of the English settlements.
To avoid many possible difficulties in trading with the Indians, a privilege was granted every white inhabitant of Dorchester County to trade with them without license at Capt. Henry Tripp's house, in 1680. Previously, the Gov- ernor had issued special licenses to individual traders, who could go to the Indian camps and there trade, often selling them guns, ammunition and whiskey, in violation of the trad- ing regulations, which caused much trouble between the col- onists and natives.
In Kilteys' "Landholders' Assistant" he says: "The Indian inhabitants on the Choptank and Nanticoke Rivers on the Eastern Shore, became desirous of being secured in the pos- session of lands by grant from the Proprietary; that in conse- quence, a grant was made to the Choptank Indians in the year 1669, and one to the Nanticoke Indians in 1704, in respect to which a variety of provisions and modifications took place by subsequent Acts of Assembly, the most import- ant of which I shall here examine, confining myself to what has been done by law.
173
LAND GRANTS TO INDIANS
"In respect to the grant to the Choptank Indians, I cannot give a better account of it than by transcribing the Reverend Mr. Bacon's note on the law making that grant. The title only is given in his edition, being 'An Act for the continua- tion of peace with and protection of our neighbors and con- federates, Indians on Choptank River,' and the following is extracted from his remarks: 'This act on account of the fidelity of the Choptank Indians in delivering up some mur- derers, etc., settles upon them and their heirs for- ever, all that land on the south side of Choptank River, bounded westerly by the free-hold now in possession of William Dorrington and easterly with Secretary Sewalls' creek for breadth, and for length three miles into the woods; to be held of his lordship under the yearly rent of six beaver skins, and is confirmed among the perpetual laws of 1677, Ch. 2.
"By an Act of 1704, Ch. 58 (similar to an Act passed 1698, Ch. 15), the bounds of a certain tract of land were ascertained to the use of the Nanticoke Indians in Dorchester County, so long as they should occupy and live upon the same. This Act, after stating it in the preamble to be 'most just' that the Indians, the ancient inhabitants of the province, should have a convenient dwelling place, etc., and especially the Nanticoke Indians in Dorchester County, who for some years past had lived in peace and concord with the English, and in obedience to the government, proceeded to declare as follows :
" 'That all the land lying and being in Dorchester County, and on the north side of Nanticoke River, butted and bounded as follows: (Beginning at the mouth of Chicka- wan Creek and running up the said creek, bounded therewith to the head of the said main branch with a line drawn to the head of a branch issuing out of the North West Fork of Nanticoke, known by the name of Francis Anderton's branch, and from the head of the said branch, bounded therewith to the mouth of the same where it falls into the said North West Fork and from thence down the afore- said North West Fork, bounded therewith to the main river,
174
HISTORY OF DORCHESTER COUNTY
and so down the main river to the mouth of the aforesaid Chickawan Creek); shall be confirmed and assured, and by virtue of this Act is confirmed and assured unto Pan- quash and Amotoughquan, and the people under their government or charge, and their heirs and successors forever; any law, usage, custom, or grant to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding. To be held of the Lord Proprietary and his heirs, Lord Proprietary or Lord Proprietaries of this province, under the yearly rent of one beaver skin, to be paid to his said lordship and his heirs as other rents in this province by the English used to be paid.'"
These two reservations for the Indians in Dorchester County each contained about four thousand acres of land. In 1721 these lands were surveyed under a commission ap- pointed by the Governor and confirmed by an Act of 1723, Chap. 18. This Act gave free and uninterrupted possession to the Nanticoke Indians of all their lands on the Nanticoke and North West Fork Rivers so long as any of them remained there and did not totally desert and quit-claim it. They were deprived from selling or leasing any part of their lands. The same Act also applied to the Choptank Indians and their lands. Subsequent Acts show how the Choptank and Nanticoke Indians gradually surrendered their lands to the English invaders.
In the year 1705 some of the Indians threatened, by their actions, hostile movements against the whites, and Governor Seymour authorized Col. Thomas Ennalls of Dorchester County to make a treaty with the Nanticoke Indians. Articles of peace were agreed upon May the 19th, with the two chiefs, Ashquash, Emperor of the Nanticokes, and Winnough- quargno, King of the Babcoes and Ahatchwoops, and with Robin Hood, chief of the Indian River Indians, on behalf of his queen, Wyranfconmickonono, queen of the said Indians. In the treaty, Ashquash was required to pay yearly to Col. Ennalls, for the use of the Queen of England, four arrows and two bows to be delivered to the Governor "as a tribute or acknowledgement to her majesty and as a token of the con- tinuance of this peace." Other conditions of the treaty
175
PROCLAMATION AGAINST THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC
were that the Emperor Ashquash and his Indians should suf- ficiently fence in the cornfields, which should be planted by them, at least seven or eight logs high, also, as the English could not distinguish one Indian from another, no Indian was to come into any Englishman's plantation, painted, but should lay down their guns, bows and arrows and call aloud before they came within 300 paces of any clear ground.
The chiefs told Col. Ennalls that the English brought liquors and sold them to their people. "To break up this traffic the Governor issued a proclamation that the great men of the Indian towns, upon such liquors being brought thither, to brake and stave the bottles, casks and barrels, or over-set and spill such other vessels wherein such liquors shall be without being troubled to answer any complaint on that score." Much of the hard cider and brandy made from the fruits of the farmers' orchards in Dorchester County was sold to the Indians in violation of the Act passed in 1715, that for- bade "all persons from carrying liquor to any Indian town or within three miles thereof, and selling the same to any Indian under penalty of 5000 pounds of tobacco; or selling above one gallon of spirits or fermented liquor to any Indian in one day." This quantity of spirits was quite enough after all to make all the Indians drunk every day.
When the Indians were imposed upon by the English, they often appealed to the council of the province for redress. Tequassino, one of the great men, complained "that he sold a horse to an Englishman in Cabin Creek, the name of the man he did not know, but there was still due him on the horse eight matchcoats.1 The Council ordered the Sheriff of Dor- chester County to take into his custody Henry Thomas to answer the complaint for non-payment due on the horse."
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