USA > Maryland > Anne Arundel County > Annapolis > The Ancient City.: A History of Annapolis, in Maryland, 1649-1887 > Part 2
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George Lynn Lachlin Davis says the town was originally intended to be erected at Greenbury's Point, and bases his opinion on the fact that the lots there were spoken of as the "Town Land at Green- bury's." The events that led to the subsequent selection of the present as the location of the town, have not been preserved.
Among those who had land surveyed in or about Annapolis at this. period, was Matthew Howard, whose lot was surveyed July 3, 1650, on "'ye south side of Severn river." Then came these allottments : For William Grouch, on Dec. 11, 1650, on "ye south side of Sev- ern river," for Thos. Todd, July 8, 1651, "on ye south side of Sev- ern river." "This," says the present Roll Book, t "is part of Annapolis Town, and part the Libertys begins at ye n. e. point of the town and extends along the river to ye first creek to ye west and then with back lines to ye beginning." Nov. 22, 1651, Locust Neck, on the south of the Severn, was surveyed for James Horner. Nov. 22, 1651, land was. surveyed for Nicholas Wyat ; Nov. 15, 1651, for Richard Acton, near * Bozman's Maryland, vol. 2, p. 659. t Vol. 1, p. 65.
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HISTORY of ANNAPOLIS.
Severn river ; Nov. 20, 1651, for Peter Porter, on the south side of Sev- ern river : Nov. 25, 1651, to Thomas Howell, on south side of Severn river ; Nov. 20, 1651, for James Warner, near Severn river ; Dec. 4, 1658, for Thomas Gott, on south side of Severn river, (afterwards escheated to the State and bought by William Bladen.) Nov. 3, 1658, John Norwood was given the title to tracts of land on the south side of the Severn ; Aug. 27, 1659, land was surveyed for Wm. Galloway, on the south side of Severn ; Nov. 2, 1659, for John Colier, on south side of Severn ; Dec. 16, 1661, for Saml. Ruthers, on south side of Severn river, near Howell's creek.
There were besides these many allottments on South river, one of which on Feb. 20, 1661, was of Wardridge, "for James Warner and Henry Ridgely, on the north side of South river, possessors of 200a., Coll. Henry Ridgely, 200a., ditto for his son Henry's orphans ; 200a. for Charles Ridgely." The tomb of a descendant of these Ridgelys remains to this day on the same spot, upon which the early Ridgelys first settled.
Thomas Todd's lot is the only one of the early settlers' allottments that can be recognized as part of Annapolis. The water front of his lot began at a point on the harbor line and ran up to the mouth of Spa creek.
The Puritans, who formed the nucleus of this colony, which was destined to rule the province, were with but few exceptions the sturdy sons of the English yeomanry. Warrosquoyacke county, or Isle of Wight, afterward called Norfolk county, Virginia, lying on the south of the James, was the centre of the Puritan district, from whence the settlers of Providence came. Edward Bennett, a wealthy London merchant, who had obtained in 1621, a large grant of land on the Nansemond river, south of the James, when he came to Virginia, had brought with him considerable company of Puritans. Edward Ben- nett was their patriarch, Rev. William Bennett, a relative, their spir- itual leader, and Richard Bennett, son of Edward, became the Moses of the Virginia Puritans when they made their exodus from Virginia to Maryland .¿
Descended from this hardy stock of sturdiest English, indoctrinated in the tenets of their austere faith, inheritors of trials and persecutions, their subsequent rebellious and courageous conduct in Maryland was the natural sequence of their blood, religion, and education.
Soon after their arrival at Providence, Gov. Stone urged upon the tritans the oath of allegiance to Lord Baltimore, which he told them f they did not take, they must have no land, nor abiding in the ovince."
The Puritans peremptorily refused to take the oath of allegiance, haggling especially at the expressions "royal jurisdiction" and "ab- solute dominion," which latter "they exceedingly scrupled." They objected to the aoth, also, because "they must swear to uphold that government and those officers who were sworn to countenance and up- hold anti-Christ-in plain words expressed in the officer's oath-the Roman Catholic religion."
Lord Baltimore's friend, Mr. John Langford, very aptly replied to these objections that "there was nothing promised by my lord or Cap- tain Stone to them, but what was performed. They were first ac- 1 A Puritan Colony in Maryland, p. 7.
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"THE ANCIENT CITY."
quainted by Captain Stone before they came there with that oath of fidelity, which was to be taken by those who would have any land there from his lordship ; nor had they any regret to the oath, till they were as much refreshed with their entertainment there, as the snake in the fable was with the countryman's breast ; for which some of them are equally thankful. But it is now, it seems, thought, by some of these people, too much below them to take an oath to the lord pro- prietary of that province, though many Protestants, of much better quality, have taken it, and, (which is more than can be hoped for some of these men, ) kept it. As to the government there, they knew it very well before they came thither ; and, if they had not liked it, they might have forborne coming or staying there ; for they were never forced to either. The chief officers, under my lord there, are Pro- testants. The jurisdiction exercised there by them is no other than what is warranted by his lordship's patent of that province, which gives him the power and privileges of a count palatine there, depend- ing on the supreme authority of England, with power to make laws with the people's consent ; without which powers and privileges his lordship would not have undertaken that plantation, and have been at so great a charge, and run so many hazards he hath done for it." * * * "There are none there sworn to uphold anti-Christ, as Mr. Strong falsely suggests ; nor doth the oath of fidelity bind any man to maintain any other jurisdiction or dominion of my lord's, than what is granted by his patent. Though some of these people (it seems) think it unfit that my lord should have such a jurisdiction and dominion there, yet they, it seems, by their arrogant and insolent pro- ceedings, think it fit for them to exercise farre moreabsolute jurisdic- tion and dominion there than my lord Baltimore ever did ; nor are they contented with fredom for themselves of conscience, person and estate, (all of which are established to them by law there and enjoyed by them in as ample manner as ever any people did in any place in the world, ) unless they may have the liberty to debarr others from the like freedom, and that they may domineer and do what they please."##
So obstinately did these people refuse to comply with the obliga- tions they took to obtain an asylum in Maryland, they remained en- tirely outside the pale of lord Baltimore's government, and obstructed the formation of a county, for a year.
** Bozman's Maryland, vol. 2, p 371.
CHAPTER II. . FORMATION OF ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY.
[1650.] The Puritans of Providence by April, 1650, had recovered sufficiently from their scruples of conscience to elect delegates to the General Assembly, that convened at St. Mary's on the 6th of that month.
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HISTORY OF ANNAPOLIS.
The Governor's return from Providence was, "By the lieutenant, &c., of Maryland. The freeman of that part of this province of Maryland, now called Providence, being by my appointment duly summoned to this present assembly, did unanimously make choice of Mr. Puddington and Mr. James Cox, for their burgesses, I being there in person at the time."
The reconciliation effected by Gov. Stone promised to be perma- nent. The House chose Mr. James Cox, of Providence, their speaker, and the Assembly passed the following :-
"An Act for the erecting of Providence into a county by the name of Annarundell county.
"Be it enacted by the Lord Proprietary, by and with the assent and approbation of the Upper and Lower House of this Assembly, That, that part of the Province of Maryland, on the west side of the Bay of Chessopeack, over against the Isle of Kent, formerly called by the name of Providence by the inhabitants there residing and inhabiting this yeare, shall henceforth be created into a shire, or county, by the name of Annarundell county, and by that name hereafter to be ever called.""
It was probably so called from the maiden name of Lady Balti- more, then lately deceased, Lady Anne Arundel, the daughter of Lord Arundel, of Wardour, whom Cecilius, Lord Baltimore, had mar- ried.#
After the adjournment of the General Assembly, Governor Stone, in July, 1650, visited Providence, and organized it into a county, under the name of Anne Arundel.
A commission was issued by the Governor to "Mr. Edward Lloyd, gentleman," appointing him "to be commander of Anne Arundel county, until the Lord Proprietary should signify to the contrary." James Homewood, Thomas Meares, Thomas Marsh, George Pudding- ton, Matthew Hawkins, James Merryman, and Henry Catlyn were, with Commander Lloyd, appointed commissioners of the county.
The commission of Commander Lloyd gave him, with the approval of the other commissioners, the right to issue "warrants and com- missions, and for all other matters of judicature, with whom you, Commander Lloyd, are to consult in all matters of importance con- cerning your said county."
Commander Lloyd's duties, as by his commission declared, were "to call and appoint courts to be kept within and for the said county ; in which courts you, the said commander, or your deputy, (being one of the said commissioners,) with any three or more, of the said com- missioners there present from time to time, to hold pleas, and finally to determine all causes and actions whatsoever, civil, happening or arising between any of the inhabitants of the said county, of what value soever, saving and reserving to all and every, the inhabitants of said county and others, liberty of appeal from the county court to the provincial court, in any civil cause or action to the value of £20 sterling or 2,000fb tobacco, and upwards, the party so appealing first putting in sufficient security to the said county court to beanswerable for treble damages in case the order of judgment of the said county court made in that cause, shall happen to be confirmed upon hearing by the provincial court ; and also to hear and determine all matters
* Ridgely's Annals 0%, Annapolis, p. 37.
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"THE ANCIENT CITY. "
criminal, happening and committed in the said county, which may be heard by justices of the peace in any county in England, in their courts of session, not extending to life or member, and further to do, use, and execute all manner of jurisdiction and authority whatsoever, for the conservation of the peace within the said county, as any jus- tice of the peace in England may, or ought to do, by virtue of his commission for the peace ; further likewise authorizing you the said commander, or your deputy, to elect and appoint all necessary officers for the execution of justice and conservation of the peace there, with allowance of such fees as are usually belonging to the same or like officers in Virginia ; and to do all other things and acts, which shall be necessary for the execution of the powers and jurisdiction hereby committed to you."t
This commission was signed by Gov. Stone at Providence, July 30, 1650.
The day before the above was issued, Gov. Stone had given a com- mission to the Commander of Anne Arundel authorizing him "to grant warrants for land within the said county to adventurers or planters, according to his lordship's conditions of plantation, whereupon such land shall happen to be due to such adventurers or planters respec- tively." "The warrants, together with the particular demands or as- signment upon which the same shall be granted, to be entered upon re- cord by his lordship's secretary of the said province."
Though the political storm had calmed, all was not well in the infant colony. The Indian was still a near neighbor, and though generally peaceable, his savage nature had displayed itself in the murder of some of the citizens of the new county in a most cruel and inhuman manner.
These murderers were supposed to be Susquehannocks, a powerful and war like tribe, who inhabited all that section which extends from the Patuxent to the Susquehanna river on the Western Shore, and all that part that lies between the Choptank and Susquehanna rivers on the Eastern side of the bay.
To punish the murderers and their abettors, the General Assembly of 1650, enacted that "Whereas, certain Indians these last year have most wickedly and barberously murthered an English inhabitant of the county of Kent and other inhabitants likewise since, in Anne Arundel county, Be it therefore ordered, that the Governor, with the advice of the council, or the major part of them, shall have power, in case such Indians, who have committed such barberous and wicked murders, shall not be sent in, after demand made of them, to the government here to receive such punishment as is due for such offence, to press men, and to appoint such allowance for their pay, and to make war upon the nations of Indians refusing to deliver up those of- fenders as aforesaid, as in in his and their best discretion, shall be thought fit ; the charge of which was to be laid by an equal assess- ment on the persons and estates of all the inhabitants of this province."
No account has come down to us of the result of these preparations, although the silence of our records raises the presumption that the traditional peace of the colony with the Indians was also unbroken in this case.
Meanwhile, with the usual activity of Englishmen, the colony carried on a brisk trade with those Indians whose peaceable methods led them in the avenues of barter and exchange.
t Bozman's Maryland, vol. 2, p 408.
# Lozman's Maryland, vol. 2, p. 409.
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HISTORY OF ANNAPOLIS.
CHAPTER III. THE PURITANS REFUSE TO SEND DELEGATES TO THE LEGISLATURE OF 1651.
The Puritans who settled at Annapolis, were a restless set with itching ears, who seemed never so satisfied as when they were in open opposition to the powers that were.
The General Assembly of 1650 had modified the oath of allegiance to Lord Baltimore, carefully expunging the objectionable phrases "absolute lord" and "royal jurisdiction." In their place was inserted "that they would defend and maintain all such his lordship's just and lawful right, title, interest, privileges, jurisdictions, prerogatives, propriety, and dominion over and in the said province, &c., not any wise understood to infringe or prejudice liberty of conscience in point of religion."
This, for a time, tranquilized the settlers at Providence, but the next year, 1651, when they were called upon to send delegates to the General Assembly, they peremptorily refused.
The reason for. this refusal has not been preserved, but it is generally thought it was because the Puritans believed that the pro- prietary government would be overthrown by Cromwell, who was steadily advancing to power.
Lord Baltimore heard of the conduct of the Puritans with just in- dignation. Under date of August 20, 1651, he wrote to "William Stone, Esq., his lieutenant of his said province of Maryland, and to his right trusty and well-beloved, the Upper and Lower Houses of his General Assembly there, and to all other his officers and inhabitants of his province," expressing his "wonderat a message which he under- stood was lately sent by one Mr. Lloyd, from some lately seated at Anne Arundel within his said province of Maryland to his General Assembly. held at St. Mary's in March last, and his unwillingness to impute either to the author or deliverer thereof so malign a sense of ingrati- tude and other ill-affections as it may seem to bear; conceiving ra- ther, that it proceeded from some apprehensions in them at the time, grounded upon some reports in these parts of a dissolution or resigna- tion here, (in England) of his patent and right to that province." After declaring these rumors to be false and, referring the Puritans to Mr. Harrison, their former pastor, who was then in England, for the truth of his assertions, Lord Baltimore added, "in consideration of a better compliance from these people with his government there for the future, he should not any further expostulate, or make any further reflection on that message, till further occasion given him by them, and if such admonition did not prevail, then that he would make use of his authority, with the assistance of well-affected persons, to compel such factious and turbulent spirits to a better compliance with the lawful government there." He accordingly willed and required "his lieutenant to proceed with all such as shall be for the future re- factory on that kind ; and in case any of the English inhabitants of that province should at any time hereafter refuse or neglect to send burgesses to our General Assembly there, being lawfully summoned for that purpose, he wills and requires all the members of the said Assembly, which shall lawfully meet upon such summons to proceed,
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"'THE ANCIENT CITY."
as they ought, as they may lawfully do, in all business belonging to the General Assembly there, notwithstanding any such refusal, or neglect as aforesaid, and to fine all such refusers or neglectors accord- ing to their demerits ; and moreover, in case of their persistency in such refusal or neglect, then, that they be declared enemies to the public peace of the province, and rebels to the lawful government thereof, and be proceeded against accordingly."*
The conduct of these Puritans was especially ungrateful, since, re- ceived by Lord Baltimore when professors of the Protestant relig- ion had refused them domicil, their asylum in Maryland had cost Lord Baltimore the enmity of Charles II, then in exile upon the continent. So great was the displeasure of the young king, that Lord Balti- more had given the Puritans a settlement in Maryland, that he, the natural friend of the proprietary, in spite of Lord Baltimore's un- doubted right to name his lieutenant in the province, appointed Sir William Davenant, Governor of Maryland, alleging in the commission that Davenant was so appointed "because the Lord Baltimore did visibly adhere to the rebels in England, and admitted all kinds of sec- taries and schismatics, and ill-affected persons in that province."t
* Bozman's Maryland, vol. 2, p. 416.
+ Same p. 410. -
CHAPTER IV. THE ANIMOSITIES OF THE OLD WORLD TRANSPLANTED IN THE NEW.
[1649.] In 1649, when Charles I was executed, Thomas Greene, who was acting Governor during the absence of Governor Stone, caused the Prince of Wales to be proclaimed in Maryland as the "un- doubted, rightful heir to all his father's dominions." This proclama- tion was issued on the 15th of November, and on the same day an- other was published "to further the common rejoicing of the inhabi- tants upon that occasion," declaring a general pardon to all the in- habitants of the province, who had committed any criminal offence .*
This proclamation and the general rejoicing were not in consonance with the sentiments of the Puritan adventurers on the banks of the Severn, and this latent feeling was exhibited in their refusal to send delegates to the General Assembly, and, a little later, a more forcible- proof of their political animosities was given.
The cause of the commonwealth triumphant in England, Cromwell turned his attention to the American plantations, and commissioners- were sent out to take possession of all that were unfavorable to the Protector. Maryland was not named in the Act of Parliament, but Lord Baltimore's enemies contrived to have that colony mentioned in the instructions to the commissioners.
* Ridegly's Annals of Aunapolis, D. 35.
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HISTORY OF ANNAPOLIS.
Richard Bennett and the notorious William Claiborne, who had given so much trouble to the infant colony of Maryland, were two of the commissioners.
[1652.] In March, 1652, at the head of an armed force, the com- missioners entered Maryland. They proposed to Governor Stone and the council of the province, "that they should all remain in their places, conforming themselves to the laws of the commonwealth of England in point of government only, and not infringing the Lord Baltimore's just rights." Governor Stone and the balance of Lord Baltimore's officers of government "declared that they did in all hu- mility submit themselves to the government of the commonwealth of England, in chiefe under God."
From the proposition, however, to issue writs in the name of the commonwealth instead of Lord Baltimore, Gov. Stone and his coun- sellors "desired to be excused, because they did conceive the parliament intended not to divest the Lord Baltimore of his right in his province, and that they understood out of England, that the Council of State intended not, that any alteration should be made in Maryland ; that the King's name was never used heretofore in said writs, but that they had always been in the name of the lord proprietary, according to the privileges of his patent ever since the beginning of that plantation."
"Whereupon," says Mr. John Langford, "the said commissioners demanded of Captain Stone the Lord Baltimore commission to him ; which he showed them ; and, then without any other cause at all, they detained it, and removed him and his lordship's other officers out of their employment in the province under him, and appointed others to manage the government of Maryland, independent of his lordship."
Bennett and Claiborne ordered "that all writs, warrants, and process whatsoever, be issued forth in.the name of the keepers of the liberty of England ; and that they be signed under the hand of one or more of the council hereafter named, viz :- Robert Brooke, Esq., Col. Francis Yardley, Mr. Job Chandler, Captain Edward Windham, Mr. Richard Preston, and Lieutenant Richard Banks."
The new council, or any two or more of its members, was empow- ered to hold courts, and to direct and govern the affairs of the province.
Thus the disaster, that Lord Baltimore, by his personal intercession with parliament, had been able to ward off in the legislative branch, was consummated by his enemies through the executive power of the Council of State.
Maryland reduced to subjection, the commissioners returned to Virginia, where Bennett was made Governor, and Claiborne, Secre- tary of State.
Handsomely provided for in Virginia, the commissioners visited Mary- land to rivet more firmly their hold upon it. Discovering that Gov- ernor Stone was exceedingly popular with the people, as well as affable to the commissioners, Bennett and Claiborne resolved to make him Governor once more. In order to justify their actions in ousting him at their previous visit, they declared, in their proclamation restoring Governor Stone to his office, and Mr. Hatton as Secretary of State, that these were left out of office "upon some misapprehension or mis- understanding, as they alleged, in that particular of issuing out writs and all other process whatever, in the name of the liberties of Eng- land by authority of parliament," that Captain Stone was "contented
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"THE ANCIENT CITY."
to reassume his former place." on condition that he might "reserve and save to himself, as also to the aforesaid Mr. Thomas Hatton, Robert Brooke, Esq., and Captain John Price, their oaths made to the Lord Baltimore, lord proprietor of this province. until the pleasure of the State of England be further known. "t
The proclamation bore date of June 28th. 1652.
t Bozman's Maryland, vol. 2, p. 447.
CHAPTER V. PROVIDENCE SENDS A PETITION TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE COMMONWEALTH.
[1653.] Whilst Maryland was made a shuttle-cock in the hands of opposing forces, the Puritans of Severn addressed a petition-
"To Honorable, Richard Bennett and Col. William Claiborne, Esqrs., Commissioners of the Commonwealth of England for Virginia and Maryland." It was styled: "The Humble Petition of the Com- missioners and Inhabitants of Severne, alias Ann Arundel county. sheweth." It read: "That whereas, we were invited and encouraged by Captain Stone, the Lord Baltimore's Governor of Maryland, to remove ourselves and estates into his province, with promise of enjoy- ing the liberty of consciences in matter of religion, and all other privileges of English subjects. And your petitioners did upon this ground, with great cost, labor, and danger, remove ourselves, and have been at great charges in building and clearing: Now the Lord Baltimore imposeth an oath upon us by proclamation, which he re- quireth his Lieutenant forthwith to publish; which, if we do not take within three months after publication, all our lands are to be seized for his lordship's use. This oath we conceive not agreeable to the terms on which we came hither, nor to the liberty of our consciences as Christians and free subjects of the Commonwealth of England: Neither can we be persuaded in our consciences by any light of God, or engagement upon us, to such an oath; but rather humbly conceive it to be a very real grievance and such an oppression as we are not able to bear; neither do we see by what lawful power such an oath, with such extreme penalties can by his Lordship be exacted of us who are free subjects of the Commonwealth of England, and have taken the Engagement to them. We have complained of this grievance to the late Honorable Councel of State, in a petition subscribed by us, which never received an answer, such as iright clear the lawfulness of such, his proceedings with us, but an aspersion cast upon us of being factious fellows ; neither have we received any conviction of our error in not taking the said oath, nor order by that power, before when our petition is still depending, to take it hereafter; neither can we believe that the Commonwealsn of England will ever expose us to such a manifest and real bondage (who assert themselves, the main-
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