Many families across the United States have historical and genealogical links to our nation's capital, but probably would not recognize the names of these neighboring counties in Maryland which have been "home" to government workers and others for generations. With Washington, D.C., and Virginia to the south, Baltimore to the north, and the Chesapeake Bay to the east, this region draws upon a varied social, political, and historical background. The rich past of these ancient counties extends back to the first colonization of American shores.The first forty pages present a highly detailed history of the region, commencing with the people and events in colonial Virginia that led to the settlement of Maryland under Lord Baltimore. This section discusses the establishment of the early "hundreds," the Proclamation of 1653, the Battle of the Severn, the Quakers, the setting of the boundaries of the counties, and the names of officers of Anne Arundel County from 1650 to 1692. Officials of Howard County from 1847 to 1895 are also listed. The book consists mainly of the biographical section, which is brimming with genealogical information, gathered mostly from probated wills. This information includes the names of the heirs and often describes tracts of land bequeathed by the deceased. Names include: Ridgely, Dorsey, Hockley, Duval, Bowie, Burgess, Chew, Davis, Linthicum, Todd, Owings, Cockey, Beale, and many more. The book also gives biographical information about several governors, historical accounts of the Legislature of 1651, and descriptions of many interesting documents.
J. D. Warfield
(1905), 2008, 5½x8½, paper, index, 604 pp.
ISBN: 9780788402173
101-W0217
