Sketches of the Early History of Maryland

This slender volume of the history of Maryland by Thomas Waters Griffith (1767–1838), which begins in 1634 and ends in 1814 during the War of 1812, contains a surprising amount of detailed information. “In the year 1634, Leonard Calvert, appointed Lieutenant-general and Governor of Maryland, by his brother Cecelius, Lord Baltimore and proprietary, George Calvert, another brother, and about two hundred colonists, having sailed from England the year before, and wintered in the West India islands, landed and fixed themselves on the north side of the Patowmack river, a few miles from the mouth of it, and called the place St. Mary’s. … Prince George’s county was laid off in this year [1695] by an act of assembly; from this Frederick county was taken in 1748; Queen Ann was erected in 1706; from which, and part of Dorchester county, Caroline was taken, and Harford from Baltimore in 1773; Worcester being taken from Somerset in 1742, all by different acts, made the sixteen counties existing at the commencement of the revolutionary war. … The population of Maryland, including eleven counties, at the commencement of the century, is stated by Holmes at twenty-five thousand; which it is supposed, was exclusive of the blacks, and perhaps of all other servants; although there were still Indian settlements at Piscataway. … The effects of this war [War of 1812] upon the State of Maryland, are too recent to be forgotten. The British landed on Patuxent in 1814, and captured the seat of general government, but failed in an attempt upon Baltimore soon after.”

A Chronological List of the Sovereigns of England, the Proprietaries, and Governors During the Proprietary Government of Maryland and an Errata page complete this work.

Thomas W. Griffith

(1821), 2025, 5.5" x 8.5", paper, 84 pp.

ISBN: 9780788448140

101-G4814