Origins of Caroline County, Maryland, from Land Plats; Volume 1: Denton, Greensboro, and Willow Grove
Denton, Maryland: Eleanor F. Horsey, 1974. Printed for Private Distribution by the Author. Hardcover. xii, 176, [4] pages. Footnotes. Cover has minor wear and soiling. Chapters include Origins of the Town of Denton; Origins of the Town of Greensboro; Willow Grove; and The Land-Plat Method of Research. Also includes Appendix A.--Tracts Comprising West Denton; Tracts Surrounding Choptank Bridge; West-Side Tracts; East-Side Tracts; References for Chapters One, Two, and Three, and an Index. Also includes 18 illustrations and 12 tables. In the publication of this book, two objectives are attained. One is to report previously unknown facts about the origins of Caroline County on the Eastern shore of Maryland. The other is to describe the method by which these facts were developed, in particular because it is inherently a precise method of historical research but apparently one little used by historians. Caroline County was created via 1773 Maryland General Assembly legislation from parts of Dorchester and Queen Anne's counties. The county derives its name from Lady Caroline Eden, wife of Maryland's last colonial governor, Robert Eden. Seven commissioners were originally appointed: Charles Dickinson, Benson Stainton, Thomas White, William Haskins, Richard Mason, Joshua Clark, and Nathaniel Potter. These men bought 4 acres (1.6 ha) of land at Pig Point (now Denton) on which to build a courthouse and jail. Until the completion of these buildings, court was held at Melvill's Warehouse, approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of Pig Point. Elections and other business transactions were completed there. The first commissioner meeting was held on March 15, 1774, at Melvill's Warehouse. In 1777, court was moved to Bridgetown (now Greensboro), but in the interest of convenience, court was moved back to Melvill's. Disagreements arose concerning the permanent location of the county seat. The General Assembly reached a compromise in 1785 and ordered that 2 acres (0.81 ha) of land at Melvill's Landing should be purchased for a courthouse and jail. In 1790, the county court and its belongings moved to Pig Point. The Caroline County Courthouse was completed in 1797. The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Park Service is developing a site in the southern half of Caroline County dedicated to interpreting the Underground Railroad as part of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument. Condition: Very good.
Keywords: Eastern Shore, Maryland, Caroline County, Land Plats, Denton, Greensboro, Willow Grove, Land Patents, Mount Andrew, Pig Point, Choptank Bridge, Matthew Driver, Edward Lloyd, Henry Rousset, Knife Box Road, Burrsville, Peter Rich, Peter Harrington
[Book #82402]
Price: $125.00