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412 HISTORY OF MARYLAND.
defined in a very vague and loose way, which has since given rise to much inconvenience and confusion. The mode of erecting a county varied: the most of them
were created and defined by orders in council; others by Act of the Legislature.
Anne Arundel county was erected by legislative act in 1650; Prince
George's, in 1695; Queen Anne's, in 1706; Worcester, 1742; and Frederick,
in 1748. Charles county was erected in the same year as Anne Arundel, 1650,
by an order in council issued in compliance with an order of the proprietary
in the previous year, appointing Eobert Brooke to be " commander of one
whole county," to be "set forth round about and next adjoining the place he
shall settle in," " by such a quantity and number of miles, and such extent*
and circumference of ground as other counties in our said province, or as
•counties in Virginia are usually allotted and extended."1 This order was
rescinded in 1654, and the present Charles county erected four years later.
We need not, therefore, be surprised to find, as early as 1695, an act passed to
determine the boundaries of St. Mary's and Charles counties; and in 1698,
.another to ascertain the limits of Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, in
which the lines are fixed by marked trees, roads and private paths; while
again and again acts have to be passed for " laying out towns anew," owing to
the uncertainty of boundaries.
The first recorded commission for organizing the government of the
province, bearing date April 15th, 1637, authorizes Governor Leonard Calvert
" to appoint fit places for public ports for lading, shipping, unlading and
discharging all goods and merchandises," and also " to erect and establish
convenient places for the holding and keeping of fairs and markets."2 It
seems that succeeding governors exercised similar powers; for it is not till
1683 that we find any action of the legislature in the erection of towns;
though, in 1671, the commissioners of county courts are empowered by act of
assembly to levy taxes on tobacco to defray the expenses of the county; and in
1674 an act is passed for providing each county with a court-house and
prison.3 Doubtless, justice had a local habitation in the counties long before
this, for, in 1663, acts were passed for furnishing each county in the province
with a pillory, stocks, ducking-stools, and irons for branding malefactors.
Long before the mineral wealth of the region at the head of Chesapeake bay
was known, the fine estuaries and harbors of that country attracted the attention of settlers. Colonel Utie's settlement on the island named by him Spesutia,
["Utie's Hope"] at the mouth of the Susquehannah, has already been mentioned, and in 1659 patents were issued to him conferring lands described as
being within the limits of Baltimore county, which is the nearest approach we
can make to the date of its erection. Its bounds we find first laid down in a procla-
1 Bozman, p. 377. The counties erected pre- erick, 1748; Harford and Caroline, 1773; Wash-
vious to the Revolution were: St. Mary's, ington and Montgomery, Sept. 6th, 1776; Alle-
1634 ; Anne Arundel, 1650 ; Kent, 1650 ; Cal- gany, 1789 ; Carroll, 1836 ; Howard, 1851;
vert, 1654 ; Charles, 1658; Baltimore, 1659; Wicomico, 1867; and Garrett, 1872.
Talbot, 1660; Somerset, 1666 ; Dorchester, 2 Bozman, p. 572.
1669 ; Cecil, 1674; Prince George's, 1695 ; 3 Bacon's Laws of Maryland.
■Queen Anne's, 1706; Worcester, 1742; Fred-
| Title | History of Maryland - 1 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000441 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | 412 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. defined in a very vague and loose way, which has since given rise to much inconvenience and confusion. The mode of erecting a county varied: the most of them were created and defined by orders in council; others by Act of the Legislature. Anne Arundel county was erected by legislative act in 1650; Prince George's, in 1695; Queen Anne's, in 1706; Worcester, 1742; and Frederick, in 1748. Charles county was erected in the same year as Anne Arundel, 1650, by an order in council issued in compliance with an order of the proprietary in the previous year, appointing Eobert Brooke to be " commander of one whole county," to be "set forth round about and next adjoining the place he shall settle in," " by such a quantity and number of miles, and such extent* and circumference of ground as other counties in our said province, or as •counties in Virginia are usually allotted and extended."1 This order was rescinded in 1654, and the present Charles county erected four years later. We need not, therefore, be surprised to find, as early as 1695, an act passed to determine the boundaries of St. Mary's and Charles counties; and in 1698, .another to ascertain the limits of Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, in which the lines are fixed by marked trees, roads and private paths; while again and again acts have to be passed for " laying out towns anew," owing to the uncertainty of boundaries. The first recorded commission for organizing the government of the province, bearing date April 15th, 1637, authorizes Governor Leonard Calvert " to appoint fit places for public ports for lading, shipping, unlading and discharging all goods and merchandises," and also " to erect and establish convenient places for the holding and keeping of fairs and markets."2 It seems that succeeding governors exercised similar powers; for it is not till 1683 that we find any action of the legislature in the erection of towns; though, in 1671, the commissioners of county courts are empowered by act of assembly to levy taxes on tobacco to defray the expenses of the county; and in 1674 an act is passed for providing each county with a court-house and prison.3 Doubtless, justice had a local habitation in the counties long before this, for, in 1663, acts were passed for furnishing each county in the province with a pillory, stocks, ducking-stools, and irons for branding malefactors. Long before the mineral wealth of the region at the head of Chesapeake bay was known, the fine estuaries and harbors of that country attracted the attention of settlers. Colonel Utie's settlement on the island named by him Spesutia, ["Utie's Hope"] at the mouth of the Susquehannah, has already been mentioned, and in 1659 patents were issued to him conferring lands described as being within the limits of Baltimore county, which is the nearest approach we can make to the date of its erection. Its bounds we find first laid down in a procla- 1 Bozman, p. 377. The counties erected pre- erick, 1748; Harford and Caroline, 1773; Wash- vious to the Revolution were: St. Mary's, ington and Montgomery, Sept. 6th, 1776; Alle- 1634 ; Anne Arundel, 1650 ; Kent, 1650 ; Cal- gany, 1789 ; Carroll, 1836 ; Howard, 1851; vert, 1654 ; Charles, 1658; Baltimore, 1659; Wicomico, 1867; and Garrett, 1872. Talbot, 1660; Somerset, 1666 ; Dorchester, 2 Bozman, p. 572. 1669 ; Cecil, 1674; Prince George's, 1695 ; 3 Bacon's Laws of Maryland. ■Queen Anne's, 1706; Worcester, 1742; Fred- |
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