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I. INTRODUCTION
The early government of Maryland was modeled after the Palatinate of
Durham in England, with a few added "powers" which made the Governor
scarcely less than a king.
Of all the Colonial
organs of government-The Hundred, the Manor etc.-the County had more
functions and more powers than any other, especially in the executive
and judicial lines.
II. WHY CAROLINE
What was the need that led to the organization of Caroline? The
inland sections of Dorchester and Queen Anne Counties had developed and
were now rich and productive. Trade as well as population had increased
and as a whole this section had become somewhat prominent in the
respective counties much on account of the fertile soil in this inland
section.
Crime too had increased, due in a
great degree to the cosmopolitan nature of a new and rapidly growing
population. The carrying of prisoners from this section to Queenstown in
Queen Anne County or Cambridge in Dorchester County naturally became a
problem. With these points in view-
1. Needs of increased population,
2.
Needs of increased trade,
3. Need
for increased crime,
a more central government began to be discussed. Then too because
of distance and difficulties of travel in that day the right of suffrage
was in a sense practically denied many free-born citizens.
Having in mind these needs of the people the colonists in this section
presented a petition to the General Assembly of Maryland, which met at
Annapolis, Nov. 1773, praying that the right to organize a new County be
granted them.
Below is given the Act passed by this
Assembly.
"WHEREAS, a
considerable body of the Inhabitants of Dorchester and Queen
Anne’s Counties, by their petition of this General Assembly,
have prayed that an Act may be passed for the division of the
said counties, and for erecting a new one out of the parts
thereof; And whereas it appears to this General Assembly, that
the erecting of a new county out of such parts of Dorchester and
Queen Anne's will conduce greatly to the ease and convenience of
the people thereof: Be it therefore enacted, by the right
honorable, the Lord Proprietary by and with the advice and
consent of the Governor and the Upper and Lower Houses or
Assembly, and the authority of the same, that after the Monday
of the second Tuesday in March next such parts aforesaid two
counties, Dorchester and Queen-Anne's, are contained within the
bounds and limits following to wit:
Beginning at a point on the north side
of the mouth of Hunting Creek in Dorchester County, and from
thence running up and with the said Creek to the main road at James
Murray's Mill, thence by that road by
Saint Mary's Chapel Parish church to Northwest Fork Bridge,
thence with the main road (that leads to Cannon's Ferry) to
Nanticoke River, thence with said river to and with the exterior
limits of Queen Anne's County to Intersect the main road that
leads from Beaver-dam Causeway to Dovertown, in Kent County upon
Delaware, thence with the said road to Long Marsh, thence with
said Marsh and stream of the branch of Tuckahee Creek to
Tuckahoe Bridge, thence with the said creek to Great Choptank
River and with the said river to the first beginning at the
mouth of Hunting Creek, shall be and is hereby erected in a new
county by the name of Caroline County." |
The land approximately was as follows: From Queen Anne County that part
of Caroline lying west of the Choptank River. From Dorchester
County that part of Caroline County lying east of the Choptank River
with a somewhat indefinite boundary along what is now the Delaware line.
Of this section there was yet some question as to Maryland's valid title
and probably for this reason the land was largely uncleared.
In addition to the two parts above
given Caroline has now a small portion of land-probably a few square
rods-included within her boundaries that was in the early surveys a part
of Talbot.
III. NAMING THE COUNTY
The new county was named Caroline in honor of Caroline
Calvert, sister of Frederick, last Lord
Baltimore, and wife of Robert Eden, last
colonial governor of the Province of Maryland,
IV. COMPLETION OF ORGANIZATION
While these enactment’s were all in 1773, the actual organization of the
county did not take place until 1774 at which time it was necessary to
make some changes in the Eastern boundary line as laid out by Assembly
in 1773, owing to the fact that although a map had been made and the
“visitor” run by the surveyors completed yet the exact location of the
“division” seemed indefinite in the minds of the legislators.
V. THE FINANCES
The Assembly, too, in the Acts at time of organization secured to the
county the greater part of the monies for a Court House. Besides
authorizing assessments the following was ordered by Assembly:
“Some time prior to the organization
of Caroline County the taxpayers of Dorchester County were assessed for
the purpose of constructing a Court House at Cambridge. The
taxpayers residing in that portion of Dorchester County which
subsequently became a part of Caroline County, had been assessed in a
similar manner and paid to the commissioners of Dorchester County,
70,000 pounds of tobacco.
When arrangements were made for
organizing Caroline County, the justices of Dorchester County were
authorized to pay to the commissioners of Caroline County 70,000 pounds
of tobacco, the quantity to be credited to tile taxpayers residing in
that section or Caroline County which formerly was known as part of
Dorchester County. The taxpayers of that section of Caroline
County formerly a section of Queen-Anne's County were assessed in
proportion to the amount received from Dorchester County. This was
to be placed to the credit of the previously mentioned former taxpayers
of said section and to be used towards building the Court House and
prison in Caroline."
VI. FINAL SEALING OF BOUNDARIES
The first difficulty about boundaries has been mentioned before-namely
the Maryland-Delaware line. Beside this, other changes were made
in the line which separates Caroline from Dorchester. These
changes were three in number and below we give them quoted from Wright.
"1. Alteration of 1793
"The first alteration took place in 1793, when John
Smoots, Eccleston Brown, and Thomas
Nichols of Dorchester County, with James
Summers and Edward Wright, Sr. of
Caroline County were authorized to have a new bridge constructed to span
the Northwest Fork River, about 150 yards or 19 ½ perches below
the site of the old bridge that had been washed away; they were also to
have the road that led from Hunting Creek Church to Cannon's Ferry
altered, to traverse across the new bridge and thus annex to Caroline
County a stretch of land formerly in Dorchester County."
2. Alteration of 1878
“The second
and less important alteration was made during 1878 in the dividing line
and road leading from Hynson to Federalsburg, and it was in reference to
straightening the road for a short distance between the lands of William
A. Noble and S. Frank Pool residing in the opposite
adjoining counties. The expense incurred In making this alteration
was borne by these two enterprising gentlemen."
3. Alteration of 1880
“The
third and most important alteration of the boundary line occurred in
1880. Early in that year each of the seventy voters of the section
that was proposed for alteration, petitioned the General Assembly of
Maryland, that whereas Federalsburg standing upon the dividing line
between Dorchester and Caroline County, hence causing divers
difficulties; therefore the boundary line between these counties should
be altered; beginning at a dividing line approximately one and a half
miles north-west of Federalsburg, between the lands of Wm.
H. Alburger and Mrs.
Ann Noble; then with the same reversed through the lands of Robert
McCrea, A.W. Flowers, and others, until the North-west
fork of the Nanticoke River is reached then along the river to Miles'
Run; along Miles' Run to the road leading from Johnson's Cross Roads to
Federalsburg."
By this survey lands lying between the new and the old boundary became
part of Caroline County. Then a census of all voters within this
limit was taken. With one exception the voters were in favor of
Alteration and as a final matter Caroline paid Dorchester $600 for the
land.
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