some evidence that the lands of both David Jones and David
Williams escheated to the land office.18

Political events also confounded the titles to Maryland
lands. In 1684 the incumbent proprietor, Roman Catholic Charles
Calvert repatriated to England in an effort to protect his
interests from Protestant intrigues. He was less than successful.
In 1689,  following the Glorious Revolution, the Crown deposed
the third Lord Baltimore of his Maryland sovereignty, leaving him
with nothing but his right in the soil. Calvert stayed in
England, appointing co-religionist Henry Darnall as his chief
agent and delegated to Darnall the operation of a land office.19

V. James Todd's Consolidation and Subdivision

In 1692, when Darnall took over operation of the land
office, most of what was to become the precinct of Baltimore
remained vacant. Perhaps Lunn's Lott was being cultivated to the
west, but north of the Basin lay seven rolling hills of clay
which were unsuitable for agriculture. On the other hand this
land did have water power from the Jones Falls, and water
frontage on the basin of the Northwest Branch of the Patapsco
River. Wheat was being grown in the interior. A mill was needed
to grind it into flour, and a port was needed to ship it off to
England. Territory to the north of the basin might prove a good
investment after all.

Such was the lay of the land when in 1695 James Todd arrived