Recently, while researching the career of Charles Peale in preparation for an interview with the BBC, this writer found the following deposition, given on September 11, 1762, in Provincial Court (Land Records) DD 2, pp. 236-238 [MSA S552], by Elizabeth Bennett of Annapolis, age sixty years. 
... that she has constantly resided in the City of Annapolis aforesaid, and in St. Marg't's Westminster Parish ... for these thirty years last past, and that she was well acquainted with, and personally knew, Charles Peale, formerly of the City of Annapolis aforesaid, that her knowledge and acquaintance with him began upon his first coming to reside in Annapolis upwards of twenty two years ago, that she always understood and from his speech and pronunciation of his words believes he was an Englishman, that the said Charles Peale for some time past and chiefly during his stay in Annapolis was Master of and taught school in the Publick School in Annapolis aforesaid, and that in the time of teaching school in Annapolis… and as this deponent thinks twenty two years ago, the said Charles Peale and Margaret Peale, now of the City of Annapolis, widow (a person then and still well known to this deponent) came to the then dwelling house of the deponent in St. Margaret's Westminster Parish aforesaid, where they both stayed all night and requested this deponent to go with them the next day to the Rev. Mr. Vaughan, then Minister of the said Parish to see them married, and on such request this deponent did go with the said Charles and Margaret to the said Mr. Vaughan and did there see the said Mr. Vaughn join in marriage the aforesaid Charles and Margaret according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England .... 
The deponent further sayeth that ... the said Charles and Margaret cohabited and lived together as Man and wife to the knowledge of the deponent a long

Society of Colonial Wars Speech

On May 22, 2004, Ed Papenfuse spoke at a Society of Colonial Wars meeting held in the Miller Senate  Building in Annapolis. His remarks related to his Studies in Local History publication "Doing Good To Posterity" The Move of the Capital of Maryland from St. Mary's City to Ann Arundell Towne, Now Called Annapolis (Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD, 1995). 

To quote from the roads article in the previous Bulldog: "Legislation between 1765 and 1794 demonstrate the increasing settlement of Western Maryland and its importance to the rest of the state. Road activity at the local level should reflect the same factors. A future article will examine information derivable from the minutes of the judges of the county courts in Western Maryland. In all counties the justices functioned as the county government until 1794." 

The effort to examine evidence of local activity regarding roads in Western Maryland was stymied by the lack of available court minutes for Washington and Allegany counties, an area that until 1776 was part of Frederick County. Also created out of Frederick County were Montgomery County in 1776 and part of Carroll County in 1837. 

(Minutes) of the Frederick County Court housed at the State Archives include records for the years 1765, 1769-1779, 1781, 1783-1784, 1786, 1788, and 1793-1794. A sampling of the records revealed no direct correlation with the legislation being passed in Annapolis, but did show the efforts to manage the road programs over which the county justices held jurisdiction. 

Most petitions from county residents concerned the building of new roads and the changing of routes. Those deemed worthy of consideration were assigned to two or three justices to examine in detail and report to the full court. In June 1769 the court issued such orders regarding roads from Antietam Furnace to Antietam Forge, from Halderman's plantation through Charltons Gap, and from Westminster Town to William Buchanan's mill. 

In August 1783 Benjamin Mackall and Thomas Beatty requested a change in the route of a road through land lately purchased as confiscated British property. In November,  the justices reported favorably on a route

During the next year James Johnson & Co. requested a road from its ore banks purchased from John Trammell through his land to the Potomac River or public roads in accordance with articles of agreement among the parties. Later inhabitants of Carroll Manor asked for closure of a road from the mouth of Tuskarora Creek on the Potomac River to the main road between Frederick Town and the mouth of the Monocacy River. References to subsequent reports were not located. 

Annually in November, the court designated the public roads in the county, grouped them into areas, and appointed an overseer to maintain the roadways in each area. The number of roads grew fairly steadily, expanding from 89 areas in 1769 to 102 in 1775. The number dropped to 50 when Montgomery and Washington counties were formed. By 1783 the number of areas had expanded to 65. 

If roads were not maintained, overseers could be charged with neglect. In 1773 the grand jury presented William Hawker for failure to keep clear the road from Bennetts Branch to Seneca Creek. In 1774 Thomas Cresap provided information on neglect of duties by the overseer of the "Great Road in Conolaway Hundred." 

Occasionally the county court considered requests to convert private roads to public facilities. In 1784 the justices declared public the road from John Davidson's plantation to John Stoner's mill to the west side of the Monocacy River at Stoners Ford and from Stoners Ford to the PA line. Two years later Ludwick Kemp petitioned to make public the road from near the magazine to his mill. The route in the past had been a public road but inadvertently left off the annual list and discontinued. The justices made all three roads public. 

The court also dealt with the construction and 
maintenance of bridges, but in a manner designed to acquire the necessary skills. The court contracted with individuals to build bridges and to maintain them. In 1769 Simon Nicholls agreed to keep in repair the bridge he had built over Rock Creek near Charles Jones. Seven years later he made a similar contract for a bridge over Rock Creek. 

Sometimes the court appropriated specific funds for bridge projects. In 1784 funds were levied for repairing or rebuilding the Israels Creek Bridge at James Beatty's, building a bridge over Big Pipe Creek at Col. Bruces mill, and completing the bridge over Town Creek between the lots of Balsh Heck and Jacob Miller. At other times the justices switched priorities. In 1783 money for the repair of three town bridges [presumably in Frederick Town] was diverted towards repair of the jail.