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Maryland Manual, 1907-08
Volume 119, Page 103   View pdf image (33K)
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ORIGIN OF NAME. 103 ORIGIN OF THE NAMES OF COUNTIES, WITH DATE OF FORMATION
AND AREA.
Counties. Origin of Name. Date of
Formation.		 Area in
Sq. Miles.
St. Mary's 1........ In honor of the Virgin Mary, the
landing having been made on
the Feast of the Annunciation. 1637 372
Kent 2...............
Anne Arundel 3..		 After the English County... ........
After the Lady Anne Arundel,
wife of Caecilius, second Lord		 1642 281
Baltimore.............................. 1650 425
Calvert 4........... After the family name of the pro-
prietary ................................. 1654 222
Charles 5...........
Baltimore6.........		 After Charles, Lord Baltimore.....
From the Proprietary's Irish Bar-
ony, (Celtic bilte mor; i. e., the		 1658 451
large town),........................... 1659 656
Talbot 7............. After Grace Talbot, daughter of
George, first Lord Baltimore..... 1661 286
Somerset8 ....... After Mary Somerset, sister of
Lord Baltimore........................ 1666 362
Dorchester9....... After Earl Dorset, a family friend
of the Calverts....................... 1668 618
Cecil10.............. After the forename of the second
Lord Baltimore...................... 1674 360
1There is great difficulty in assigning exact dates to the erection of Counties in the
early years of the Province, from the fact that considerable confusion exists between the
county and the hundred, sheriffs being commissioned for the latter as well as the former,
and because Counties were erected sometimes by order in Council, proclamation or by
Act of Assembly. A series of interesting historical maps has been prepared by Dr.
Edward B. Mathews, Assistant State Geologist, which, when published, will shea con-
siderable light on the subject, A commission was issued to Tames Baldridge as sheriff of St. Mary's county, June
29th, 1837, (Archiv, of Md.. 3.61), and the courts were put in operation by Acts of Assem-
bly. 1638-9, (Archiv. 1:46-67). 2 A commission was issued to John Langford as sheriff of the Isle of Kent, February
9th, 1637, (Archiv. 3:61), and on Aug. 2d, 1642, a commission was issued to Giles Brent, for
the county of Kent (Archiv. 3:105). County government was evidently organized in that
year as the expenses of the Assembly were assessed on the counties of St. Mary's and
Kent. 3Erected by Act of Assembly, 1650, ch. 8, Name changed to Providence by Act of
1684, ch. 17. Same restored in 1688. 4 Erected by order in Council July 3d, 1681 (Archiv. 3:308). In October of the same
year the name was changed to Patuxent under the Cromwell administration, (Archiv.
1:341). Name restored, 1688. 5Erected by order In Council, April 13th, 1668 (Archiv. 3:341) An earlier Charles
county was erected by order in Council, October 3d. 1680. from part of the territory now
Included in St. Mary's, Charles and prince George's counties. This order was repealed
by order of July 3d, 1684, supra. 6Erected by order in Council. No full record, but writ of election was issued to
sheriff January 12th, 1689, (Archiv. 1:381) 7 No record. Writ of election issued to sheriff February 18th, 1681, (Archiv. 1:428 and
3:448). 8 Erected by order in Council August 22d, 1666, (Archiv. 3:583).
9 No record. Writ issued to sheriff February 16, 1868, (Archiv 2:188).
10 Erected by proclamation of Governor Charles Calvert June 6th, 1674. (Archiv.
16:39-41). Delegates are named as present at Assembly from Cecil county February 13th,
1874, (Archiv. 2:421).

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Maryland Manual, 1907-08
Volume 119, Page 103   View pdf image (33K)
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