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ORIGIN OF NAME. 99
ORIGIN OF THE NAMES OF COUNTIES, WITH DATE OF FORMATION
AND AREA.
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Counties.
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Origin of Name.
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Date of
Form'tion
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Area in
Sq. M.
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St. Mary's1.......
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In honor of the Virgin Mary,
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the landing having been
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made on the Feast of the
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Annunciation..............
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1637
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372
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Kent2............
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After the English county.....
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1642
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281
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Anne Arundel3....
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After the Lady Anne Arundel,
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wife of Caecilius, second
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Lord Baltimore............
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1650
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425
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Calvert4.........
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After the family name of the
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proprietary................
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1654
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222
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Charles5.........
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After Charles, Lord Baltimore.
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1658
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451
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Baltimore6.......
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From the Proprietary's Irish
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Barony (Celtic bilte mor;
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i. e., the large town).......
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1659
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656
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Talbot7..........
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After Grace Talbot, daughter
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of George, first Lord Balti-
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more......................
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1661
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286
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Somerset8........
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After Mary Somerset, sister
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of Lord Baltimore..........
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1666
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362
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Dorchester9......
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After Earl Dorset, a family
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friend of the Calverts......
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1668
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618
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Cecil10...........
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After the forename of the sec-
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ond Lord Baltimore........
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1674
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360
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1There is great difficulty In assigning exact dates to the erection of Coun-
ties in the early years of the Province, from the fact that considerable con-
fusion exists between the county and the hundred, sheriffs being commis-
sioned for the latter as well as the former, and because Counties were erected
some times 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 shed con-
siderable light on the subject.
A Commission was issued to James Baldridge as sheriff of St. Mary's
county, June 29, 1637. (Archiv. of Md., 3. 61), and the courts were put in
operation by Acts of Assembly, 1638-9, (Archiv. 1: 46-57).
2A commission was issued to John Langford as sheriff of the Isle of Kent,
February 9, 1637 (Archiv. 3: 61), and on August 2, 1642, a commission was
issued to Giles Brent, for the county of Kent (Archiv. S: 105. ). County gov-
ernment was evidently organized in that year, as the expenses of the As-
sembly 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 1654, ch. 17. Name restored in 1658.
Erected by order in Council July 3, 1654 (Archiv. 3: 308). In October
of the same year the name was changed to Patuxent under the Cromwell
administration (Archiv. 1: 341). Name restored, 1658.
Erected by order in Council, April 13, 1658 (Archiv. 3: 341). An earlier
Charles county was erected by order in Council, October 3, 1650, 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 3, 1654, supra.
Erected by order in Council. No full record, but writ of election was
Issued to sheriff January 12, 1659 (Archiv. 1: 381).
7No record. Writ of election issued to sheriff February 18, 1661 (Archiv.
8Erected by order in Council, August 22, 1666 (Archiv. 3: 5S3).
9No record. Writ issued to sheriff February 16, 1668 (Archiv. 2: 155).
10Erected by proclamation of Governor Charles Calvert, June 6, 1674
(Archiv. 15: 39-41). Delegates are named as present at Assembly from Cecil
county, February 12, 1674 (Archiev. 2: 421).
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