MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY                         481

" Branch running up to widow Owens, late the wife of William Owens, and
from thence up the main branch between John Marriotts and Edward Burns
shall be the division between the two counties of Dorchester and Worcester."

By the erection of Caroline County out of portions of Dorchester and
Queen Anne's counties according to Chapter 10 of the Acts of Assembly
of 1773, passed on November 6 of that year, Dorchester County lost
control of a fair portion of its territory. This included that portion of
Caroline County lying east of the Choptank River and north of the
following boundary:

" 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 with that road by St. Mary's
White Chapel parish church to the north-west fork bridge, thence with the
main road (that leads to Cannon's ferry) to Nanticoke river, thence with the
said river to and with the exterior limits of the aforesaid county of Dor-
chester to the exterior limits of Queen Anne's County."

It is not easy to determine with certainty the location of these indi-
vidual points but it is probable that the line laid out in 1773 is the same
as that now laid out with the exception of the modifications passed in
1825 and 1880.

The change in the division line between Dorchester and Caroline
counties made by Chapter 81 of the Laws of 1825, which was passed on
February 17, 1826, was a minor one associated with the change of the
public road whose location was altered to " promote the convenience of
the public, as well the convenience of the said Mark Noble." Mr. Noble
found it inconvenient to have his land lying on either side of the boun-
dary line and accordingly petitioned the Legislature for the alteration
which was accordingly made.

The change of boundary authorized by Chapter 208 of the Acts of 1880
arose from the inconvenience produced by the passage of the boundary
line through the center of Federalsburg. The division of authority and
jurisdiction had occasioned numerous difficulties in connection with the
public schools and the administration of justice. The entire voting
population residing within the territory transferred petitioned the Assem-
bly that they might be removed from Dorchester to Caroline County.
It was accordingly enacted by the Assembly

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