Archives staff threw a big
retirement party for two long serving staff members who are retiring on May 31. Shirley Salisbury and Elaine
Hunt were guests of honor at a luncheon on Tuesday, May 17; among the
guests were members of both Shirley and Elaine's families, as well as
former employees who returned to honor them. Shirley is retiring after
35 years of state service, 24 of which have been at the Archives.
Elaine has worked at the Archives for all of her 23 years of state
service.
Almost the entire Archives'
staff contributed to the enormous buffet
which stretched across much of the searchroom. Before everyone dug in,
Ed Papenfuse and Kevin Swanson thanked Shirley and Elaine's for their
long and faithful service and Chris Allan, former deputy state
archivist, noted that researchers for many years to come will be using
the archival records preserved by Shirley and Elaine on microfilm.
Ed and Kevin then presented
both with citations from the governor's office, engraved silver plates
honoring their years of service, and gift certificates to the Annapolis
Mall. Each also received a scrapbook of congratulatory messages from
staff and photographs documenting their years at the Archives. The
scrapbooks were assembled by Vicki Lee and Jenn Foltz Cruickshank of
the Conservation Lab. After the presentations, Shirley spoke for both
herself and Elaine in saying that the Archives has been like family
over the years and thanked everyone who worked with them, especially
those in Imaging Services.
The delicious lunch which was organized by Kathy Beard, Cecelia Smith,
Emily Oland Squires, Richard Richardson, Barbara Schisler, and many
others. It really was a memorable send-off for two beloved members of
staff who will be missed by us all. We wish them many happy years of
retirement.
Ed Papenfuse presents Elaine Hunt with
governor's citation
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Shirley and Elaine cut their retirement cakes
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Elaine and Shirley and their family members at
their retirement lunch
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Archives staff members at lunch
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Justice Tempered With Mercy
by Robert Barnes
Jonathan Hanson, son of Timothy and Barbara Hanson of Philadelphia Co.,
PA, came to Maryland, where he settled in Baltimore County. He married
twice: 1st, to Keziah, daughter of James Murray, and 2nd, on May 29,
1719, to Mary, daughter of Mordecai and Mary Price. He bought 31 acres
of Cole’s Harbor from Charles Carroll, and built a mill in Baltimore
Town near Bath and Holliday Sts. He died some time before May 27, 1727
when his widow Mary posted an administration bond for his estate. She
later married George Walker who administered Hanson’s estate in 1730
and 1733 (from Robert Barnes, Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759, p.
300).
Little else
was known about Hanson’s life and death until the following
proclamation was found recorded in Provincial Court (Land Records) PL
6, pp. 161-162, [MSA S552].
Charles absolute Lord and Proprietary of the provinces of
Maryland and Avalon Lord Baron of Baltimore &.r To all whom These
presents shall come Greeting Know ye that WHEREAS Mary Hanson of
Baltimore County widow and Relict of Jonathan Hanson of the said County
Millwright Dec.d by her humble petition hath set forth that by an
Inquisition lately had and found before Thomas Sheredine one of our
Coroners of our said County her said
Husband was found to be the unlawful
& unnatural Instrument of his own Death and that she was advised
that by that unlawful act all the Goods and Chattels of her said
Husband were forfeited to us which Goods and Chattels will not much
Exceed the Just Debts of the said Jonathan and that he the said
Jonathan hath Left Issue Two young Children who Together with the said
Mary would (were They Deprived of the said Goods and Chattels) be
Reduced to the Greatest want & misery and humbly supplicating us to
remit unto her the said Mary all or any of the Goods and Chattels
Rights and Credits which were of the said Jonathan which to us were or
may have been forfeited by the said Jonathan by reason of the premises:
We taking the Deplorable Condition of The said Mary into Our
Consideration Have freely and absolutely released and Discharged
and by These presents do Freely and Absolutely Acquit Release and
Discharge unto the said Mary all and singular the Goods and Chattels
Rights and Credits which were of the said Jonathan at the Time of his
Death and which to us hath been or may be Forfeited for or by Reason
Occasion or means of his the said Jonathan his Killing himself or being
the Cause of his own Death as fully Clearly and Amply as if the said
Jonathan had Dyed a Natural Death PROVIDED nevertheless that these
presents shall not hurt Injure or prejudice any of The Creditors
Children or other representatives of the Deed but that all and singular
his Goods and Chattels Rights and Credits shall be Liable to the same
payments Burdens Charges and Distributions as the personal Estates of
persons Dying natural Deaths and Intestate are Liable unto any thing
herein to the Contrary Notwithstanding Witness our Trusty and well
Beloved Charles Calvert Esq. Our Captain General and Governor in Chief
in and over our said province of Maryland at the City of Annapolis this
Seventh Day of September in the Eleventh year of Our Dominion &.r
Annoq Dom 1726.
Although the
law said that the goods and chattels of a suicide should revert to the
Province, it would appear Governor Charles Calvert did have a heart.
Fire at the Department of Education
From the
Fifty-third Annual Report of the State
Board of Education, Showing Condition of the Public Schools of Maryland for the Year Ending July 31, 1919 [Government Publication E10448]
"On the night of
November 28, [1919] McCoy Hall, in which the offices of the State
Department of Education were located, was destroyed by fire. Although
the fire was notices immediately, it spread so rapidly that it was
impossible to enter the building to remove any of the contents.
"...[T]he
Department ... was fortunate in being located on the first floor and at
the south end of the building, for there the fire burned from the top
and some of the more important records were buried under the debris
before they were completely destroyed. Among the records thus rescued
were most of the card records of the elementary school teachers, some
of the certificate and general correspondence, and the high school
teachers' records - all more or less charred around the edges, but ...
not too badly damaged to be copies. The floor of the front and back
offices did not fall through, and most of the county superintendents'
reports ... were only slightly scorched. The safe in the front office
was warped, but opened without difficulty and showed the contents to be
practically unharmed. These consisted of the minutes of the State Board
of Education, the account books, the certificate registers, and
correspondence...."
THE ARCHIVISTS'
BULLDOG
Founded 1987 |
Edward C. Papenfuse,
State Archivist
Kathy Beard, Production Editor
Patricia V. Melville, Editor
Mimi Calver, Assistant Editor
Lynne MacAdam, Web Editor
The Maryland State
Archives is an independent agency in the Office of the Governor and is advised by the Hall of Records Commission. The Chairman of the Hall of Records Commission is the Honorable Robert M. Bell, Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals.
The Archivists' Bulldog
is issued monthly to publicize records collections, finding aids, and
other activities of the Archives and its staff.
The Editor
welcomes editorial comments and contributions from
the public.
The
Archives maintains a web site on the Internet at
http://mdsa.net
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