The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-04-08
"REMINISCENCES OF ELKTON
IN THE BY-GONE.
No. Q.

the original name of the locality of our tow
was" S1csdes Landing" yet such is the fact
as shown by some old land titles. One O
the points called for in some of the old sur
veys of one of the tracts upon which par
of the town stands is a stone on the Ell
creek, at place called "Swedes Landing.
What circumstance gave to the place tina
name, does not clearly appear; but as it i
known that the State of Delaware was set
tied by the Swedes, it is presumed that il
some Of their excursions, a small party ma,
have penetrated thus far into the dominion
OF Lord Baltimore, and by effectng a tenn
porary settlement, may thus have givel
that name to the locality. The names o
the two tracts, on parts of which the towl
is built, were Friendship and "BeH
COnnelle,' which, in subsequent title pa
pers, was changed to the more democratic
name of Billy C0nneN.' The tract called
FRIENDSHIP was under conveyances subse
( quent to the original patent held in part by
. Col. Henry Hollingsworth and part by Robt
| Alexander. Where the division line be
tween them ran, l am not able to deter.
mine but for good reasons, believe tina,
North street, from above the railroad to
Back street, and thence by Bow street
(which is supposed to have taken it's name
from its form to Main or Cav street. was
part of the line.
! 1t is certain that the lot on which the
Academy stands was granted by Henry
Holingsworth to trustees for town school
+ Conrt IJonsa LOT and Tho old Wosbinoton
Hotel lot. now occnniad NV the Howard
House and the hnildings nor+b of Il ~, r.
and incndirg J'be WIZ offico f,r,,ed =,
W.T. Of A1oxo,dar,s ,,rn,%ort,
Tho mansion bonse Of Tho Ajox,,1,,
family. who occnnied if mn to a time within
tbe memory Of MANY now Iivinr was tho
DWELLING since largely i'm nroved) now o1rned
and occunied NV Mr. Rratton
Among the former nronrietors of tho
land. was a lady who was known as Madam
Cato. of DISTINGUISHED aristocratIc annear-
ance, who usually came in great state to
the little church. and occnn;ed \ LARGO
square pew in front of the chancel The
little church then stood II is believed On
the side of the hill somewhere in the rear
of the brick buildiup on the east side of
Bow street. owned by the heirs of Can't
Thomas Moore deceased Tbere GRO those
E,,;nr vbo ,emenhar old ton,hstono. ~
that locality. and within the remembrance
of the writer, in excavations on that Ground
buman homes have been OCCASIONALLY thrown
nm
Robert Alexander. in the Revolutionary
conflict. adhered TO the old country and
after the peace of 1871. his pronertv was
contiscated to the State Of Narvland Tho
mansion house and q LARGE mari of tbe land
was subsequently, releaSed to tho family
and within the memory of tho writer wa .
occunied Inv his son William Alexander
some of whose descendants are still resid.
inc in Baltimore. VIM. Alexander was a
LAWYER nv nrofession hnt in tbe lattor nart
of his life became disordered in his mind
and very eccentric His nacul;.r fancy w.. q
that he had discovered a sovereign re,redv
mr. curo for tho scrofrIo nv k;rr,S OWL anS
bic rreat desire uos 70 ,,;s;t Ena,ana +hot
H. r,,G;lrht ho,n n,,,,ar.,,;t, - 49,
Kinn Who ,,,s ffaptad NY, t,ot d;so .aa'
nd ,hrs sao,ra a, ;,da,'a,dar+ $50 T.,
the midst of his deranqement ha had h;s
nacnliar Onono,y ca1,ad 70 ra
nemhrapcr vas tbis. wbanaver no be,rd IF
INV, snacioI ;nstanoon IF disbnras+r hr,i,ai;+,
n.y. drnnl,annnss. 9. Al cir ,, no yonId GOV:
sstb,+ 10 ., gor,, ;r.ccnr.+a st.ta of sooint.,
= rsrn ;n.ncrr.ta stota Of soo;a+,, 81, ),
rho nansion bonsa and farm o;noJ !,
the family mill 1909 ,vben # was nm
oh,sod Nv, Er;shv Uondorsor ord srhso
l,,,o,.1 H., 90 w oI1ha,, 80 80, H.
d. Ell ond - nov, on,,,od a,,l -oa,,,>;aa
NV NJ Dar;ai Prattor ~ ar. % ~
1c,,d ,,,a,, r,i;aI, ~ -. 20. s a.
.an stonds or thnso ants q, 30 p'i ~, u .nt
haon befnro tha Poro1I,t;on nnnun,'oa h,,
NJ ,Io,o,,do. ,,,as la aat ;,,ta ~, ~
ia NV tha Co,,r,;ss;nnons 81 TonfSo,tnd
pna,art, C1on,n,,t uou,,Io,S m;u:a.,
PamSa ~ d;aara,t ,,,,roi;, an. W., l,'' tl,n
bn,dinss Of n,.nv If not n,nSt Of tIa Iots
in thaf ,art Of Tho town ave- 70 ti,;s dar
NV tbe lines Of III. snrvnvS then ,,,da b,,
said Commissioners.
The lot mon which tho Court uorso ond
offioos s+ond r,nn;nrr ~, 70 a,d ;no1,,i;no
TLn D,n,o,,,at of,;oo 80 ao,,r,o1,od ~, 49,
s.;d on,n,;S . w. Toh;as p,,ao,rh
Henry HolIingswortb and Thomas Hpg'
Gins to he held hv them in tr,st for the
cit;1ens of tba town and county for the
nurnosa of eractipo tberaon Conrt House
Na,lot JJorso ~ otho,. ,>rbI;o Lr;IJ;,ors
rho LOT an ,,b;ol tho old Wasb;naton Hntel
stood and where the Howard House now
st,rds r,,nn;nr ~, ;, and ;roI,d;no, ~.
VIZ Office hniid;n, uas Ia.se5 hv Robert
A1oEander 70 CaloL P;nLettS Tie las.
hold interast of Rickatts w.s ,fterwards
nbta;nad hy Tol,ias Pndolnh tba mraat
>rr,nJfatbar Of tba ,,rasant Tnb;as I'D =,
.ha i;,isinn of his astata was alIottad -
lie t,vn dannLtars Nv b;s l,St ,,ifa War+ha
ond F1;zaha1h Rndo1nh ofterw.rds En-
hatb Ellis tho mothar IF = A E1Iis Fso
to whom the states interest NV confiScatinn
was released hv tbe decd of chancellor
Hanson in 100 The claim of tho St,ta
undar the act of confiscation to al, sncI
lots nc were not included in tbe colo n,sda
bv the Commissioners beino held bv lease
oT convevance of Alaxander nr;or to the
Revolution. had been either bv art If
,ssan,li1 ~. tha dooJ of ~ Cbo,aoI,au
aatmam1, ro,a,sad noa,et ~ ", o,- ho =; no',
49, 1 =; w. 1872 ~ my NC IN a
-. tuo r,
Nv o..;,aJ nv app 'N''' ~ will e'e'
A. ~ 49,; 81 a., Douo,,,.;o .ho ,,,o,o
,ras l,nonn no .,,a tstIJ,,5 - E,L ;, I'D
it, ano r.ol'',os4 .ofa,a,y - =
tha. H. &c ~, ~ ~ ~
orn sawara1 tradit;oms =, +Io R,dnir,h f,r,;iI
nr Observation-Disclosures f,,rn;shoa CT Wast'
inaton and his ottenSantS IN ,beir nasSane
nortb and south Nand durino Tho ,,arioJ IF
~. nras;an, IT. soc g EyLto, ,,
-, Wv Io,.o h., e.. ,r;,o ~ H.
w.