The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-09-13

Rudolph, Henry Hollinssworth and Thomas
Higgins purchased the lot upon which the
court house stands for the use of the town,
being authorized by the inhabitants, who
had invested them with power to do 40, and
also to hold the lot in trust for the purpose
of erecting on it 4 market house or court
house, the Commissioners agreeing to build
the former within three years after the sale.
About 5000 were realized from the sale Of
AleNander's property. The title to much of
Susquehanna Nauor-once the princely do
main of the impetuous George Talbot which
had reverted to the Lord Proprietor in some
way that it is now impossible to ascertain,
but which WAS probably owing to Talbots
inability to fill his part Of the contract in
reference to the importation of persons
willing to settle upon twas now in Henry
Hartford, the legal heir and representative OF
the last Lord Baltimore. All that part of
this Manor, included between the Susque-
hanna river and Principle creek and the
Nottingham lot, and the head of the bay
and North East river, was surveyed and
plotted by Samuel Maffit, probably about
1852, for there is no date upon the plot
From this plot we learn that about three
fourths of this part of the Manner had been
patented. The other part was held by virtue
of unexpired leases, all of which were for
long terms, many of them for three lives.
Basin ran is called Berson run or Bastard
creek upon Mathis plot. The principal
part of this Manor land was sold to the
lessees 1T low prices, by the intendent of the
revenue, an officer whose duties were much
like those Of the Comptroller, and whose
appointment seems to have been called for
by the exisencies of the times. Some of
the land in North East and Elk lnanors,
which were small underlined tracts in Elk
Neck, bordering on the North East river,
was also held by the same tenure us the
land before mentioned as bcin. in Su$que-
hanna Manor and was disposed of in the
same way. The Nottingham lots, which As
before stated, were held 10y patents from
VIM. Penn and his successors and also
the Welsh tract lands, were taken posses
sion of by the intendent of the revenue: but
their owners were, by subsequent enact
ments, allowed, upon showing an equitable
title from Penn, to hold them under patents
from the State of Maryland upon payment
of .fl5 per hundred acres.
The lots in CliarlsStown, which had been
reserved for the use Of the Lord Proprietary
and also the lot belonging to the heirs of
the Rev. VIM. Wye We're also contiscated
and sold, in August, 1882. The Town Com
missiouers bought the former for the Use of
the town One hundred and thirteen pounds
were realized from the property in Charles
town. The Commissioners also took pos
Edmisson, who they stated was in Great
Britain, and who they believed TO be II
tory. This plantation contained 800 acres
of land situated near the mouth of Stone
run, on the east side OF the Octoraro The
Commissioners left it in charge of William
Ewing, who alleged that EdmiSSon WAS in
lebted to him about as much rs the land
was worth. This man EdmisSon was in
Quoted into st. Georges Parish, ut the old
Spesutia Church, near Htvre de Grace, in
177O, and remained there about two years
when he is believed 10 Lave gone to England
on account OF his sympathy with the British
government. Bat very little is known of
the history Of Mr.. EdmiSSon, except that he
also owned several tracts OF land in Hartford
county, one of which was called by n sngu-
lar name for Il cl-rgyman's homestead,
namely, " Drunkard's Hall" The Le.is-
lature, i'll 1882, passed An act for the relief
of his family, consisting of his wife, two
sons and u daughter, who are believed to
have been loyal to the cause of their country,
dividing among them his land and negroes
upon condition that they should pay his
debts.
The war being over, the people of the
county begun to turn their attention to mat
tiers of public importance. The first matter
of this kind that claimed their attention,
county seat. In accordance with the wishes
of the people an act WAS passed ut the No
vember session, 1871, authorizing Thomas
May, John Stockton and David Smith to
act AS Judges of an election to be held dur
ing the last week in the ensuing February
at the court house on Monday and Tuesday,
at Head of Elk on Wednesday and Thurs
day, and at CharlcStown on Friday and Sat
arday-thsse three places being the ones
fol al of erit,blA for bo pf
Justice We learn from the certificate of
David Smith that due notice having been
given he attended ut the court house on
Monday, the 25th of February, AS also did
the other two gentlemen, who had been in
duced to decline acting rs judges; and after
their refusal had been made known TO him,
he appointed John Ward Neascy, James
Crcswell and Edward Mitchell clerks, and
proceeded to take the votes of the freemen of
the county. At the election held at the
court house there We're given and published
forty-threc votes for CharleStown, one vote
for the Head of Elk, and two votes for no
removal At the Head of Elk there We're
given thirty-four votes for Charlcstown and
two votes for the Head of Elk; and ut the
election held at CharleStown there were given
four hundred and fifty votes for Charles
town. The great want which the people Of
the county experienced for town some
where wlthin lts iiihllS' no ooliot influence"
them TO remove the seat Oh JuStlce 10 Nh''rieS,
town, with the nope Oh putting u up ana
lddin. to its prosperity. More than two
hundred years had elapsed since the first
settlements had been made in the county,
and many unsuccessful efforts h''u nech
made to build town some where within
ITS limits Inc projected town on Town
Point, and Ccciltown on the Bohemia, had
been total failures, rs had also been the
effort tn h,,ill a town at Court House POINT.
C,h,rlsstow, Win ali its adventures for
SHINING had found a successful rival in
n ,itimore md ,h,sc who lived there never
having he.,i able to divert the trade of Not
tinphtm from the accustomed channels.
tbrounh which il reached the towns along
the D,awarc was in great need of some
tbino to stimulate its growth. But not
,x;thst.n5;rr iii This and the onnorent
,,,an;n,;t ~ W.. nooJ. some of tho ius-
tees of the court at irst refused to assent
to the removal of the seat Of Justice to that
place. 1t is highly probable that they were
lnhuenced IN some way Win Il desire anu
nelle, tna, me iie'u vi I'm No"'u m,
De Seiec'eu lor me county SCI nc us'i tI
'' w " 49, y, -. .
for. on the llth of March following, half of
them met at the old court house and the
others at CharleStown, and the court seemed
to be in likely way TO reach the same con-
diton that it had been in many years be
fore, when the justices present ordered the
cl.rk to record the mournful fact that it was
discontinued and drop'd and fallen" The
following correspondence will explain itself
and throw some light upon subject that
no doubt agitatcd the people of the county
very much when it took place:
,...
rem'enen;I" nave, uh"er auTisGlneh1 !,
mel ana called court ~ the uso'i liace Oh