The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-05-02
Hartford and Baltimore counties-Facts

Hartford and Baltimore Counties-Facts
in Their Early History.-From the Belair
1Egis of last week copy the following: "Mr
John Moores, of Hartford county, several years
ago found, among some books formerly belong
ing to one of his ancestors, two copies OF early
laws of Maryland. One of these books is a COM
pilation of the provincial laws of Maryland, from
1892 to 1907, by Rev. Thomas Bacon, Chaplain
to Frederick Lord Baltimore. 1t was printed in
Annapolis in 1740 by Jonas Green. The other
volume contains the acts of the General Assembly
of Maryland passed in 1884, 1885 and 1885, Both
contain laws which throw some light our local
history. We give summary of some OF these
laws, with the hope of inducing some one to I'M
dertake the task of writing history of Baltimore
and Hartford counties, for the two counties were
one until few years before the outbreak OF the
Revolutionary war, the court house and Jail being
at Baltimore.
ESTABLISHMENT OF TOWNS
In 1858 the first attempt was made to establish
towns, ports and places of trade for vessels from
foreign ports. Again in 1854 and 1885 other
towns were established. The places named in
Baltimore county were the following.
16S3-"In Patapsco river, near Humphreys
Creek on Bush River, on the town land, near the
Court House,"
16S4-"At Middle river, on the land of Corn
wallis, or Leakins, or both, at the discretion OF
the Commissioners"
16S6-"In Sposuty Creek, on the land formerly
Mr.. John Collects, now in possession of Mr. John
Mold, and the lands adjacent; in Gunpowder
river, upon the point commonly called Westbury's
Point"
In 1706 an act was passed naming the follow
ing places in Baltimore county as ports of entry
'Whetstone Neck, in Patapsco river; upon the
land called Chillberry, on Bush river, and town
on Forster Neck, on Gunpowder river"
This act was "disallowed" by her majesty
Queen Anne.
In 1907 the place appointed for a town on Gun
powder river, on the land called Forsters Neck,
ordered "to be deserted" and in lieu thereof,
$50 acres to be erected into town, on tract of
land on the same river, belonging to Anne Felix,
and called Taylor's Choice, and the Court House
to be built there"
In 1712 the Baltimore county court was settled
at Joppa.
In 1924 the Legislature passed Gan act erect
ing a town at Joppa, in Baltimore county," on
land bought from Col. James Maxwell
ST. JOHNS PARISH GLEBE.
In 1719 an act was passed to confirm tract Of
land therein mentioned to the rector or minister
of St. Johns parish, in Baltimore county, and
his successor forever. This tract of land was
called "Stoakly Manor, alias Stoak Flemmon,"
containing $50 acres, and was devised by the last
will and testament of jeremiah Eaton, in 1875, to
the first Protestant minister who should reside in
Baltimore county and his successors forever. st.
Johns Church, Kingsville, Baltimore county, is
now the representative of the parish church to
which Stoakly Manor devised The land, it
is believed, in the neghborhood of Abing
don, Hartford county.
In 1852 the Justices of Baltimore county court
were empowered to assess and levy f300 on the
inhabitants of St. Johns Parish, for purchasing
an acre of land, in the fork of Gunpowder river,
and building thereon "chapel of ease" to be
kept in repair at the cost of the parish.
~ hoi inc, fHaio for
building the chapel the Justices, in 1853, were
empowered to levy on the people of the parish a
further sum of 70, 900 lbs Of tobacco for this pur
pose.
TOBACCO WAREHOUSES; ORDERED.
In 1863 tobacco warehouses were established
in Baltimore county as follows: At Baltimore
Town; at Joppa; at the Ferry Landing, near the
Point House on Gunpowder river; at the Fork of
Gunpowder; at Otter Point Landing, near the
Red Cliff on Bush River; at John Loney's at
Swan Creek, and at Rock Run, on Susquehanna
river.
BALTIMORE COUNTY DIVIDED
At December session, 1878, the Legislature
passed an act to divide Baltimore county and for
the erection of new county by the name of
"Harford."
John Paca, Aquila Hall, John Matthews, John
Hall of Cranberry, Amos Garrett, Richard Dallam
and Benedict Edward Hall were appointed Com
missioners to purchase four acres of land in or
adjoining Bush town, at the head of Bush river,
for the purpose of building Court House and
prison thereon, the town to be called Hartford
town.
BELAIR CREATED INTO TOWN.
In 1871 an election was held at Bush town, to
determine where the Court House should be stu
ated. Four places were to be voted for, namely
Hartford town, Otter Point Cross Roads, other
wise Gravelly Hill, Lower Cross Roads, and
Aquilla SCOTS (of james, Old Field. The last
named place carried the day. Justices of Hartford
county were empowered and required to contract
for four acres of land, for erecting Court House
and prison thereon, and to pay the expense there
of out of money already collected for that purpose.
Itbeing doubted whether the Justices of Hartford
county had the authority to receive this money
from the sheris of Baltimore and Hartford counties,
in 1884 the Legislature passed supplementary
act authorizing them to receipt for public moneys
and "tobaeco" towards building the Court House
and prison in Hartford county.
The law adds that "The public buildings and
the situation thereof shall be forever hereafter
called and known by the name of Bellair, any
law to the contrary notwithstanding"
This old law, passed hundred years ago,
would seem to settle the disputed photography
of our county town. The compound word is
French, meaning "beautiful air." The word
"air," however, being of masculine gender, the
prefix is properly spelled "Bel," and the present
"Belair," is therefore correct.
STAGE LINE MONOPOLY.
In 1885, also, the Legislature granted to Ca
briel Peterson Vanhorn can exclusive right to
keep stage-carriages on the public road from the
river Susquehanna to the river Patowmack, for
the term of five years. The public road over
which Vanhorn's stages ran is what is now known
in Hartford county as the post-road. 1t begins
at Havre de- Grace, runs through Aberdeen, Bush
and Abingdon to Baltimore city. No person but
Vanhorn or his agents was allowed to transport
passengers for pay over any part OF this road
under penalty of five pounds for every person
conveyed contrary to the act.
Vanhorn, on his part was obliged to keep o
sufficient number of stage coaches and post
chaises and "good, stout, strong and able horses
to convey passengers over the road, and to make
| three through trips a week from April to Novem-
| Der, and two trips a week the rest of the year
| The rate of fare was not to exceed sixpence pei
mile in the stage-coaches and ninepense per mile
| in the post-chaises.
HOW LAND WAS ASSESSED.
| The same Legislature, being satisfied Of the
inequality in the valuation of land in the State
determined, by law, the average value by the
acre of land in the several counties of the State
| as follows:
In Kent county, 33 shillings and pence; II
Prince Georges county, 81 shillings and pence
in Baltimore county 20 shillings and pence; il
|
Anne's, Talbot and Cecil counties, ~ shillings
in Montgomery, st. Mary's, Calvert, Dorchester
and Somerset counties, "a shillings and pence
in Washington county, % shillings and pence
in Worcester county, 20 shillings and pence
and in Caroline county, Is shillings and pence
Baltimore-town and its precincts, in Baltimor
county, was assessed separately from Baltmor
| caunty.
Jurors for the May Term.-The jurors fol-
the May term of the Circuit Court-whch com
mences on the third Monday of the month-wer,
drawn on Thursday. Following is the list, the
figures after the names indicating the district tn
juror is from:
Nicholas Fisher. ...."..1 Hugh Lindsay..........
John Mullen........."..1Ja James Small........"....
John I. Hynes..........1 Peter Kennedy.
Joseph w. Gambri.. 81 Abraham Brown........t
| Kinney Feathers. James A. Cole....
jerome Criswel l....."..2 Gassaway W. Batty.
J. Ii. Emmert......""..2 W m. T. Courtney~."...
Thomas 7. Ritter......2 Andrew Heavey
Arthur Chenoweth.. Augustus r. Brown.....
August Creagan ........3 Augustus Dames........
| Robert Wright. Chas. II. Brian......
Conrad Kroner. ........3 Oliver Hutchins.....1
Joseph w. James.....3I Dixon Brown......."..l
| Edward Patterson. ,4 Daniel Jenifer, Jr.....1