The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-04-24
correspondence Baltimore County Onion.
THE RENEGADE SETTLEMENT OF
MARYLAND.


The readers of The UNION who kindly perused
my "Early History of Baltimore County," and
still have taste for reading late information on
We olden times, will not, I hope, be surprised at
the title chosen for these romantic facts. With
the favor of little patience l will endeavor to
explain and give details of a settlement that at
first acquired this name, but at present is well and
favorably known for the thrift, sobriety and gen.
eral intelligence of it's inhabitants.
In 1895 the tenth county organized in the Mary
land province was Prince Georges which at this
date comprised with Baltimore county all the terri
tory from the mouth of the Susquehanna river
enthusiastically to the Potomac and lying be-
tween the said river and the 10th degree OF north
latitude westward to the head waters of the Poto-
mac, In the lower portion of Prince Georges
county lived an Irish nobleman by the name OF
John Digges. Whether he was any more noble
than other early Prince Georgians my information
does not state, but it may be inferred he had
title and coat of arms from some estate in Ireland
and was an intimate friend of the Calverts. He
secured from the Proprietary as early as October,
1927, an original warrant for 10000 of land
with the privilege Of locating his grant on any
unimproved territory within the jurisdiction OF
Maryland. Indian Tom, local chief OF some
note, informed Mr.. Digges that three days jour
ney to the north lay beautiful and well watered
valley unoccupied save by natives visit to
this region fully established the Indians state
ment and Mr. Digges took up 6,o22 acres by vlr.
1t occupied part of what is now called Conewago
and Germany townships, in Adams county, and
that part of Heidelburg township, in York county,
upon which the town of Hanover was formerly
located. This early town of Hanover is the set
Element referred to in the beginning of this paper
By April, 1872, Philip Jones, deputy surveyor
under Charles Calvert, finished surveying the plat
of 1922 acres, and after the proper courses with
the surveyors certificate were filed and recorded
at ANNAPOLIS a patent was issued to John Digges,
Cont, bearing the date of October 18th, 1875, at
ON rentul OF 10 pounds. II shillings and IL
pence sterling, payable at Lady Day and Michael
mas.
According to His Majesty's orders. on the 25th
| day of May, 1888. temporary line Of IS statute
miles was run from the Delaware river to the
| Kittochtinny mountains. Upon the completion OF
this boundary between the two provinces in 1859,
| it was found that Digges' Choice lay four miles
| northwar of this temporary line Other provi-
| sions of the royal order commanded call disorder
to cease" and "those parties holding claiming
| patents northward of said line should remain un
molested," and in consequence of this last provi
| sion Mr.. Digges remained in quiet possession of
| his land. At this time many Germans from the
Palatinate were fleeing to the New World to
| escape religious persecution. Maryland, the
Sanctuary of religious liberty" offered them
homes. They bought from such spectators as
Digges and Carroll tracts of land comprising from
| 10 to 200 acres. Here is copy of John Digges'
| bonds to give at me future time an absolute
title to the land purchased from him:
"Know all men by these presents, that I, John
Digges of Prince Georges county, in the Prov
ince Of Maryland, Gent, am held and firmly bound
| unto Adam Faurney, of Philadelphia county, in
the Province of Pennsylvania, Farmer and Taylor,
in the full and just sum of sixty pounds current
| money of Maryland, to which payment well and
| truly to be made and done, I bind myself, my
| Heirs, Executors and Administrators, firmly by
| these presents. Sealed with my seal and dated
| this 9TH day of October, Ammo Domini 1871. The
| condition of the above obligation is such that If
| the above John Digges, his Heirs, Executors or
| Administrators shall and will at the reasonable
request of the above Adam Faurney make and
| order by sufficient conveyance, according to the
| custom and common usage OF the Province OF
| Maryland, certain parcel of land, containing one
| hundred and fifty acres, already marked out by
| the above named Adam Faurney, near place
known by the name Of Robert 0wings' Spring and
| on the same tract of land where the said Robert
Owings now DweelIs, in the Province of Maryland,
| then this obligation to be void otherwise to re-
main in full force and virtue in law.
| JOHN DIGGEs.
| Sealed and delivered an the
presence Of us-=
| GEORGE Douglas,
| JOHANN PETER ZARICH."
It appears from an early history of Hanover
that Adam Forney (Faurney) and Johann Peter
Zarch were the two oldest settlers in that place,
having taken tracts of land from the Digges'
| Choice as early as 1921. Many others continued
to do so, for Indian Toms selection had proved
to be one of the most fertile and highly favored
spots in the Province of Maryland, so that within
| ten years Mr. Digges had sold or leased almost
| his entire original patent. Finding his property
by virtue of the temporary line in the Province OF
Pennsylvania and wishing to save future trouble,
Mr.. Digges, in 1743 made application to the Land
Office at Philadelphia for permission to strengthen
the boundaries of his original warrant for 10000
permission was granted, but afterward rescinded,
! he was unable to succeed. In July, 1745, Mr..
Digges petitioned the Maryland authorities at An
napolis for another warrant to correct errora in
| the boundaries of his first patent and to take up
sufficient vacant land adjoining to fill out the
| original warrant. His request having been grant
ed a tract of 3,679 acres was surveyed and a pat
emit issued for the same in October, 1745. For this
new consideration of pounds, 4 shillings and
| ii pence sterling was paid. Within this new
| patent fell several small ones granted to German
settlers by the Land 0Gice at Philadelphia I'm
fortunately these conflicting titles gave rise to a
holly contested struggle between John Dgges and
the owners of these patents, who had laid claim
and taken possession of his land. Eventually the
! governments ofthe separate Provinces were drawn
into the dispute, which resulted in years of tiga-
ton, hoodshsd and final killing of Dudley Digges,
| son of the ovnar.
| RUHL'S SCHOOL, BALTIMORE COUNTY.
To be cOntinued.)