The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-02-14
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1 Ill- INC riches Oh every country, ANA lllll
such trade is with the greatest ease and
advantage carried on. when the same is
| drawn into and fixed in one or more con-
vcnicnt places: whereby it appears that
erecting towns, and granting Immunitics
| and Privileges for the encouragement
Of people to inhabit therein. most greatly
| contributes to so desirable an end, and
there being as yet no such place settled
at or near the Head of Chesapeake Bay,
| although from the great extent of the
country round. and the want of navig-
able water above it. the same seems al
| together necessary.
| These We're certainly good and sulli-
cicnt REASONS for building II town. and
the aforesaid commissioners met on the
! site of tharlcStown on the 10th of Feb
| ruary. lIl2, accompanied by John NcSey
who WAS County Surveyor. and William
Knight who was at that time County
Clerk. At this meeting, Mr.. Colvil pro-
| duced Il letter from Benja TaSkcr
the agent of the lord proprietary. in
which he expressed the opinion that the
five hundred acres which they were au-
thorizcd to include in the said town were
very we'll worth 1850, in which opinion
|
miSSoncrS. after Il few meetings for con-
Sultation left the matter in charge of the
Surveyor and adjourned to meet ON
the 18th of April. lib. AT which time
the Surveyor had completed Il plat of
tn" town. This plat has long since dis
appeared. but the proceedings of the
| commissioners. II part of which are re-
corded in the County Clerks Oflicc show
that they laid out two hundred of the
hv" hundred acres which they had con-
| dcmnrd for the purpose. into two humid
red lots. and that the town contained
seven streets that ran at right angles
| with tn" river and We're crossed ut right
angles by five other streets TaSkrr'S
lane. which was the nam" given to the
| most westerly street. was no doubt so
| called in honor of the lord pruprictary'S
agent. benjamin THSkrr while his lord
| ship WAS trchly hOnorcd by the name of
| Cecil. calvert. and Baltimore being ap-
piled To three "f the principal streets
| i he fact that one of the streets was call
cd tonrStO%a is indicativr of Il desire to
! "ultivHt" the best of feeling with the prO-
/ pie Of Lancaster County. some of whom
| HIt"rWard became the owners of lots in
! the new town. The remaining three
! hundred acres were Reserved. ;Igrrrahly
| 10 the provisions of tn" act. for the COM
mon use of the citizens of the town, for
the purpose of furnishing them with fire
wool aud pasture for their CATTLE Some
| nlri of this common is vet held by the
town. but il is doubtful if its possession
was ever of any material advantage to
tn" citizens. Certain parts of the town
We're reserved for the purpose of erecting
II public wharf and warehouse for the
more cOmmdiouS carrying on of trldr'
and for tn" erection Of II market house.
courthouse. and other public buildings
The 10th of May. 1743. was the day
designated for halloin" for the town lots.
no record of which is now cXtunt, con-
SruurntlN the names of the original pro-
pri"torS are unknown. But the deeds for
| lots which were sold few years after
wards show that some persons from
Lancaster. Chester. Anne Arundel Kent.
ANA Baltimore Counties. Hnl Philadr-
| phiH City. were among the original pro
prictorS. The Rev. William Wye. who
WAS rector of North Elk Parish ut that
time. was one of the original prunrictnrs
of lots and ii is worthy of remark as
! showing the power If the clergy ut that
time. than he waived his right 10 collect
the forty pounds per poll of tobacco
! 'Which was assessed upon each taxable
/ in the DarishD from the citizens of Char
, Ie>t"wn. His object in doing this was to
encourage the enterprise hy lrSSrning
| taxation, and to induce Immigration.
! Key. Hugh Jones. who was then rector
of North Sa>SafraS Parish. is believed
t" have been one Of the original Inthold-
"rS. II" certainly owned one of the town
lots ut the time of his death and devised
it in his will.
The new town throvr well at first and
the lots were I'LL taken up during the first
year of its existence. and such was the
! popularity of the enterprise and the de
sire to acquire building lots in it. that
, many of the original lots were divided
and Suhdividcd III order To supply the de-
mand. The lots commanded Il good price,
In l14o one of them, - by IL feet. sold
for Id. At the session of the General
Assembly iR 114i the original act of in
| corporation. which was as long as Lord
Baltimorc'S charter for the province.
was supplemented the first time by an
additional one. which empowered the
! commissioners to take charge of and dis
/ hurSr 200, which the lot holders had
raised by voluntary contributions Tor the
purpose Of building a wharf and ware
| house.
The principal articles of expectation
from the new town in the first years of
its existence seem to have been grain of
all kinds and flour and flax seed. To
bacco is not mentioned in the act nor in
the records of the town. few of which