The Washington times., 1920-10-23
Southern Maryland
A Historical Sketch.

4 the ravsxes OF time. A monument to
Leonard Calvert. nrst governor. now
marks the spot On the trunk Of this
ancient tree were tackled the procia-
nations OF the Lords Baltimore and
the various notices incident to the
early government The wood from
the trunk was used In making crossss
which were placed on the ends OF the
pews in the church nearby.
| As early as oS4 an ordinance was
/ passed In St Mays forbiddtng the
building of houses less than twenty
feet and two stories and . half high.
with brick chimneys.
OF all the structures, whaPfs. ware
houses. Offices and residences which
| Clustered under the protection or the
| old fort and Statehouse, not one re-
mains. An occasional brick turned
up by the plowshAre of the farmer.
/ the outline of the old esrthworks OF
the fort and traces Of the old mill
| dam which supplied the water which
operated the town mill. are all that
| remain to remind the present-day mo-
| tortst of the scenes in which the nrst
| chapters Of Maryland history were
enacted and the spot on which for the
| nrst time in the history OF America.
and probably in the history OF IN,
world. an act OF real religious to'era-
ton was put on the statue books OF
| government.
Scattered throughout 81. Marys
county. however, there still remain
some few houses which were built
during the time OF the original pill
grims OF Maryland. Portions of the
| house at Cross Manor, on st. 1nigoes
| creek, Just below ST. Marys city
! (Grayson's Wharf. now the resi-
dence of Senator Grayson. no doubt
heard the voices OF the pilgrims. The
beautiful house ut Bush God. on the
| Yaocomico river. which Ia said 10
have been built In 1880 by Captain
Schley, was no doubt visited by the
builders OF St Marys city.
| The Lords Baltimore. awaiting them
selves OF the feudal provisions OF
| their charter, granted many msnors
after the immortal system in Eng
land. The greater part OF the land In
| st. Marys county. and TO a lesser ex-
tent in Charles and other counties
| both on the eastern and western
| shores Of the Chesapeake bay, hav-
ing been disposed of In this manner
The proprietary records OF the Courts
Baron and Courts Leet held on these
manors have been to some extent pre-
served. more practically In the case
Of Chaptico Manor. on the faocomico
| river. and they serve to give the care
| full student an insight into the inti-
mate history of the times. or the
original manor houses themselves
| few traces remain. although there are
many examples Of early Maryland ar
| chitecture still standing. Prominent
among these might be mentioned
| "Satterly," summer home OF Mra Sat
| terly, daughter OF Pierpont Morgan;
Deep Falls. the Thomas homestead
Bushwood, Porto Bello. Mulberry
Fields and many others. And yet tho
attempt to transplant to the shores
| OF Maryland the English feudal sys-
| tenn which. even at that time, WAS dy-
ing in the mother country. has leH
| to this region wealth OF uAoiuon
! and story which has never received
the attention which ii deserves from
either historians or writer's Of fiction
| The following little romance, which
| is only one of a great number. would
have become a definite part OF the
romantic part of our countrys his
| tory had it happened in some better
| advertised section. 1t would nave
probably been found in our textbooks
alongside of the story OF Pocahontas
and other romantic incidents. Inc
story Is As follows:
"Col. George Talbot. kinsman or the
third Lord Baltimore. councillor OF
the province and surveyor general
along about the year 1884 boarded MS
ma jesty's man-o'war The QUAKER
Ketch. lying in the harbor at tho
mouth OF the Patuxent river. Capt.
Thomas Allen, commander. On board
he found Christopher Rousby. . col
Iector OF the Kings customs. A dis
pute arose between tho two men
which ended in q night on the deck
of the vessel, during which Colonel
Talbot ran Rousby through the heart
killing him instantly. On the planta-
ton Susquehanna, overlooking the
harbor Of the Patuxent river may be
seen to this day the old nat grave
stone, with the inscription: Here
lies the body Of Christopher Rousby.
who was taken out Of this world by
a violent death received on board his
ma jesty's ship The Quaker ketch.
Capt. Thomas Allen, commander. the
last OF October, 1884" Captain Allen
placed Colonel Talbot under arrest
and, weighing anchor. carried him to
y,rxinta and there delivered him to
the rapacious governor, Lord Howard
Efnngham. The third Lord Baltimore,
then in England. wishing to see his
kinsman receive at least the beneht
Of a fair trial, secured an order from
the privy council for tho delivery OF
Talbot in England for trial, but be-
fore this order reached Virginia, Tai
bot had already been released In
most romantic manner. Lady Talbot
his devoted wife, taking with her
two faithful retaincrs, in a little skin
sailed the length Of the Chesapeake
bay in the dead OF winter to point
near Gloucester. on the Rappahanock,
where Talbot was lodged in jail, and
there. by some strategy. which has
not been made entirely clear. she Sc
cured his release, taking him TO his
manor Susquehanna- in Cecil county.
The hue and cry was raised and the
pursuit became so hot that tradition
says Talbot was forced to secrete
himself in A cave, whore he WAS fed
by two trained hawks, a story which
Is not so incredible as 1t seems when
u Ia known from other sources that
Talbot was n great devotee Of the
ancient sport OF falconinE. Eventu-
.n,, Inrd no1tiponrA urcnYed COM