The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-03-23
John Coode, of the Orange Revolution

single warship, the Loyal Charles of
Maryland, and was ordered to scour
the Potomac for pirates, robbers and
spies. Later, an order-in- Council ex-
tended his duties to include super
vision of all waters within the prov
ince. In 1876, also, he became men,
Der of the lower house of the Assem-
bly,; shortly afterward he was named
by the Proprietor a justice of the
peace for st. Mary's county, and he
also became-under Major Boarman
captain of the militia of Chaptico
Hundred. These and several other
positions and honors Coode received at
the hands of Lord Baltimore, who, ap-
parently, had high regard for the
formers ability and no reason to
doubt his loyalty.
Even while he was performing his
official duties, however, Coode must
have suffered a change of heart. AS
the years passed the rumblings of dis
content against the proprietary be-
came louder and more open. Goodies
father-in-law, Gerard, although him
self Catholic, was one of Lord Bal
timore's bitterest enemies, and the
Blackstone and Slyes, who were re-
lated to the Gerrards, also were
prominent members of the anti-gov-
eminent group. Undoubtedly Coode
was Influenced in a measure by his
associates, but it was not until 1879
that he openly espoused the cause CT
revolution.
f.! In that year a Dr.. Berre had come
into the colony and was entertained at
Goodies home, where he told story
of the organization of "a troop of 100
Catholics .. in the county ready to
cut the Protestants' threats, ad mel
loren eXpeditoionem Domini." At
about the same time, Ex-Governor
Fendall was travelling about the
country spreading propaganda against
the Calverts. The people of Charles
listened to these incendiaries and
many believed them. Open rebellion
threatened in Anne Arundel county
and Charles and Calvert were seeth-
ing with excitement. The Governor
and Council, thoroughly alarmed by
the developments, ordered Fendall's
arrest, thereby arousing the country
side still further and bringing Coode
and George Godfrey, lieutenant of the
Rangers, Of Charles county, both by
this time open opponents of the exist
ing regime, to his assistance. All
three were arrested; Godfrey was
sentenced to death, Fendall was fined
and imprisoned and Coode was re-
leased in bail and in charge of his
brother-in-law, Nehemiah Blackiston,
who was just as ardent a rebel as
Coode himself. Lord Baltimore by
this time realized that Coode was an
enemy and he sent urgent letters
from England urging that he be not
reelected to the Assembly. But he
was returned with a large majority
and he continued to exert an impor-
tant influence in the lower house.
In the years which followed the fear
and resentment of the colonists were
not allayed; rather they were aggra-
waited by the continued nepotism of
the proprietor, by ugly rumors which
spread like wildfire and by disquieting
news from Virginia. There the Indians
had been raiding outlaying settle
ments and killing the inhabitants,
who had been left unprotected. Other
Indian tribes were menacing the
Maryland frontier and the Governor
was accused of withdrawing county
arms and leaving the colonists de-
fenseless. Colonel Pye, member of
the Council, was charged with having
effected an alliance with the Jesuits
and their Indian allies against the
Protestant settlers. The Bacon Re-
bellion in Virginia strengthened the
cause of the opposition in Maryland
and when word finally was received
in 1889 that the Catholic James II
had been deposed from the English
throne and replaced by the Protestant
William and Mary, the disaffected
colonists realized that their moment
had arrived.
In July of that year John Coode,
with the backing of Blackiston, Ninian
Beale and a number of other inf1uen-
tial colonists, began to assemble a
revolutionary force at Chaptico Town.
Their avowed aim was to compel the
Governor and Council to proclaim
officially the accession of William
and Mary, and apparently they had
little difficulty in raising and equip
ping a fairly imposing army. Late
in August the troops set out for the
State House at st. Mary's City, here
Colonel Digges had assembled a pro-
prietory force of about 100 men be-