Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-11
In Early Sandy Spring
A Visit to the Old Quaker Settlement
In Moylond's Nearby Montgomery County
By John CIoqett Proctor

meridian between Maryland and
Canada very broad statement,
indeed, to make.
OF course. this old house no
longer exists, having been taken
down some years ago. There can
be no doubt about this. for in the
"annals" referred to we find that
on August 2, 1918. "a Brooke FAM
lily reunion and neighborhood pic
mic was held at Charley Forest.
Nearly 200 persons gathered un-
der the stately trees and after a
general survey of the interesting
old house, with its quaint rooms,
closets and stairways, and an ex-
animation Of numerous ancient
papers, we ranged through house,
lawn and outbuildings till Charles
F. Brooke called the company to
order and told Of the purpose of
the gathering. to hold wake-as
it were-over the old Charles For
est house before it was RACED and
replaced by a modern home for its
present owner. Frank j. Downey.
Deborah Iddings then read most
interesting description and history
of the house."
OF course, the most prominent
descendant Of the emsgrant. Rob-
.ert Brooke, was Chief Justice
Roger Brooke fancy, who writes
in his Memoir" as follows:
1.-THE situation. for all social
purposes, was a very retired one.
It was bounded. as I have said. on
one side by. the river and on an
other by a deep Underwater creek.
called Battle Creek, which runs
into the country for several miles
at right angle to the river. The
families which we visited by land
were several miles distant from us.
and our chief social intercourse
was in boats across the creek. with
families who resided on the OPP
posite shores.
Early Maryland Families
my forefathers, on my fathers
side, were among the early emf
grants to Maryland, and had
owned and lived upon this estate
for many generations before I was
born. We have no family record
showing the precise time Of their
coming to Maryland, or the coun-
try from which they migrated.
They were Roman Catholics.
After the accession Of william and
Mary to the throne Of England.
the severe penal laws OF that
country against Roman Catholics
were introduced into Maryland.
and, among others, every Roman
Catholic was prohibited from
teaching school in the province.
Parents were naturally unwilling
to send their children to q school
where their religion would be
scoffed at and the children SUBJ
jected to humiliation and insult.
The education of Roman Catho-
lies, therefore. whose parents
could not afford to send them
abroad, was generally nothing
more than their parents could
teach. with occasional aid given
by the priest.
"It was, consequently, usually
confined to reading, writing and
little arithmetic, just enough to
enable them to transact their
ordinary business, as planters.
without inconvenience. The chill
dren, whose fortunes would afford
it, were sent to France to be
educated. And my father was &C
cordingly sent to the English
Jesuits' College at st. Omer's,
and removed with it to Bruges
when it was expelled from st.
Omer's, and removed with it to
Bruges when it was expelled from
st. Omer's. He had finished his
education and returned home.
some years before the commence
ment of the American Revolution,
and, his father being dead, he
took possession of his estate, and
married my mother, Monica
Brooke, about the year TITO.
MY mother was the daughter
of Roger Brooke, who owned
large landed estate on Battle
Creek, directly opposite to that
which belonged to my father. He
was lineally descended from
Robert Brooke. who left writ
ten memorandum of his family.
and of the time of his settlement
in Maryland. which has been pre-
served by his descendants,