ALONG TUCKAHOE CREEK

I am an Eastern Shoreman...I love Maryland and the Eastern Shore ~ Frederick Douglas who was born on the banks of the Tuckahoe

Autumn, Tuckahoe Creek Photography by Karen Klinedinst

Tuckahoe

The Chesapeake area in Maryland is awash with water. While the bulk of our early Maryland ancestors settled near the shores of the bay, a few moved inland. The myriad streams, lakes, rivers and creeks in the area made it easier for colonists to make their homes distanced from the bay itself.

The Tuckahoe area in Maryland was first defined by the Quaker Meeting House of that name. Tuckahoe Creek is a fairly large tributary of the Choptank River, which made settling along its banks ideal. In Maryland today, there is no town or county of Tuckahoe. Only a creek and a lake of that name remain.

We had three families living along the Tuckahoe, the Baynards, the Roes and the Areys. The Baynards and Areys were early in the Quaker records books. It took a couple of generations for the Roes to come into the fold.

Blue = Roe Red = Baynard Orange = Arey

Quaker John Baynard

Our grandfather John Baynard (7GGF) was baptized in Blagdon, Somerset on 24 Aug 1640. He is mentioned as a "gentleman" in Douglas Richardson's The Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families. A gentleman, back in the day, meant a person of good family but not part of the nobility. We know that our gentleman grandfather came to America before 1676 because that year he claimed 50 acres of land for transporting himself to Maryland.

Note: The Magna Carta Ancestry includes all known descents for seventeenth-century colonists from the 25 barons who served as sureties for Magna Carta. John Baynard may have descended from one of those barons but I have found some questionable links so have decided to leave that as a maybe.

Grandpa John, as the eldest son and heir of his family, may have inherited a tidy sum when his father died in England in 1691. By the time of his death, John Baynard's property in Maryland had increased tenfold from 50 to 500 acres. He called his plantation Pitt's Vineyard, no doubt named for his good friend and fellow Quaker, John Pitt.

Note: John Pitt was a major Quaker. His name shows up in one capacity or another on almost every page of the Third Haven record books until his death.

Exactly when John Baynard became a Quaker is unknown. He was in Maryland by 1676 but doesn't show up in Quaker records until 1686. Since his marriage to Elizabeth Blackwell (7GGM) ca. 1677 is not recorded, he must have entered the fold sometime in that nine year period. John attended the Tuckahoe Quaker Meeting House but records for all four early meeting houses in Maryland were kept by the main meeting house, Third Haven. Our Grandpa John's name is sprinkled throughout the record book a total of seventeen times.

John Baynard in the Quaker record books

The most copiously kept records in the Quaker book are those for marriage intents and marriage. At least two marriage intentions before the congregation were required before the big event. If any amongst the congregation had doubts, a home visit by one of the faithful might be deemed necessary. Every step went into the book. The whole process seemed fairly arduous, but few marriages were denied and the happy couples were finally able to tie the knot with with blessings from the entire flock.

The second most copious records were of visits from Friends to parishioners who had committed some sort of transgression against the faith. The records books rarely mentioned the exact transgression unless one of the flock veered away from the Truth and married outside the faith. John Baynard's first mention in the hallowed books just happened to be a transgression recorded on 9 Apr 1686:

"This meeting appoints William Lockwell and John Pitt to visit John Baynard in order to his return that he both may be cleered and his soule comforted and to return his answer to our next quarterly meeting."

It didn't take Grandpa John long to come to his senses because less than two weeks later we find this:

"The friends appointed to visit John Baynard give an attempt that he kindly accepted their visit and hopes for ye future to be more watchful and he is willing to condemn his outrunnings and cleere the truth... the same friends are desired to put him in mind to doe it as truth requires."

The rest of John's mentions in the record book are visits to other Friends who have also fallen to the wayside, settling differences, administering wills and clearing prospective betrothed couples for marriage.

It appears that the Quakers were not so enthusiastic about reporting births or deaths as they were marriages. I find very little of those records in their books. That said, this is how our Grandpa John's death was recorded on 6 Aug 1705:

"Abrah Morgan for Tuckaho - in John Baynard's sted who is Dead."

John and Elizabeth Baynard had six children.

John Baynard's will

We know that Grandpa John died sometime shortly before August 6, 1705. His will was signed 13 Nov 1704 and probated 1 Sep 1705.

"Baynard, John,Talbot Co.,13th Nov., 1704; 8th June, 1705.

To wife Elizabeth, extx., entire estate, real and personal. At her marriage or decease plantation “Pitts Vineyard” to be divided among 3 sons, viz., Thomas, Robert and William and hrs (heirs).l To the Quakers, personality. To 3 sons afsd. and 3 daus., viz., Elizabeth, Mary and Marth a, residue of personal estate."

Note: Personality is a term I had seen in many southern wills. I had to dig deep to find what it means. It's simple. Personality is personal property, not land, that can be moved from one spot to another.

The Roes

A Thomas Roe (8GGF) was transported to the Maryland Province by George Cowley in 1673 but he doesn't show up in land records until 1678. That five year period makes it seem likely that Grandpa Thomas came to the New World as an indentured servant.

As far as we can tell, Thomas was not a Quaker and the Roes don't show up in Quaker records until Thomas' great-grandson, John Roe (5GGF), married Jane Eubanks (5GGM).

Everything we know about Thomas Roe comes from a few land records and his will. His wife, named in his will, was Frances (unknown) (8GGM). The couple had five children living at the time he wrote his will, all mentioned by name.

Thomas Roe's will was proved 7 May 1712 in Queen Anne County, MD. He named his wife Frances executor.

To son Thomas (7U) and heirs part of Dudley's Desire

To son William (7U) and heirs residue of Dudley's Desire at the decease of his mother

To son John (7GGF) and heirs Wood Yard adjoining dwelling plantation at the decease of his mother

To son Thomas and daughters Mary Waters (7A) and Frances Lane (7A), personality.

To wife Frances life interest in all land excepting those devised to son Thomas, also residue of personal estate

Two years after Thomas' death, Grandma Frances Roe submitted a petition stating that Frances Millington, an old woman, had lived with her for many years and asked for support to maintain her. An amount of 500 pounds of tobacco was allowed.

The Richardsons

John continued his numerous land transactions until his death in 1693. . ncluded, who settled in Woburn, Ma. We have another Richardson family that settled in Maryland who became related to the Roe family by marriage. The information on the Maryland Richardsons One of Thomas Roe's grandsons, our grandfather Edward married Sarah Richardson. Sarah's grandfather (and ours), John Richardson, came to Maryland as an indentured servant ca 1649. Maryland records show that by 1662 he was married to a woman named Mary who was still serving out her indenture.

The next few years went along peacefully enough with John taking his place in Maryland society buying and selling land. Between 1665 and 1668, he made thirteen property transactions. Mary's indenture was over by then and the couple were raising two children.

Then, in 1669, a tragic event. According to Maryland Provincial Court Proceedings on December 17th of that year:

The Jurors for the Lord proprietary do present John Richardson of Tredavon Creeke...for that he the said John Richardson the fourth day of October...upon Mary Richardson his then wife by force and armes an assault did make...with a certain tobacco stick to the value of one penny Sterling which he the said John Richardson did then and there hold in his hand upon the aforesaid Mary Richardson...then and there in the Peace of God...voluntarily and of his malice forethough, did make an assault and the same Mary...and there with the stick fleloniously did Strike. So that by the said Stroake the said Mary Richardson...received a mortall blow whereupon the body of the said Mary Richardson...did immediatley fall to the earth and the said Mary Richardson...instantly there of the blow aforesaid died and So the said John richardson...of his malice before thought the said Mary Richardson...did voluntarily feloniously and wickedly kill and murther Contrary to the Peace of the Lord proprietary...

So John Richardson struck his wife with a tobacco stick (used for drying the tobacco leaves) and killed her. He pleaded not guilty, probably knowing he would beat the rap. The very same day that he was indicted, a jury of twelve men were called up. The verdict: "...the said Jurors upon their Oaths say that the said John Richardson is Guilty of misadventure." This would be the same as manslaughter.

The verdict was attested by Charles Calvert, third baron of Baltimore and Chief Justice of the Province of Maryland. In a notice to "all Sheriffs, Bailiffs and others" it was declared that the powers that be "moved with Piety have...pardoned unto the Said John Richardson the Said manslaughter and Granted unto him our firm peace thereupon So...that he Stand Right in our Court if anyone will him therupon Implead."

So John Richardson got off scot free after killing his wife. It appears that there were three witnesses, Penelope Evans, William Dell and Henry Swigott who were "Witnesses to prove the said Indictment." The word of these people, probably servants, didn't hold the same weight as the word of John Richardson who testified in his own defense.

Two years after Mary's death, John married widow Susannah Shacklady who had two children of her own. Records show that, at about this time, John became the keeper of an inn: One record involves our uncle, Edward Roe, brother of our grandfather Thomas: "16 May 1671: Edward Roe and Wm. Parrott to John Richardson, Innholder, house in the town of Oxford now in his possession."

By 1672, John is referred to as planter, a much more lucrative profession, in all his transactions. In April of 1673, he sold James Shacklady's land that he had acquired with his marriage to Susannah.

John continued his numerous land transactions until his death in 1693.

indentured servitude in Maryland

The vast majority of men who came to Maryland were yeoman farmers like Thomas Roe. Some, like John Richardson, were able to amass large plantations. Many of these men, like Thomas and John, had come as indentured servants as well. But it appears that servitude in Maryland, unlike Virginia, wasn't all that bad. Two men who had seen servitude firsthand in that fair state attested to that.

In 1656, John Hammond wrote a tract about the colonies of Virginia and Maryland entitled Leah and Rachel, The Two Fruitful Sisters of Virginia and Maryland. In it, he asserted that life was much better in Maryland even for an indentured servant in than it was for the poor of London. He wrote that the two southern colonies were "wholesome, healthy and fruitfull; and a modell on which industry may as much improve itself in, as in any habitable part of the World..." He commented of the poor in London that "their manner of living was degenerate and base; and their condition to be far below the meanest servant in Virginia." Further, he avowed that Maryland "is that Country in which I desire to spend the remnant of my dayes, in which I covet to make my grave."

Agreeing to the fullest was one who truly knew, a former indentured servant. After serving his time, George Alsop published the book A Character of the Province of Maryland where he declared that "the four years I served there were not to me so slavish, as a two years Servitude of a Handicraft Apprenticeship here in London..."

Next up: The three Arey brothers who came from the Lake District in England to Maryland and were welcomed into the Tuckahoe Quaker Meeting House.