Annapolis in 1694In 1694, the capital of Maryland was removed from St. Mary's to Annapolis. The memorial volume celebrating the two hundredth anniversary in 1894 has information about the colonial Annapolis.
After forty-five years of growth, Annapolis, in 1694, had under forty houses in it, and, it my be estimated, not over one hundred and fifty inhabitants. Within its precincts and in its vicinity were names that have linked themselves with every stage of progress of the "Old Line State." From the ancient rent-rolls are taken the names of the men who first settled in Annapolis and its vicinity, and whose prosperity lived in Annapolis when it became the Capital of the State, with here and there some sturdy son of the virgin settlement who remained to see the steady progress and new honors of "the Ancient City." The dates show the years when the surveys were made and the land taken up for patent.
Richard Bennett, 1650
Thomas Gott, 1658
William Galloway, 1659
John Colier, 1659
Samuel Ruthers, 1661
In Middle Neck Hundred, between Severn and South Rivers:
Zepheniah Smith, 1650
Matthew Howard 1650
Wm. Crouch, 1650
John Howard, 1650
Richard Warfield, 1650 Alex. Warfield, 1650 Thomas Todd, 1651 James Homes, 1651 Ann Owen, 1684 Nich. Wyat, 165` Sam. Dorsey Richard Acton, 1651 Peter Porter, 1651 John Baldwin, 1661 Christopher Oatly, 1651 Richard Beard, 1650 Thomas Howell, 1651 William Homes, 1652 James Warner, 1651 Henry Pickney, 1651 Thos. Gates, 1658 John Howard, 1658 William Galloway, 1659 Tobias Butler, 1659 Neal Clark, 1659 Geo. Laugher, 1650 Saml. Whiters, 1661 Lawrence Richardson, 1661 Ann Correll, 1661 Edward Hope, 1661 Col. Henry Ridgely, 1661 Charles Ridgely, 1661 Jacob Benington, 1661 William Frizzell, 1663 Neal Clark, 1663 Edward Skidmore, 1662 Nicholas Wyat, 1662 Cornelius Howard, 1662 Saml Howard, 1662 John Howard, 1662 Charles Stephens, 1662 Walter Smith, 1662 John Edwards, 1662 Patrick Dunkan, 1662 John Howard, 1663 Charles Stephens, 1663 Ralph Salmon, 1663 John James, 1663 Henry Sewell, 1663 Thomas Underwood, 1663 Edward Dorsey, 1663 John Dorsey, 1663 Joshua Dorsey, 1663 Cornelius Howard, 1663 John Edwards, 1663 Richard Moss, 1663 Thomas Hammond, 1664 William Gumes, 1664 William Read, 1665 John C. Muccubin, 1665 Robert Clark, 1664 Thomas Roper, 1664 John Barton, 1665 Thomas Bell, 1665
In Broad and Town Neck Hundred, between Severn and Mogothy Rivers: Robert Birle, 1650 Abram Holman, 1650 Richard Ewen, 1652 Thomas Homwood, 1652 Lewis Jones, 1652 Joshua Meriken, 1652 Richard Young, 1652 John Cowell, 1651 William Durand, 1651 Ralph Hawkins, 1659 Philip Howard, 1659 Edward Lloyd, 1659 James Rigby, 1659 William Fuller, 1659 Elizabeth Strong, 1659 Matthew Clark, 1659 Henry Catlins, 1659 Thomas Brown, 1659 Henry Woolchurch, 1662 William Pyther, 1659 Richard Devaier, 1662 Matthew Howard, 1663 Alice Durand, 1662 Robert Taylor, 1662 Abram Dawson, 1662 William Lloyd, 1662 Thomas Turner, 1662 Robrt Lusby, 1662 Edward Skidmore, 1663 Robert Tyler, 1663 Thomas C. Marsh, 1663 John Askew, 1663 Emmanuell Drew, 1663 Elizabeth Darrell, 1663 Christian Merriken, 1665 Thomas Thurston, 1664 Thomas Cole, 1664 William Hill, 1665 James Orwick, 1665 Richard Mossen, 1665 Richard Devour, 1662 John Brown, 1665 John Clark, 1665 Herman Solling, 1665 Elizabeth Hills, 1666 George Yate, 1666 Robert Pettybon, 1666 Edward Blay, 1666 John Rockhold, 1666 Paul Dorrell, 1667 Morrice Baker, 1667 James Connaway, 1668 Geo. Norman, 1669 John Burton, 1667 William Daws, between 1667 and 1670 William Read, 1665 Henry Pierpont, 1665 Phillip Thomas, 1664 Walter Phelps, 1665 Nicholas Green, 1665 Francis Reasly, 1666 Elizabeth Sisson, 1666 William Harris, 1667 Jeane Sisson, 1667 Edward Dorsey, 1668 Thomas Phelps, 1668 William Hopkins, 1669 Guy Meek, 1669 Richard Warfield, 1669 Edward Gardner, 1669
Annapolis in 1894In 1845, Annapolis had, after nearly two hundred years of growth, increased to 3,000 inhabitants. The Naval Academy gave it a slight impetus when it was established there at the last named date, and Annapolis in 1890 was reported as having over 7,000 souls. This does not include the naval Academy and residents adjacent to the town, which would make the number nearly 9,000.
Dignified with the seat of government in 1694, Annapolis had put on its honors with the stir of a new vitality. Its name was changed to its present one from Ann Arundel Town, ship yards were laid out, a parish church (the present St. Anne's parish and now the third church), a schoolhouse (King William's School, now St. John's College), and a public ferry over the Severn, which was maintained until 1887, when it was superseded by a bridge, followed each other rapid order.
The City of Annapolis had not made progress in wealth nor in population, but its development, on better lines, has been the pride of its people. With the arrival of the capital and a new element, came politicians, lawyers, legislators, judges and scholars. Here grace and beauty gathered, and in this prototype of an English capital, wealth, leisure, beauty and refinement created a life of social gayety and voluptuous enjoyment that made the city famous throughout all the colonies for its fastidious pleasures, whilst the cluture and elegance of its people gained for it the title of "The Athens of America.: Nor was the title undeserved. From its civilization were evolved Chares Carroll of Carrollton, Charles Wilson Peale, William Pickney, Daniel Dulaney, Reverdy Johnson and John D. Godman, in the last century, and in the present, Stewart Holland, the hero of the Artic; James Booth Lockwood, of the Greeley expedition; Stuart Robson, representative of the histrionic art; Dennis W. Mullan, the hero of Samoa--all of whom were born in Annapolis--and may others in both eras whose names belong to the history of the whole country.
The spirit, character and patriotism of the people of Annapolis are written in deeds like these: The battle of the Severn, 1656; establishment of King William's School, 1696; founding of the Gazette, 1727; the merciful reception of the banished Acadians, 1755; erection of the first theater in America, in 1760; mobbing of Hood, the stamp act tax gatherer in 1765; the burning of the Peggy Stewart and her tea in 1774; furnishing two incidents in the bill of indictment of George III, in the Declaration of Independence; mobbing the Tories of 1812, who dared rejoice by a sermon and procession over the fall of Napoleon and the freeing of English legions to fight America, and in gaining the love of Washington next to his Mount Vernon home.
The people of the "Ancient City" today, inheritors of the same blood, are legatees of the same spirit that characterized their forefathers, and are noted for their intelligent grasp of vital issues and their fearless vindication of their free-born rights.
Source: Memorial Volume: Celebration of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the Removal of the Capital of Maryland from St. Mary's to Annapolis, March 5, 1894. Edited by Elihu S. Riley, Under the Authority of the House of Delegates of Maryland of 1894 Anapolis: King Bros. State Printers 1894. pp.157 - 167.