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Welcome
to Maryland American History
and Genealogy Project
we are in the process of
building new State and County pages for the states where
the coordinator has moved on to other projects. Kent
County County is looking for a new Coordinator would you
be interested? If so please contact
Webmaster.
Many of the present coordinators are always willing to give help and
suggestions to newcomers, you can learn, I did and that was after 60!!
Read our
About Page and see what our requirements are,
pretty easy!
Court House At
Chestertown
Kent, with an area of 315 square miles, was named after
the English shire from whence came many of its early
settlers, who saw in its smiling landscape a replica of
the fairest county of England. Kent claims the
distinction of being the oldest county on the Eastern
Shore. The first settlement within the present limits of
Maryland was made on Kent Island in 1628 by Protestants
from Virginia under the leadership of William Claiborne.
Calvert claimed the island as part of his grant, and the
contention was not ended until 1647, when Claiborne was
dispossessed.
The Maryland Proprietary, having established his
authority over the island, in 1650 organized Kent
County, it then embracing the upper Eastern Shore. Kent
is a peninsular, lying between the Sassafras and Chester
Rivers, its eastern border being the Delaware line and
its western boundary the Chesapeake Bay. With its
standing timber, fertile soil, game, fish and many
natural advantages, under the liberal policy of the
Proprietary, Kent soon became a flourishing colony, with
a population consisting of Protestants, Catholics and
Quakers. And presently Negro slaves were brought into
the county. In 1864 about one-fourth of the population
were colored people.
The soil of Kent yields a great variety of crops, and
agriculture is the leading occupation of the people;
although the fishery interests are extensive. A paper
mill, basket factory, phosphate factory and other
manufacturing plants are located at Chestertown, the
county seat (population, 3,008). Canneries, mills, and
other plants are numerous in the county.
The people, though conservative, are progressive. They
have promoted railroad and steamboat communication with
Baltimore and Philadelphia. During the
ante-Revolutionary period Kent was active in opposition
to the oppressive measures of Parliament. It is not
commonly known that Chestertown, then a port of entry,
had a "tea party" of her own, a small cargo on the
Geddess brought into the Chester for the neighboring
counties, being seized and thrown overboard by the
indignant citizens.
In the War of 1812 the British under Sir Peter Parker
landed a force in Kent for an important military
operation. The enemy was met by a body of local militia
under Col. Philip Reed (a Revolutionary officer and
United States Senator 1806-13) and driven back to their
ships with heavy loss, Parker being among the killed.
Washington College (founded, 1782), which has a normal
department, is at Chestertown. Rock Hall, Betterton,
Millington, Edesville, Galena, Still Pond, Kennedyville,
and other thriving towns are in Kent.
Online Here or Other Sites
Maryland
AHGP
Source: History of Maryland, by
L. Magruder Passano, Wm. J.C. Dulany Company, 1901.
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