The O'Neal Genealogy Association Newsletter

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TOGA NEWS Volume III, Issue 3, March, 2003

1600s:
Johns Drop, just to the east of Crackbone was the first to be "laid out" in this area. In October 1652, "... William Stevens and Thomas Thomas going up the river to take up land ...  the next two necks below the indian town ..." They immediately ran afoul of Robert Brooke who claimed these two necks as his {AM:X:248}.  The upper neck, 400 acres, was surveyed 14 Mar 1652/3 for Thomas Thomas {PA:AB&H:328} and patented to him on 6 Aug 1658 {PA:Q:102}. Ironically the west bound was erroneously given "Putuxent" River. The rest of the description places this tract "under the hills" for length of 160 perches, the convenient 1/2 mile. There is no record of William Stephens getting any land here, but the creek was named for him for a while. By ca 1660 Thomas's tract was in the possession of John Commings(sp) {RR:0:66}. On 11 Feb 1663/4 it was sold by Andrew Woodbery to William Tanehill [Tennihill] {AM:XLIX:126}. Within a couple of months, the land somehow (no record has been found) was passed to William Dorrington. On 9 May 1664, it was sold by William and Ann Dorrington to William Groome {AM:XLIX:530}. On 16 Mar 1668, Groome had 394 acres of this area re-surveyed as No Name {PA:11:304}. This survey provided a detailed description of the creeks, points and shores. William Groom died sometime before 1675 and his wife Sybil married Henry Jowles. Many late 1600s records site Henry Jowles as living in Calvert County. This area, the south and west side of the Patuxent River, was Calvert County until 1695.The will of Henry Jowles probated in 1700 sites 400 acres called Johns Dorp as being left to his son, Henry Peregrine Jowles.

Crackbone, 350-acres, was suveyed for Thomas Letchworth on 5 Jan 1657. Letchworth had obtained the rights to the land from William Guilford. No record of the certificate of survey exists. It is however mentioned in the early land records {PA:AB&H:437}. The tract was patented 22 Nov 1658 to Richard Crackburn assignee of Thomas Letchworth{PA:Q:224}. On 8 Nov 1664, the then possessor, William Tennihill, sold the land to Peter Lamore, Thomas Lamore and John Jero {AM:XLIX:338}.
Fishing Place, just to the south of Crackbone, was laid out on 30 Apr 1676 for Thomas Lamore. The survey descripton leaves a lot to be desired, however from the description, the tract would be about where it has been labeled.
There is not much information available about these tracts beween 1660 and 1707 as any records were lost in a court house fire in 1831.

1700s:
 Crackbone, by 1707, was in the tenure of Peter Harris {RR:7&8:056}. A rent-roll alienation entry dated 25 Aug 1715 from Luke Gardiner to Thomas & Richard Cooper {RR:7&8:056a} is obviously an error as Cooper can later be shown to be in possession of the "Crackbones Purchase" near Leonardtown. On 9 Jul 1723, Robert Erime[Groome?] sold 400 acres to Trueman Greenfield {RR:7&8:056a}. In 1753 Crackbone is shown in the possession of John Chisley[Chesley], 300-acres {DB:39:1753:33:16} and Peter Oneale, 60-acres {DB:39:1753:28:28}. On 5 Mar 1763, John Oneale sold his 60-acres to Jno Chesley {RR:43:041a} however the debt-books didn't register this transaction until 1768 {DB: 41:1768:19:36}. Chesley was in Possession through 1774 {DB:41:1774:31:11}. Tax Assessment records show that by 1801 William Cartwright heirs were in posssion {TA:1801:02/02:03} and in 1826, James F Sothoron {TA:1826:88/24:09}.

Johns Dorp or No Name is not mentioned in any of the rent rolls of the early 1700s.
By 10 Oct 1714, the land formerly of Thomas Thomas (Johns Drop or No Name) was in the possession Henry Peregrine Jowles {PA:FF#07:067}. In 1720, the tract is being called Orphans Gift {Carr:2444;06}. Likewise in 1745, the tract was referred to as Orphans Gift {PA:BC&GS#04:215. No certificate of survey of patent for Orphans Gift is known to exist. The debt-books of 1753 through 1761 confirm the existance of Orphans Gift, 400 acres of Mrs Dryden Forbes {DB:39:1753:19:01}. Dryden Cheseldyne Jowles Forbes was married first to Henry Peregine Jowles and then had married John Forbes.
A daughter of Henry Peregrine Jowles and Dryden Jowles, Ann Rebecca Jowles married John Johnson Sothoron date unknown. Ann died and John Johnson Sothron married Elizabeth Greenfield. A son of Elizabeth and John Johnson Sothoron was Henry Greenfield Sothoron. The will of John Johnson Sothoron written and probated in 1744, left his entire estate to his son Henry Greenfield Sothoron [Carr:3899;04}. From 1762 to 1774, Orphans Gift, 400-acres was possessed by Henry Greenfield Sothoron {Debt-Books 1762-1774}.