St. Mary's County Historic Background

The NESEA facility, including the Puma Site, is located just a few miles south of St. Mary's City, site of the first settlement in Maryland and the first seat of colonial government. The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) established one of the earliest manors in the new colony at St. Inigoes soon after St. Mary's City was founded. The NESEA facility is situated within the manor's original 2,000-acre land grant. In many regards, the early history of the colony is the history of St. Mary's County, and the Jesuit Manor played a prominent role in that history.

[ Last Updated: 09-Jun-2003 | Rating: based on 2 votes ]  Rate It  Review It  Report Problem

William Nuthead

(? - 1695) Nuthead established the first printing press in English America south of Massachusetts at St. Mary's City in 1684 or 1685. Not much is known of his early life until he arrived in Virginia in 1682. Denied the opportunity to pursue his profession there, he came to Maryland. The earliest extant example of his work is a bill dated August 31, 1685, and one of his most important publications was a broadside (dated August 1689) that defended the Protestant overthrow of Lord Baltimore's government the same month. He died about the time the capital moved from St. Mary's City to Annapolis, and his wife Dinah followed the government to the banks of the Severn River and continued to operate a printing shop for many years. Four pieces of printing type, dating from Nuthead's era, have been excavated along Aldermanbury Street in St. Mary's City.

[ Last Updated: 09-Jun-2003 | Rating: based on 2 votes ]  Rate It  Review It  Report Problem