Southern Maryland was one of the first colonial settlements. As such, it is steep in culture and history.
Many of the books here may be out of print. However, there are often used copies for sale. As a last resort, check your local library, historical society, or even Google Books.
LINKS:
A Most Convenient Place : Leonardtown, Maryland, 1650-1950
By Aleck Loker. This book resulted from a request by the Leonardtown Commissioners to document the history of the town as a millennium project.
Aleck Loker is a ninth-generation Maryland native who knows and loves history. He attended the College of William and Mary in Virginia where I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics in 1964. After college, he enjoyed a thirty-three year career at the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland. In his Navy career, he achieved recognition for innovative work that was widely published. His collaboration with Naval test pilots and engineers spanned virtually every facet of the aircraft flight test work at the Patuxent Navy base. He served as the Executive Director of the Naval Air Station during his last three years with the Navy. Along the way, he studied local history and published numerous articles in magazines and in the Chronicles of St. Mary's, a publication of the St. Mary's County Historical Society. His first book-length work was the popular "A Most Convenient Place, Leonardtown, Maryland 1650-1950," which has gone into the second printing. His first novel, "A Matter of Space," reflects his strong affection for the important work done by the Navy at Patuxent River Naval Air Station and the equally important work of the archaeologists, historians, interpreters and staff at Historic St. Mary's City. That book is also available on Amazon.com Aleck Loker and his wife live in Williamsburg, Virginia. He is currently working: on a series of children's stories; an account of the English settlements at Roanoke Island, North Carolina; a biography "Fearless Captain: the Adventures of John Smith" (available on Amazon.com); and a second novel.
[ More info ][ Last Updated: 08-Feb-2016 | Hits: 528 | Reader Comments Report Problem
Boats For Work, Boats for Pleasure: The Last Era of Wooden Boatbuilding in Southern Maryland
The Last Era of Wooden Boatbuilding in Southern Maryland by Richard J. Dodds and Robert J. Hurry. This book presents a retrospective look at a way of life that has almost disappeared. The craftsmen introduced here represent the last generation of wooden boat builders in Southern Maryland. 129 pages, B/W photos throughout.
Available only through the Calvert Marine Museum store.
[ Last Updated: 21-Feb-2016 | Hits: 487 | Reader Comments Report Problem
In St. Mary's County, Maryland there was established the first Catholic parish, the first Catholic school, and the first community of religious men in English-speaking America, and the county residents played a key role in the development of the Catholic Church throughout America. This work has many of the earliest surviving records of Catholic families of the county. From the Jesuit parishes of St. Francis Xavier and St. Inigoes there are baptismal records (1767-1794) and marriage records (1767-1784). There also are congregation lists (1768-69), rent rolls (various dates), births (various dates), subscribers to the Oath of Allegiance (1778), militia lists (1794), and voters' lists (1789-90). In all, an indispensable source of reference material.
[ Last Updated: 07-Feb-2016 | Hits: 591 | Reader Comments Report Problem
Charles County, Maryland: A History
Charles County, Maryland: A History - The Charles County Bicentennial Committee. 'The first Charles County was created by Cecil Calvert, Second Lord Baltimore, October 3, 1650. It included all the present County as well as some of the counties of Calvert, St. Mary's, and Prince George's.' Charles County today is located in southern Maryland between the Patuxent and the Potomac rivers. Dozens of knowledgeable volunteers contributed information on a variety of topics, including agriculture and the tobacco industry, transportation and the Potomac, towns and villages, religion and churches, government, Black history, education, sociality, legend and folklore, and genealogy. The reader is introduced to many towns, and given brief sketches of Port Tobacco, Benedict, La Plata, Bryantown, Indian Head, St. Charles, and Waldorf. Black history has been compiled from the fragments of oral and written data to give a glimpse from that perspective. Newspapers, clubs and auxiliaries, and reminiscences are also touched on. The text is further enhanced by photographs and illustrations, poems, recipes, a bibliography, and a subject index. The chapter on genealogy sites numerous sources for research, and provides the names of early settlers, a guide to deciphering old documents, the Census of 1850 (by district) listing free heads of families, lists of late 1700s' marriages grouped by minister, and an 1878 list of physicians. (1976) reprint, 464pp., illus., bibl., index, paper.
[ Last Updated: 07-Feb-2016 | Hits: 503 | Reader Comments Report Problem
Colonial Records of Southern Maryland: Trinity Parish & Court Records, Charles County; Christ Church Parish & Marriage Records, Calvert County; St. Andrew's & All Faith's Parishes, St. Mary's County - Elise Greenup Jourdan. A compilation of vital records of Charles County: Trinity Parish and Court records (marriages, births and deaths); Calvert County: Christ Church Parish and marriage records; St. Mary's County: St. Andrews Parish & All Faith's Parish records. The very early Charles County records included here were previously published in Charles County Court and Land Records, Volume I & II, and are believed to be the records of Durham Parish. Records of St. Andrews Parish have been taken from Lucy Harrisons transcription; they were earlier published in Volumes V-VII of the Chronicles of St. Marys. Calvert County marriages have been abstracted by Mrs. Jourdan from the Scharf Collection. Mrs. Jourdan has consolidated these earlier published records along with the registers of Trinity Parish and the registers of Christ Church Parish (O'Brien has done some of these) and the registers of All faiths Parish. The only other known vital records of this tri-county area would be the Catholic records of St. Marys County which have been published in Catholic Families of Southern Maryland, by Timothy J O'Rourke and are not included here. (1997), 2000, 189pp., 5.5 x 8.5, index, paper.
[ Last Updated: 07-Feb-2016 | Hits: 584 | Reader Comments Report Problem
Ages 10 to 13 years. The story of Maryland's three southern counties is really the story of the beginnings of the state itself. On 25 March 1634, the first European settlers came to the area in hopes of finding religious freedom and economic opportunities, led by Leonard Calvert. Counties of Southern Maryland describes the early settlement and traces the region's history through the end of the twentieth century in the area that now comprises St Mary's, Calvert, and Charles counties. This is the third book in a series about Maryland's counties that is designed for elementary school children studying their state. The authors approach each region of the state by introducing what is common to the counties, including their history, climate, geography, and wildlife. They describe the facets of each county that are unique: its establishment, county seat, growth, government, major towns, churches and other religious organisations, schools, businesses, agriculture, and places of interest. Clever line drawings by Marcy Dunn Ramsey accompany "Fun Facts" and "Not-So-Fun Facts".
[ Last Updated: 07-Feb-2016 | Hits: 496 | Reader Comments Report Problem
Deeper into the Mist: Rediscovering the Lost Ranch Club
This is a story of obsession, of one man's quest to go back in time and recreate a special place from his youth. While spreading his mother's remains on the beach, the author fondly recalls his childhood in the place once known as the Chesapeake Ranch Club—a membership club based on the theme of The Old West. Almost nothing familiar remains except the western street names. All the old buildings that once held the special events and amenities have long since vanished. When the author discovers that the summer home his family built there is also gone, his obsession begins. He starts a desperate search for the hidden story of the Ranch Club's mysterious demise. His exciting search for the people he knew there almost fifty years earlier succeeds due to a series of unbelievable coincidences. He interviews many locals who remember, and who refer him to others to learn more. He finds rare books, brochures, articles, and old aerial photos when all the roads were still dirt. His search for old lost landmarks reads like a detective story, especially uncovering the history of an old manor house that haunted him his entire life. This fast-paced story is told through the eyes of the people who were there; the members, guests, neighbors, and employees who built, ran, and managed the old Ranch Club. In the end, he disproves the theory that you can never go back. Not only has he gone back, he brought along a small army of fascinating people who made the journey with him.
[ Last Updated: 08-Feb-2016 | Hits: 519 | Reader Comments Report Problem
Early Families of Southern Maryland (Volume 5)
Genealogies for some families who settled in St. Mary's, Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Calvert, and Charles Counties. Traces the following families up to around 1800: Adams, Athey, Barton, Batten-Ashcomb, Cooksey, Duke, Godfrey, Gwinn, Hungerford, Middleton, Moore, Parker, Perry/Pearre, Posey, Purnell, Smoot, Tyler, and Warren. (1996), 5.5x8.5, index, paper, 381 pp.
[ Last Updated: 07-Feb-2016 | Hits: 524 | Reader Comments Report Problem
Footsteps In A New World: The Story of Tomas Sympson
Footsteps in a New World is a story that describes what it might have been like to establish a homestead in 17th century Maryland. Moreover, it answers questions as to what factors might have compelled such an adventure into an unknown world. Adhering to historical accounts of the founding of Maryland while exploring family history, fact and fiction merge to become an inspiring tale of a young man's dream of land, freedom, and family. Tomas Sympson traveled from Scotland in 1635 with the intention of settling in the Roman Catholic colony of Maryland. He left footprints in time that, in discovering, perhaps we shall take heart, to achieve and to pursue what is our own American Dream.
[ Last Updated: 07-Feb-2016 | Hits: 508 | Reader Comments Report Problem
First published in 1979 this is still the most important book written about Calvert Cliffs and the Miocene fossils found there. Written by Wally Ashby and enhanced with beautiful drawings by Mary Parrish.
Available only through the Calvert Marine Museum store.
[ Last Updated: 21-Feb-2016 | Hits: 489 | Reader Comments Report Problem