They Lived in Somerset: Explanatory Notes

[ DATE ] [ NAMES ] [ REFERENCES ] [ EVENT ]

DATE

The dates given are, as a rule, reproduced just as recorded but with modifications in these instances:

• in the case of the Judicials, dates used for all entries are those of the opening session unless taken from a specific document quoted in the record
• certain more lengthy abstracts of wills have been divided into two entries; the second will carry a date one day later than the first to maintain proper order in the computer listing
• when the original carries an incomplete or illegible date - e.g. __ January 1680 - day 1 is inserted arbitrarily
• you will note many instances in which an immigration date taken from Early Settlers . . . is preceded by a cattle mark registration date. Such entries are not in error. They simply represent the fact that Early Settlers . . . dates are taken from land patent records; land was not always taken up immediately, often to delay payment of quit rents
• all dates are Old Style; it can be disconcerting to read that John Doe was married on 12 December 1682 and died on 15 March of that same year if this fact is not kept in mind

NAMES

In general, I feel that names should be recorded as they appear in the original records. Unfortunately, the phonetic spellings used by the early clerks varied widely. Beyond that, transcriptions made from those records often misinterpret what was actually written. This is particularly true in the case of capital letters. For this compilation, therefore, I have departed from that principle for the purpose of keeping data for one individual or family together in the alphabetic listing. In these cases I have attempted to show exactly what has been done by also giving the name as originally transcribed in the text.

Considering the extremely wide variations in spelling which occurred with great frequency, I believe that this approach will be found to be helpful.

REFERENCES

ADVL -

"Advice of Loyalty" form Somerset inhabitants to William & Mary on the occasion of their accession to the throne of England as quoted by Torrence in Old Somerset on the Eastern Shore of Maryland

EB14 -

Liber in Somerset County probate series

ESMd -

Early Settlers of Maryland by Gust Skordas. Only names specifically recorded as relating to Somerset or easily recognized as such have been included. Numerous names in this present listing from other sources can also be located in Early Settlers . . .

IKL -

Liber in Somerset County records

JUD1 -

Archives of Maryland, Vol. LIV; only published transcription of colonial Somerset Judicials

JUD2 -

Somerset Judicial Records 9 Nov 1674 - 11 Sep 1677 as contained in Deed Liber L2

JUD3 -

Somerset Judicial Records 13 Nov 1683 - 11 Mar 1683/4 also in L2
NOTE: I have transcribed both JUD2 and JUD3 and propose to publish them at a subsequent date. Not all names from these two referenced sources, nor from JUD1, have been included in this compilation.

JW15 -

Prerogative Court record

LegB -

Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature 1635-1789 by Papenfuse et al. 2 vols. Much biographical and genealogical data on the persons listed is contained in these volumes.

MCW

Maryland Calendar of Wills compiled by Jane Baldwin Cotton

III et seq. - (Roman numerals)

volume numbers of Archives of Maryland

VII -

Tobacco list; so-called since it shows in pounds of tobacco amounts paid to "Inhabitants of the Province in the late Expedition against the Nanticoke Indians . . ." (only Somerset abstracted in this present listing), Archives of Maryland VII:97-100.

EVENT

The following are the abbreviations used in the column to save space: