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Nabb Center Finding Aid Portal

Items Dated Between 1690 and 1699

Nabb Center Map Collections

by Unknown (1500 – 1900s)

folders ( linear feet)

This finding aid includes listings for nearly all of the maps in the Nabb Center archives. Many maps are originals, but a significant portion are reproductions. The majority of the maps relate to the Delmarva Peninsula, though there are many other American and international maps from throughout time. Each map was given an identifier and title; descriptions, dates, and present location are recorded when possible. Maps may be part of other collections and are referenced here. Please refer to the inventory for a complete listing of the map collection.

Associated Subjects: Maps
Identifier: 2020.000
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Purnell Family Collection

by Purnell, Willard (1520 – 1944)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Purnell Family Collection contains genealogical information on the Purnell family. Included in the collection is a Purnell family migration map, a Purnell pedigree chart, and information on the Purnell family coat of arms.

Associated Subjects: Purnell Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2006.252
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Joseph Shores Collection

by Shores, Joseph (1521 – 1999)

5 boxes (2 linear feet)

In 2009, Joseph Shores collected material relating to the family history of a large number of families living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. While the collection primarily consists of handwritten notes, there are also family trees, official documents, tax records, marriage records, censuses, correspondences, maps, and military records. Also included are research papers, a Historical American Buildings Survey Inventory, currency collections, a Somerset County Historical Society correspondence, and other miscellaneous items. All are reproductions.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2009.029
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Judge Lloyd Simpkins collection

by Simpkins, Lloyd (1524 – 1774)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Judge Lloyd Simpkins Collection contains a copy of the Captain John Smith map of the Chesapeake Bay in the early 1600s. Also included are two essays written by Judge Lloyd Simpkins. One is titled "Lower Delmarva's First Explorer" which discusses Captain John Smith, and "Somerset County 1500-1700", which discusses the history of Somerset County from 1524 to 1774.

Associated Subjects: Maps
Identifier: 1988.034
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Murray Family Genealogy

by Unknown (1525 – 1764)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Murray Family Genealogy contains genealogical information on the Murray family. The collection contains genealogy pedigrees, which includes the birth and death dates of Murray family members, along with who their children or parents are.

Associated Subjects: Murray Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2006.269
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Betty Murrell Collection

by Murrell, Betty (1550 – 1986)

4 folders (0.04 linear feet)

The genealogies of several families are explored in this collection including the Willey, Wallace, Hargrave, Kfoury, Medford, Manlove, Bailey and others. Within the collection, there are land deeds, wills of people who had died, coat of arms for families that originated in England, and baptism records. All these families are able to trace ancestors to Accomack County, Somerset County, and Dorchester County.

Identifier: 1986.002
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Walter Wilson Genealogy Research Collection

by Walter, Wilson B. III (1595 – 1866)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Walter Wilson Genealogy Research Collection contains genealogical pedigrees on local Delmarva people . Some of the genealogical pedigrees included are on Mary Meacham, Walter Byrd Wilson I, Samuel French Moore, etc. There is also a small biography on John Byrd and how he was shot by a yankee soldier in Byrds Tavern.

Associated Subjects: Genealogy
Identifier: 2002.004
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Bevans Family Collection

by Bevans, Roland (1600 – 1901)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

Information on the Bevans family.

Associated Subjects: Beavans Family • Bevans Family • Bibbins Family
Identifier: 1991.003
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Dioce Land Record Collection

by Unknown (1600 – 1800)

1 oversize box (2.5 linear feet)

This collection contains many original documents from the 17th, 18th, and 19th century. It is made up of various indentures, copy of wills, and accounts relating to Sussex County, Delaware (Purnell Family), Worcester County, MD (Franklin Family), and Somerset County.

Associated Subjects: Benton Family • McCrea Family • Miller Family • Genealogy • Land Records
Identifier: 2007.018
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Malissa Small collection

by Unknown (1600, 1900s)

3 folders (0.03 linear feet)

This genealogical collection covers the family history of Malissa Small. Several families are focused within the collection such as the Gray, Seabreeze, and Tarr families. The material has a large focus on marriages through public marriage documents and news paper clippings. There are also wills of many members of Malissa Small's family.

Associated Subjects: Gray Family • Seabreeze Family • Tarr Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1985.013
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Richard W. Cooper papers

by Cooper, Richard Waller (1605 – 2001)

18 boxes,  2 oversize folders (12.5 linear feet)

The Richard Cooper papers document his professional and personal activities through his collection of materials dating from 1605 to 2001. The documents focus on the religious and political histories of Wicomico and Worcester County as well as the history of the Mason-Dixon Boundary Line depicted through Cooper’s column in the Daily Times. The papers also document the topographic history of Delmarva through Cooper’s career as an engineering surveyor. Documents from his surveying career and interests include topographic maps, survey certificates, land deeds, and plats. A photograph album documents the construction of his family home at 611 Tony Tank Lane in Salisbury, Maryland. Materials within the collection include newspaper clippings, photographs, family histories, and correspondence. Drafts and manuscripts of Cooper’s published works on the history of Salisbury, Profile of a Colonial Community, Salisbury in Times Gone By, and Portrait of Salisbury are contained within the collection.

Identifier: 1987.093
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Eastern Shore Brochure and Pamphlet Collection

by Unknown (1609 – 2010)

9 boxes (9 linear feet)

This Collection consists of Brochures and Booklets primarily pertaining to the Eastern Shore. Overall its central focus is Maryland/Delmarva. The Date Range of the Collection is 1609-2010.

Associated Subjects: Agriculture • Art • Culture • Education • Maps • Maritime • Architecture • Genealogy
Identifier: 2010.101
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Frederick L. Howard Collection

by Howard, Fredrick L. (1613 – 1911)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Frederick L. Howard Collection contains an essay written by Howard titled, "The Legacy of Revell's Neck." This essay, which won the Old Home Prize Essay contest in 1978, discusses the settling and founding of Revell's Neck in Somerset County, Maryland. It then discusses a brief history of the area and ends with birth and death dates of people who had lived there.

Associated Subjects: Death Records
Identifier: 1995.052
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

DuPont Family Collection

by DuPont, Dolores L. (1621 – 1995)

11 folders (0.11 linear feet)

The DuPont Family Collection contains genealogical information on the DuPont family conducted by Dolores L. DuPont. Included is her application to become a member of The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Maryland, an article resulting from her investigation into the location of the grave of Gov. Samuel Stevens, Jr. (1778-1860), research on her great-great grandfather Dr. John Barnett (1780-1858), information on Dr. Nathaniel Potter, brother-in-law of Barnett (both married Golsborough's, Potter Sarah F. and Barnett Catherine), the property "Boston", the descendants of William Burgess (1622-1685) and the Marada movie house of St. Michael's. Photographs of the Custis tombs in Northampton, VA are also part of the collection.

Associated Subjects: DuPont Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1998.094
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Eastern Shore Counties collection

by Ellegood, Maria LouiseFenwick, Charles E.Hall, Elizabeth (1625 – 1967)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Eastern Shore Counties collection contains a copy of the "Eastern Shoreman" which highlights the start of the oyster season. Additionally, this collection contains a copy of the "Holly Leaf" from November 3, 1967, a sketch of the early history of Wicomico County written by Maria Louise Ellegood, a souvenir pamphlet from Crisfield that details some of the areas unknown history written by Elizabeth Hall, and a history of St. Mary's County written by Charles E. Fenwick.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2009.249
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Laws Family Collection

by Unknown (1625 – 1960)

4 folders,  1 oversize folder (2.54 linear feet)

The Laws Family collection contains genealogical information on the Laws Family. There are genealogical descriptions of Laws family members, with a birth, death, and marriage date. There are also bibliographic information for some of the more prominent family members. There are also photographs of family members, and the places they lived. The majority of the Laws family members on the Eastern Shore lived in Accomack County, Virginia, Somerset, Worcester, and Wicomico County, Maryland. There is also a Daughters of the Revolution application within for Mary Balle Hastings Holland, who descended from William Laws (1753-1831).

Associated Subjects: Laws Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2007.073
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Massey Estate Collection

by Massey Family (1627 – 2000)

3 cartons (3 linear feet)

This collection consists of family research about the Massey family and other families on the Lower Eastern Shore. The collection contains copies of original wills, estate inventories, family trees, and related materials. All of the original documents in this collection are photocopies, print-outs, or photostats unless otherwise indicated.

Associated Subjects: Massey Family • Family Life
Identifier: 2005.077
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Vance Bradford Collection

by Bradford, Vance (1630 – 1930)

5 folders (0.05 linear feet)

The Vance Bradford Collection is based on the genealogical research of the Bradford Family. Vance Bradford did this research to publish a book over the family history of the Bradford's. This collection covers twenty years of research that involved correspondence, a "Bradford Descendants" newsletter, census indexes, lineage graphs, and descendant questionnaires. There are passages of the Bradford family book within this collection.

Associated Subjects: Bradford Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1990.002
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Phillips, Cooper, Roberts Families collection

by Unknown (1634 – 1992)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Phillips, Cooper, Roberts Family History Collection contains photographs and genealogical information on the Phillips, Cooper, and Roberts families. Included are three pictures of the Cooper family with corresponding birth and death dates. The collection also contains family reunion pamphlets, an invitation and picture of Aunt Blossom's 95th birthday party, a marriage certificate, and postcards. There is also genealogical biographies for the three families.

Associated Subjects: Cooper Family • Phillips Family • Roberts Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2011.026
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Carol Atkins Sherr Collection

by Sherr, Carol Atkins (1636 – 1949)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains genealogical information on the Atkins Family. It includes where Atkins members were born, who they were married to, where they were married, how many children they had, and where they moved to. There is also legal information about the members, such as foreclosures, and family members suing each other.

Associated Subjects: Atkins Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1990.064
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Silverthorne Family Collection

by Silverthorne Family (1636 – 1991)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Silverthorne Family Collection contains an in-depth genealogical history of the Silverthorne family. There are multiple family trees within the collection, and volumes 12-14 of their family newsletter. There are birth, death, and marriage dates within the collection. There are details as to why there are Silverthorne family members in the Midwest. The earliest member of the family mention is William Silverthorne who was born in 1636 on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Associated Subjects: Silverthorne Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1995.037
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Maryland Executions Collection

by Unknown (1638 – 1961)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains a list of Maryland executions dating from 1638 to 1961. Data includes races, name, age, occupation, method and county.

Associated Subjects: Death Records
Identifier: 2006.056
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Historical Society of Kent County Genealogical Collection

by Bell, Albert D. (1639 – 1948)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains genealogical material on the Layton, Bell and Hollis families. This includes a manuscript by Albert D. Bell entitled Hollis Notes, 1639-1948: From Public and Private Records in the States of Maryland and Delaware and a genealogical chart of some of the descendants of Captain Nathaniel and Sarah Bell. There is an oversized folder with the charts of the Washington and Bell families.

Associated Subjects: Bell Family • Genealogy • Hollis Family • Layton Family • Washington Family
Identifier: 2006.315
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Polk Family History Collection

by Polk, John F. (1640 – 1918)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Polk Family History Collection contains genealogical information on the Polk Family. There is a family tree of the Polk family dating from 1640-1918 within Somerset County, Maryland. Within, there is a legal will, land patent, and a memoir by Esther Winder Polk Lowe (Enoch Louis Lowe) (1824-1918). All the documents have been transcribed by John F. Polk.

Associated Subjects: Polk Family • Land Records • Women's History • Genealogy
Identifier: 1998.139
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Riggin Family papers

by Riggin, Allan E.Riggin, George F. (1640 – 1993)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Riggin Family Collection contains genealogical information about the Riggin family. Within is a detailed family tree constructed by Allan and George Riggin. The family tree starts with Riggin family members who originated in Ireland and immigrated to the Eastern Shore. There is also information regarding Riggin land records between Somerset, Sussex, Worcester, and Wicomico County.

Associated Subjects: Riggin Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1994.024
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Charles Chaille-Long collection

by Unknown (1645 – 1935)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

Letter of Charles Chaille-Long was written from Charles in 1912. Additionally, there is genealogical information on the Long family, going through Charles Chaille-Long. The genealogical letter to the editor was to correct misinformation regarding the lineage of the Long family.

Associated Subjects: Long Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1987.033
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Thomas Crockett Book

by Crockett, Thomas (1650 – 1894)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Thomas Crockett Book contains two copies of the book titled "History of Tangier Island" written by Thomas Crockett. The book contains a history of Tangier Island from its founding to 1984.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 1983.006
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Pemberton Historical Park Collection

by Unknown (1989)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Pemberton Historical Park Collection contains a 1984 pamphlet over Pemberton Historical Park. Also included is a brief history of the Pemberton family from 1651-1753.

Associated Subjects: Pemberton Family
Identifier: 2007.137
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Anne B. Nock collection

by Nock, Anne B.Nock, Floyd (1652 – 1998)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Anne B. Nock collection contains three essays on Onancock, Virginia, and William Claiborne. The essays included are "Vaux Hall: Accomack County, Virginia: 1652-1972", written by Floyd Nock, "A Walk through History with William Claiborne", and "Onancock, Virginia: Child of the Bay", written by Anne B. Nock. The collection also contains various restorations, physical mapping, and history of Vaux Hall, one of the oldest settlements in Accomack County, Virginia.

Associated Subjects: Architecture
Identifier: 1992.010
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Nestor Bleech collection

by Unknown (1655 – 1890)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The collection of Nestor Bleech contains sepia-toned photographic images from the late 1880s of Northampton County, Virginia as well as a 1655 printing of the 'Virginia and Maryland. OR, The Lord Baltimore's Printed Case, uncased and answered,' that includes arguments made against Baltimore's Maryland claim.

Associated Subjects: Bleech Family
Identifier: 1999.003
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Henry Fillmore Lankford Papers

by Lankford, Henry Fillmore (1659 – 1920)

3 folders (0.3 linear feet)

The Henry Fillmore Lankford papers consist of wills and genealogical information kept by Lankford, an attorney in Somerset County, Maryland, between 1909 and 1920. The wills primarily document Somerset and Northampton County families in the 17th and 18th centuries. Also included are two oversize items: a 1911 issue of "The Canned Good Trade" and a circa 1911 advertisement for Chevrolet automobiles.

Associated Subjects: Canning Industry • Genealogy • Lankford Family • Littleton Family • Porter Family
Identifier: 2006.360
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Roy C. Pollitt papers

by Pollitt, Roy (1660 – 1995s)

3 boxes (1.5 linear feet)

Pollitt’s papers serve as a genealogical study of the history of the Pollitt family on the East Coast. Two-thirds of the collection is devoted to files on family members and related genealogies; the other third divided between correspondence, submissions to his short-lived newsletter "Old Somersett" and photocopies of records from the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis. Pollitt’s family files are comprised of an assortment of record types. Not only do many files contain charts for a particular individual’s family branch, but copies of birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, wills, military papers, newspaper clippings and land records. Thus, his collection offers a unique perspective of the Pollitt family from the 17th to the 20th century. His correspondence displays a genuine interest in genealogy and a willingness to assist others with their research pursuits. Frequently, correspondents sent him copies of their own family histories.

Associated Subjects: Genealogy • Pollitt Family
Identifier: 1998.117
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

J. Douglas Deal papers

by Unknown (1663 – 1982)

1 carton,  1 oversize folder (2.25 linear feet)

The J. Douglas Deal papers document the extensive research done by Deal while writing his dissertation Race and Class in Colonial Virginia: Indians, Englishmen, and Africans on the Eastern Shore during the Seventeenth Century from 1970-1982 at the University of Rochester. Materials within the collection are comprised of photocopies of documents dating from 1663-1866. Photocopied materials include seventeenth-century Accomack County tithables, articles from the William and Mary Quarterly, and genealogical information regarding families from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Handwritten notes and tithable charts created by Deal are also within the collection.

Identifier: 1998.123
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Sudler Family History Collection

by Unknown (1663 – 1920)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Sudler Family History Collection contains genealogical information on the Sudler family. There is an introduction explaining the meaning of the Sudler name, and genealogical history on when Sudler family members were born, died, and married. There is also a section of a biographical description for the family members.

Associated Subjects: Sudler Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2009.324
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Ed Hammond Ephemera Collection

by Hammond, Edward (1664 – 1944)

5 folders (0.25 linear feet)

The Ed Hammond Ephemera Collection consists of sources collected by Hammond dating between 1664 and 1944 (bulk of sources ranging from 1840 to 1900), primarily from towns in Delaware and the eastern shore of Maryland. Many of the documents bear the name of Daniel Hearn. Included are receipts and other financial documents from 1842 to 1942; court documents from 1732 (Ennall's Outrange, Dorchester County, Maryland) and 1863 (will and testament of Andrew Robins of Worcester County, Maryland); educational items (A May Brittingham's grammar school grades and commencement programs); Second World War ephemera (war ration books for two Smack family members and a defense bond envelope); correspondence (1679 letter about a court case and Levin Tyler letters from 1848 and 1849); and additional ephemera including an 1891 Ulman's Opera House concert, a poem, marriage invitations, death cards for Orris and Elizabeth Lloyd, a flyer from Philadelphia requesting goods for African American people, 1664 inventory of grazing cattle and surrender of land in England, and Packard Motor Car Company materials.

Associated Subjects: World War, 1939-1945 • Receipts • Personal correspondence • Education
Identifier: 2006.053
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Walston Family History Collection

by Walston Family (1664 – 1951)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Walston Family History Collection contains genealogical information for the Walston family. Within the collection, there are Walston family member birth, death, and marriage dates. There are also Sons of the American Revolution applications within the collection.

Associated Subjects: Walston Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 2010.010
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Trehearn Family Collection

by Price, Thomas B. B. Jr. (1666 – 1800)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Trehearn Family Collection is a detailed genealogical analysis of the Trehearn family. The collection was written by Salisbury State College history student, Thomas B. B. Price, Jr. Price details the Trehearn family in Somerset County by stating when people lived, the taxes they paid, slaves they had, and what was in their wills.

Associated Subjects: Trehearn Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1988.044
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Parsons Family Collection

by Unknown (1668 – 1932)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

Detailed genealogy of the Parsons Family. Starts with generation one, Peter Parsons, who migrated to Somerset County in 1668. The last ancestor listed is George Washington Parsons (1853-1932). The genealogy states who the parents are, who they are married to, if they had children and their birth/death dates, their will and how it affected their children, and a census description of their household.

Associated Subjects: Legal Records • Parsons Family
Identifier: 1987.015
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Mary L. Nock papers

by Nock, Mary L. (1669 – 1992)

3 cartons,  1 oversize box (5.5 linear feet)

Mary L. Nock papers document the professional and personal life of Mary Nock, who lived from 1903 to 1987. The papers range 1669 to 1992, as she included in her possession colonial land grants as well as a copy of the Laws of Maryland which established Salisbury in 1735. Her personal papers document her life as a wife and family member of the Layfield-Nock families through photographs, greeting cards, and genealogical research. Mary Nock’s professional papers include materials such as professional correspondence, speeches, drafts of her book It Was a Joy and a Pleasure, awards, as well as ephemera from her time as a politician. Also included in the Nock papers are written works on Mary Nock by Ginger McClain Beningo, as well as Beningo’s notes and correspondence regarding the biographical works from 1990-1992, which make up the bulk of the material.

Associated Subjects: Genealogy • Legal Records • Politics
Identifier: 1989.030
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Media collection

by Unknown (1670 – 1912)

3 folders (0.03 linear feet)

This collection contains compact discs entitled "Marriages and Deaths from the Eastern Shore 1881-1912" ,"1860 Census Accomack County, Virginia", "Somerset County Judicial Records from 1670, 1671, 1674, 1675, 1676, 1683, 1687, 1689, 1690-1695"," Ballard Miles Plats", "Clay, Fire and Hands: Clay Artists on the Eastern Shore", "Church Basement Songs, Kirk Mariner", "Maryland State Bar Association: An Oral History", "Pocomoke's Oldest Houses", "Frank A. Warren House", "On One Accord: Singing and Praying Bands of Tidewater Maryland and Delaware."

Associated Subjects: Art • Music • Spirituality
Identifier: 2009.359
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

John Jacob Collection

by Jacob, John E. (1671 – 2013)

30 boxes,  1 drawer (34.25 linear feet)

The John Jacob Collection consists of two parts that document the life and career of attorney and historian, John E. Jacob, Jr.: collected material and personal research. Jacob collected a variety of original documents that comprise series one of the collection, including personal papers of families, ledgers, scrapbooks, land and legal documents, photographs, ephemera, and other paper-based items. Jacob also kept detailed handwritten notes and indices when researching various topics related to the history of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, as well as his handwritten drafts for books and lectures, which comprise series two of the collection. The collection has folder-level descriptions in the inventory.

Associated Subjects: Business • Genealogy • Land Records • Ledger • Personal Correspondence • Photography • Postcards • Programs • Receipts
Identifier: 1984.016
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: View Attachment

Emily and Bill Briddell Collection

by Emily and William BriddellRebecca Skinner (1672 – 2017)

6 cartons,  3 oversize folders (6.3 linear feet)

The Emily and Bill Briddell Collection contains genealogical records of the Briddell, Ames, Stevenson and other families. The collection ranges from 1672-2017 with the bulk of materials from 1880-2000. the collection contains correspondence, official and unofficial documents, pamphlets, maps, and photographs.

Identifier: 2022.009
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Disharoon Family History Collection

by Unknown (1673 – 1923)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Disharoon Family History Collection is a genealogical collection detailing the Disharoon family. Within the collection are census information, newspaper articles about Disharoon family members, a legal will, and marriage information.The documents date back to Mary Disharoon, (1673- ) in Somerset County, Maryland.

Associated Subjects: Disharoon Family • Legal Records • Genealogy
Identifier: 1992.019
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Peter Shockley Collection

by Shockley, Peter S. (1675 – 1935)

1 oversize box,  10 boxes (6 linear feet)

The Peter Shockley Collection contains deed transfers, plats, survey information, and transit books involving the work of civil engineer Peter Shockley during the early 20th century. Shockley oversaw transfers of land and often surveyed the land being transferred and drew plats for the land. Throughout his career surveying the Delmarva area, he used over 100 transit books containing information from deed transfers, election districts, and general land surveys of people, places, and businesses. Some of the land histories involved in deed transfers go back to the 17th century.

Associated Subjects: Surveying
Identifier: 1988.046
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Robert L. Chamberlin Collection

by Unknown (1675 – 1990)

2 folders (0.02 linear feet)

The Robert L. Chamberlin Collection contains genealogical information on the Chamberlin, Coulbourne, and Miles families. Contained within are birth, death, and marriage dates. There are also some biographical information on some family members of the Chamberlin family.

Associated Subjects: Chamberlin Family • Coulbourne Family • Miles Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1992.014
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Stevenson Family Collection

by Unknown (1675 – 1995)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

The Stevenson Family Collection contains genealogical information about the Stevenson family. The purpose of the collection is to prove that their ancestor, Joseph Stevenson, is related to the members of the Eastern Shore Stevenson family. They also want to see if Joseph Stevenson is a common ancestor of Maryland and Indiana Stevenson family members.

Associated Subjects: Stevenson Family • Genealogy
Identifier: 1996.025
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Charles Whayland Collection

by Unknown (1679 – 1936)

1 oversize box (1.25 linear feet)

The Charles Whayland Collection consists of land patents, indentures, surveys and plats, and other land records primarily related to land known as "Calcutta" from 1679 to 1936, many of which relate to Isaac Anderson. This Somerset County land was east of the Wicomico River near Upper Ferry road. Also included in the collection are two letters from 1862 and 1863 discussing shipping lumber to New York City and Alexandria and a 1929 Master's Certificate of Service of Sick or Injured Seamen.

Identifier: 1992.025
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Somerset County Land Records

by Unknown (1680 – 1866)

1 oversize folder (1.25 linear feet)

This collection contains several land records documenting Somerset County plats from 1680 to 1866 (primarily 1770s to 1850s) including Spring Hill, Coscoway, Henry's Conclusion, and Crucked Chance. Included are courses, deeds (including one 1806 deed between George Perdue and William Parsons), land plats, an 1852 will and account distribution for Thomas White, a bond between Lambert Adkins and Joseph Ellis, and receipts documenting land transactions.

Associated Subjects: Land Records • Surveying
Identifier: 2006.344
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Lankford Family papers

by Lankford, BenjaminLankford, Scott, and Porter families (1683 – 1975)

10 boxes,  1 oversize box (7.75 linear feet)

The Lankford Family Papers document the Somerset County, Maryland family's activities through extensive correspondence, land records, photographs, newspaper clippings, genealogical notes, and other materials. While the collection dates between 1683 and 1975, the majority dates between 1812 and 1897. Much of the correspondence revolves around Benjamin Lankford (1798-1886), who served in the Maryland General Assembly between the 1840s and 1870s, as well as his wife, Susan, and her sister Mary Jane Guillet. The correspondence in the collection is described at the item level.

Associated Subjects: Farm Life • Lankford Family • Personal Correspondence • Politics • Slavery
Identifier: 2000.002
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment
Preview Image of Resource

Wicomico Historical Society collection

by Unknown (1683 – 2006)

82 boxes (55.5 linear feet)

The collections of the Wicomico Historical Society were amassed by the membership and governing board of the Society with the intent to collect and preserve the history of Wicomico County, Maryland. The records include an abundance of records documenting the land, culture, activities, businesses and the people of Wicomico County, Maryland from the 18th century to the late 20th century.

Associated Subjects: Adkins Family • Blades Family • Business • Genealogy • Humphreys Family • Humphreys Family • Land Records • Politics
Identifier: 2001.007
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Dixon and Davis Families Collection

by Parker, Elisha P.Parker, John (1684 – 1933)

1 box (1.25 linear feet)

This collection consists of land records, correspondence, and maps related to land transactions in Worcester and Wicomico Counties, Maryland. The documents are from multiple families and individuals from 1684 to 1933. There are few personal sources, most are legal documents and land transaction records. The family names with the most records in the collection are Parker, Davis, Dixon, and Hearn who all owned properties in the same district in what is today northern Wicomico County. The land records show transactions in Worcester County and what later become Wicomico County after 1867, specifically the northern portion of the Parsons District.

Associated Subjects: Business • Davis Family • Parker Family • Land Records
Identifier: 1990.026
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Miles Family papers

by Miles, HenryMiles, John (1685 – 1898)

1 box (0.5 linear feet)

Land deeds and surveys of the Miles Family papers document the extensive lands owned by and passed to the members of the Miles family of Somerset County, Maryland, 1645-1890. Properties include Ferry Bridge, Pleasure, Hog Pen Swamp and others. Records also include personal papers of John Miles, they comprise a list of property owned, a tax assessment and an unprobated will as well as a photograph album of tin types compiled by Mollie Miles.

Associated Subjects: Miles Family • Land Records
Identifier: 2014.043
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Levin S. and Mary Melson papers

by Melson Family (1688 – 1890)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

Series of land deeds, including a plat and patent for land in Somerset and Worcester Counties for the Melson family including the deed of land adjacent to the Melson property in Bishopville from Joseph Cary to Thomas A.J. Holloway and the land deed from Levin and Mary Melson to Ezekiel A. Melson. Also included is a land plat with a detailed drawing from the L.S. Melson and Brothers to James and Isabell Bishop, and the stock certificate of Levin Melson's purchase of Prohibition Camp Meeting Association for thirty shares of capital stock. Outside of the Melson family and included with the records is the Walter Lane land patent from Somerset County, 1688.

Associated Subjects: Melson Family • Land Records • Stocks
Identifier: 2013.104
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Melvin Family Collection

by Unknown (1688 – 1980)

2 folders (0.02 linear feet)

The Melvin Family Collection is comprised of genealogical notes for the Melvin family. The family is able to date their heritage back to the 17th Century. The Melvin Family has an ancestor, William Melvin, who was apart of the American Revolution, which is why descendant Ruth Young was apart of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The family lived in almost every county of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia including: Worcester County, Somerset County, Accomack County, and Cecil County. Within the collection, there are also legal land deeds, wills, and censuses listing persons in a household including slaves.

Associated Subjects: Melvin Family • Genealogy • Land Records • Last Will and Testament
Identifier: 1985.011
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Paul Butler collection

by Butler, Paul (1694 – 1928)

1 box,  1 oversize folder (3 linear feet)

Paul Butler collection consists of photocopies of historical documents from Wicomico and Worcester Counties, Maryland, accumulated by Paul Butler. It contains land deeds and manumission deeds documenting African American history from 1803-1928. It includes a copy of the book, Commanders of the Dining Room, with a biographical sketch of L.D. Houston, a native of Salisbury, Maryland, and the headwaiter of the Peninsula Hotel in Seabright, New Jersey, in 1905. The collection also contains court dockets, voting records and ledgers documenting legal and economic history from 1694-1910. It includes a ledger from a school in Lindseyville (Klej Grange) Maryland from 1850-1852, and a ledger from a store in Tyaskin, Maryland from 1898-1901.

Associated Subjects: Brown Family • African American History
Identifier: 1991.036
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment

Special Collections Books and Periodicals

by Unknown (1694 – 2015)

folders (186 linear feet)

These rare and unique books and periodicals supplement the Special Collections manuscripts. They range in dates from 1694 to 2015--primarily dating from the late 18th century to the mid 20th century--and vary greatly in topics throughout world and American history. Many languages are represented, including Japanese, German, Russian, Spanish, French, and more. Subjects such as the history of education, the American Civil War, and Japanese foreign relations are especially well represented. There are approximately 1400 books and periodicals, all acquired at different times and manners. All books are completely cataloged in the ALEPH system, which can be searched more in depth here: https://catalog.umd.edu/F/?func=file&file_name=find-c (please select SPECIAL COLLECTIONS for LOCATION)

Identifier: SC2019.000
Repository: Special Collections
Attachment: No attachment

Lambeth Palace Archive Transcripts collection

by Unknown (1696 – 1750)

1 folder (0.01 linear feet)

This collection contains incomplete Anglican records pertaining to Somerset County, Maryland found in the Lambeth Palace Archives located in London, England. The records span from 1696 to 1750 and include information regarding business with Coventry Parish and other parishioners. The records appear to have been collected by Kathy McIntyre.

Associated Subjects: None
Identifier: 2009.372
Repository: Local History Archives
Attachment: No attachment