Page 111 - Maryland Historical Trust - Archaeology Colonial MD

with Claiborne, as their interests in an undiminished Virginia rested on Claiborne’s claim. Sir John Harvey, the Governor of Virginia, however was supportive of the Maryland colony. Ultimately, Claiborne’s lack of a patent granting him land and royal authority to settle Kent Island was his undoing.10 But for the time being, he controlled the island.
The situation began to escalate quickly when in the spring of 1634 Claiborne was arrested and accused of inciting the Patuxent Indians against the fledgling colony at St. Mary’s. Though he was ultimately exonerated, several skirmishes had ensued while the rumors were circulating in which St. Mary’s traders harassed Claiborne’s men, arrested them, or ejected them from territories and waters claimed by Maryland. In short order, both sides began arming themselves for conflict and set about seizing each other’s trading vessels. On April 23rd, 1635, Claiborne’s shallop Cockatrice spied the Maryland pinnace St. Helen on the Pocomoke River. The Cockatrice moved in to board her, but the crew suddenly found themselves facing a second Maryland vessel, the St. Margaret, which was armed to the teeth. By the time the smoke had cleared, three Virginians and one Marylander were dead, and the Cockatrace limped back to Kent Island with three more men horribly wounded aboard.11 Several more skirmishes and attempted hijackings occurred on the Chesapeake during that spring, but by the winter of 1635–1636 calm had once again descended.
For the next two years, Claiborne would retain control of Kent Island and would even manage to expand the settlement considerably. Multiple plantations were now established across the island, the boatyard had been expanded, mills were up and running, he had established a trade outpost on Palmer’s Island (modern day Garrett Island), and Claiborne had built himself a new residence and plantation
on the western side of the Island named “Crayford” after his birthplace in England. All of it came to ruin in 1637. In February of that year, George Evelin, a new partner in the Clobbery and Company joint venture arrived in Virginia from England with full power of attorney to administer company property as he saw fit. Clobbery had recently sent word to Claiborne that he was to return to England to make a full accounting for his actions regarding Lord Baltimore’s men, as well as to settle perceived ‘discrepancies’ with the bookkeeping. To make matters worse, early in the spring of 1637, an indictment was issued in Maryland for Claiborne’s arrest on charges of piracy, assault, and attempted robbery for the affair on the Pocomoke River two years prior.12
Claiborne was initially told that Evelin had been sent to help prepare an inventory for Clobbery and Company, but on the eve of his voyage to England, Evelin revealed the letter he had obtained giving him Power of Attorney. Despite protestations, Claiborne was informed that he must hand over Kent Island to the control of Evelin and account for himself in England. As soon as Claiborne and his family set sail and disappeared over the horizon, Evelin secured warrants from Virginia to confiscate all or most of the infrastructure Claiborne had left behind on Kent Island on the grounds that Claiborne was indebted to Clobbery and Company. The island itself was claimed by Maryland. Evelin soon travelled to St. Mary’s where he pledged his support to the all too eager Calverts.13 The inhabitants of Kent Island, however, refused to cooperate. Despite letters from Governor Leonard Calvert to the settlers of Kent that all would be forgiven and that they would be afforded limited self- government if they submitted to Lord Baltimore’s authority, it would not be until February of 1638 that the island would finally come under the authority of the Calverts (and then only by force
of arms).
In a letter dated April 25th, 1638,
Leonard Calvert wrote to his brother Cecil a detailed account of his capture of Kent Island earlier that year with the aide of Evelin and 30 musketeers. This letter provides several clues as to the spatial configuration of 17th- century settlement on the island.
and afterward arriving at the sd Ileand I landed wth my company a little before sunne rise, at the southermost end thereof where Capt Cleyborne’s howse is seated wthin a small ffort of Pallysadoes, but f indeing the gate towards the sea at my comeing fast barred in the inside one of my company being acquainted wth the place quickly fownd passage in at an other gate and commeing to the gate wch I was at opened vnto me, so that I was arriued and entered the fort wthout notice taken by any of the Ileand wch I did desire, the easilier to apprehend Boteler [Claiborne’s brother-in-law] and Smith [one of Claiborne’s outspoken supporters] the cheife incenduaries of the former seditions and mutinies vpon the Ileand, before they should be able to make head against me, and vnderstanding that Boteler and Smith were not then at the fort but at theire seuerall plantations I sent to all the lodgeings in the fort and caused all the persons that were fownd in them to be brought vnto me thereby to preuent theire giueing vntymely notice vnto Boteler and Smith of my commeing, and takeing them all alongst wth me I marched wth my company from thence wth what speed I could towards Botelers dwelling called the great thicket some fiue miles from the fort and appointed my Pinnass [pinnace] to meet me at an other Place called Craford [Claiborne’s Plantation of Crayford] and makeing a stand
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