Early Maryland Roots

The Ridgway presence in Provincial Maryland can be documented to as early as the 1670's. William Ridgway was transported to Maryland in 1674, and Edward Ridgway, a 40 year old servant, was transported in 1679.⁽¹⁾ In both cases the conveyance from England was paid for by a third party who received land in exchange for providing transport. This process was known as the head right system. Unfortunately, many persons who emigrated to America from England during this early period did not leave behind records of their arrival that have survived to the present. In fact, records in general are scarce from this period, and often provide little information of genealogical importance. Early colonial records do indicate that at least two, seemingly distinct, Ridgway families were established in Maryland by the early 1700's, one on the Eastern Shore in Queen Anne and Talbot counties, and the other on the Western Shore in Charles and Prince George's counties. To date, a connection linking these two early lines, separated as they were by the Chesapeake Bay, has not been found. It is the western group to which we are presently concerned.

At the time of the establishment of Prince George's County in 1696, there were two totally independent geographical divisions within the counties of Maryland, the hundreds and the parishes.⁽²⁾ The parishes were self-governing supervisory units of the church large enough to support a minister, and laid out by the General Assembly of the province. The hundreds, on the other hand, were laid out by the justices of the county court and designed to make political administration within the county more efficient. Both of these systems have their origins in England, and were imported with the arrival of the first colonists to Maryland and Virginia. Our early Ridgway ancestors appear to have settled and remained for many years in Prince George's County near Broad Creek on the Potomac River not far from Upper Marlboro. Broad Creek and its surrounding lands to the east and south belonged to Piscataway Hundred. This area was formally a part of Charles County, prior to 1696.

Broad Creek was also part of King George's parish. In early records, the parish is also referred to as St. John's, creating some confusion. On January 30, 1693, the vestry⁽³⁾ of King George's parish authorized the purchase of a tract of land called "Lisle Hall" on Broad Creek as a site for the parish church.⁽⁴⁾ The first building was constructed of wood in 1695, and was replaced in 1713. The present church, the third one erected on the same site, was constructed of brick in 1723, and rebuilt and enlarged in 1767. This church, St. John's at Broad Creek, is still in use today. The church register was a way of recording events of importance to the parishioners, such as births, marriages and confirmations. The earliest references to the Ridgways of Prince George's County are to be found in this book. The first is dated March 25, 1713, and records the birth of Robert, son of John Ridgway. There are numerous other references, not only to Ridgways, but also to surnames that are closely tied with the Ridgway family, including Hunt, Brashear, Lovelace, Kidwell and Vermillion.

The early Ridgways belonged to the planter class, those members of colonial society who owned land and slaves, and raised tobacco for their livelihood. The Property Tax List for Piscattaway and Hynson Hundreds in the year 1800 lists Richard Ridgway with three tracts of land, Sandy Thicket, Tadocks Lot and Friendship, totaling 305 acres. The Friendship tract was located close to Broad Creek according to a map of early Maryland land grants.⁽⁵⁾ The Federal Tax Assessment of 1798⁽⁶⁾ identifies John, Mordecai, and Richard Ridgway as slave owners. John is taxed in that year for 17 slaves, indicating that he operated a sizable plantation. An advertisement in the Maryland Gazette dated Thursday, July 2, 1761, states that William Ridgway of Prince George's County, has found a stray mare on his plantation.⁽⁷⁾ On April 23, 1715, John Ridgeway, planter of Prince George's County, is conveyed a tract of land called Clarkson's Purchase, located by Broad Creek and containing 192 acres.⁽⁸⁾

Prince George's County records also attest to early military service. Joseph Ridgway is listed on the muster roll of Captain George Beall's Troop of Horse for the year 1748, and Jonathan Ridgway is found in Captain Samuel Magruder's Company for the year 1749.⁽⁹⁾ These colonial militia units were organized and maintained on a local level, and served the provincial governor or British Crown during times of unrest and war; they were the forerunners of modern day National Guard units. The concept of citizens armed for defense of their community was imported from England with the first settlers. In the early days of the colony, these groups of "able bodied freeman" were a protection against Indian raids. During the French and Indian War militia personnel served alongside British regulars. During the Revolutionary War, State Line units were drawn from these militia. Records show that John Ridgway served as 2^nd Lieutenant in Captain H. Magruder's Company of the Maryland Line during the Revolution;⁽¹⁰⁾ this company was probably formed from an existing militia unit.

At present, it has not been possible to determine with any certainty the original emigrant and progenitor of the Ridgway line in Prince George's County. The family's roots have, however, been traced back to John Ridgway of Piscattaway Hundred near Broad Creek, born about 1690. He may well have been the first Ridgway in this line to arrive on Maryland shores, though it is more likely he was second generation.

Footnotes

1. Maryland Patent Books, (1) Liber 18, Folio 84, 1674 and (2) Liber WC2, Folio 130, 1679, Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD.

2. Prince George's Heritage, by Louise Joyner Hienton, Chapt. 4, The Maryland Historical Society, 1972.

3. The vestry was a group of leading men chosen by their fellow parishioners to administrate church matters, principally those of financial concern.

4. Indexes of Church Registers 1686-1885, Vol. I, King George's or St. John's Parish, compiled by Helen W. Brown, Prince George's County Historical Society.

5. Copy of map outlining the land grant tracts of Prince George's County as erected in 1696, compiled by Louise Joyner Hienton and deposited at the Hall of Records in Annapolis (now at Maryland State Archives), November 16, 1959.

6. Maryland Slave Owners and Superintendents, 1798, Vol. II, compiled by Bettie Stirling Carothers, 1975.

7. The Maryland Gazette 1727-1761, Genealogical and Historical Abstracts, by K. M. Green, The Frontier Press, Galveston, TX, 1989.

8. Prince George's County Land Records, Liber F, Folio 473, Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD.

9. Colonial Wars, Prince George's County, Box 1, Folder 6 and 8, respectively, Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, MD.

10. The Maryland Militia in the Revolutionary War, by S. Eugene Clements and F. Edward Wright, Family Line Publications, Silver Spring, MD, 1987.