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Note: New Yarmouth The peninsula of Eastern Neck - just north of Eastern Neck Island and Kent Island - is one of the earliest areas of settlement on the Eastern Shore. The site of the seventeenth century settlement known as New Yarmouth was built on Eastern Neck near Gray's Inn Creek by a man named Tovey. He purchased one hundred acres of land called "Huntingfield" from Thomas Ringgold. Maps still show "Hunting Field Point" and "Huntingfield Creek." In 1674 (Darby Shawhan, age 1) Charles Calvert had ordered court sessions to move from Eastern Neck Island to the mainland and by 1679 (Darby Shawhan, age 6) the first Kent County courthouse had been built at New Yarmouth. This area remained a commercial center and a port of entry until 1696 (Darby Shawhan, age 23) when the courthouse was moved to it's present site on the Chester River. With this relocation, the center of county government followed the inland shift of the population.
Kent County County boundaries shifted in 1706 with the creation of Queen Anne's County from portions of Kent and Talbot. The Shad's Hole property moved from Cecil to Kent as the Sassafras River became the northern boundary for Kent and the southern for Cecil. The southern boundary of Kent became the Chester River. The taxable population of Kent County was about three hundred at the time of Darby's birth and had risen to a little over eight hundred by the time of the Shawhan - Meeks marriage.
St. Paul's Parish St. Paul's is one of thirty Maryland parishes formed by the Act of Establishment in 1693. The first vestry meeting was held in January 1693 in the house of Thomas Joce at New Yarmouth, at that time a commercial center on Eastern Neck, just north of Kent Island. There is physical evidence that a church building was standing in the New Yarmouth area prior to the Act of Establishment.
In 1695 the Vestry hired Daniel Norris to build a church at the present location of St. Paul's (west fork of Langford's Creek) on a parcel of land belonging to Michael Miller. The Vestry sued builder Daniel Norris on November 27, 1707 (seven days after the Shawhan-Meeks wedding) for an unfulfilled contract. In 1711 the Vestry contracted with James Harris and the present church was built in 1713, reflecting the inland shift of the population.
The marriage of Darby and Sarah (1707) pre-dates the existing church building (1713) by six years and may have taken place at the church building in the New Yarmouth area, eight to ten miles south (by way of Langford's Creek) of the present site of St. Paul's Church. It is also likely the wedding took place in their home, a common practice on the 18th century Eastern Shore. Darby, Sarah and two children - Daniel and John - were living at Shad's Hole (in Shrewsbury Parish) by the time the present church at St. Paul's was built.
Shad's Hole In 1709 Darby and Sarah purchased (from Francis Bellows and his wife Margaret, also from St. Paul's Parish) 100 acres of a 650 acre tract named Shad's Hole on a branch of Morgan's Creek in upper Kent County. The typical dwelling of the time for small landowners was a 20 by 15 foot clapboard home with dirt floor. The structure was generally separated into two rooms and heated by fireplaces with wooden chimneys.
Shad's Hole - now part of Glenmore - is one half mile north of Kennedysville (settled by an Amish community in 1954) on the west side of Turners Creek Road, roughly two and one half miles south of Shrewsbury Parish in which their children were born. 50 acres in the same area, called 'Darby's Desire' was surveyed in 1714 and patented in 1716. This purchase was consistent with the agricultural movement of the time toward richer soil for the growth of higher quality tobacco.
Ronald Shawhan differs in his account of the location of the Shawhan property. Following is his account: "The homestead is located on Route 448, about 1/4 mile west of the present village of Kennedyville, Kent County, Maryland. The 2 1/2 stories house now standing on the site of the original dwelling is known as Glenmore on the State of Maryland Historic Homes Survey. Facing east, it was constructed about the year 1780 when the land was owned by Joseph , son of John , and grandson of Darby (1). Joseph's son, Samuel, subsequently sold the property, in 1804, to Edward Sims; it is presently owned by Mr. Henry C. Beck, Jr., of Dallas, Texas. Records indicate that the Shawhan Family Graveyard, absent headstones, lies a few hundred feet to the right of the house and probably contains the remains of Darby (1) and Sarah."
Darby and Sarah were planters. Authorized river ports in north Kent County were the former site of Shrewsbury on the Sassafras River to the north and at Edward Walvin's plantation on the Chester River to the south.
Darby and Sarah died in 1736. Both are buried in the graveyard on the family farm, "Darby's Desire/Shad's Hole", Kent Co., Maryland. No markers survive.
Early court records of Kent County, Maryland, list Darby Shawhan in various ways, and this is probably due to language, dialect, speech, and writing variations in handwriting and transcriptions: Darby Shehorne, Sr.; Darby Shawvin; Darby Shehen; Darby Shaughen; Darby Shehawn; Darby Shawhan.
Several family sources repeat Nell Downing Norton's reference to "The First Census of American People, p. 84, found only in the Hall of Records, Annapolis, Md." Eastern Shore, Maryland genealogist, Irma Harper writes "I questioned the staff at the Maryland Archives on Thursday last, they know nothing of the above.... There is no known county by the name of Essex in Maryland."
1706 "New Town" was laid out by authority of an Act of Maryland. Its charter was revised in 1780 and the name Chester Town given to it.
1707 Darby Shawhan, 1672/73-1736 of Kent Co., MD, m. 1707, Sarah Meeks, will proved 1736.
2 Aug 1709. Darby Shawhan purchases 100 acres of a 650 acre tract known as "Shad's Hole" from Francis Bellows and his wife Margaret. The price was 3,200 pounds of tobacco.
14 Nov 1709. Name of Darby Shehorne, Kent Co., Md. appears on the bond of Francis Collins, administrator of the estate of Edward Carroll.
27 Nov 1714. Survey 50 acres of Shad's Hole, known as Darby's Desire, located on north side of one of the branches of Morgan's Creek.
10 Sept 1716. 50 acres named Darby's Desire patented
8 Sept 1721. Name of Darby Shehorne, Kent Co., Md. appears on bond of Francis Collins, adm. of Edward Carroll.
20 Nov 1733. Deposition in Kent Co., Md. Darby gave his age as 60 years.
16 Oct 1735. Darby's will written. Last Will and Testament In the name of God Amen. I Darby Shawn of Kent County in the province of Maryland, planter, being sick in body but of good and perfect memory praised be almighty God - due for avoiding controversies after my decease make, publish and declare this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say. First and principally my soul I resign into the hands of almighty God my creator, hoping that by and through the only merits and interception of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to obtain free pardon and remission of all my sins, my body I committ to the earth from whence it was formed to be decently buried at discretion of my executrix herein after named and as for and concerning all such temporal estate as the Lord shall be pleased to bless me with at my decease. I give, will and dispose of the same in the manner following (that is to say first) I will that all such just debts as I shall owe at my death and my funerall charges shall be fully paid and discharged.
Imprimis. I give and bequeath unto my dear and loving wife Sarah Shawin whom I appoint, constitute and ordain my sole executrix of this my last will and testament all my lands, living and moveable estate whatsoever or wheresoever as well real as personall (only these things omitted) during her naturall life.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my beloved son Daniel Shawn one long gun and no more.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my beloved son John Shawn one sow and pigg and no more.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my beloved son Dennis Shawn, one young horse four years old, called Doctor, and no more.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my beloved daughter Sarah Dier the now wife of Edward Dier one yearling heifer and no more that is next spring ten years old.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my two beloved sons Darby Shawn and David Shawn my Dwelling plantation being part of a tract of land called Shad's Hole containing one hundred and ten acres after my beloved wife's decease.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my beloved daughter Elizabeth Shawn one cow and calf and one ewe lamb and no more, when she arrives or ---- to the age of sixteen years.
Item. I give leave and bequeath unto my well beloved wife Sarah Shawn my three sons - Dennis, Darby, David and William Shawn to continue with my executrix till they arrive at age of twenty one years and I do hereby revoke anull and make void all former wills by me at any time made and do declare these proposals only to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I the said Darby Shawin to this my last will and testament have set my hand and seal this sixteen day of October in the ninth year of the reign of our sovereign Lord George the second by the grace of God of Great Brittain, France and Ireland King, defender of the Faith and so forth and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and thirty five.
his
Darby Shawin
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Witnesses: George Barber John Read Francis Read
3 Apr 1736. Darby's will probated.
27 Oct 1736. Estate of Darby Shehawn, Kent Co., appraised by John Gleaves and Thomas Hatcheson. Daniel Shehawn listed as administrator. Sarah Dyer and John Shawhan listed as near of kin. Francis Bellows listed as largest creditor.
Inventory of Darby Shawhan's estate. Witnesses: John Shawhan, son; Daniel Shawhan, son; Sarah Dyer, daughter; Francis Belles, greatest creditor. 3 feather bed bolsters and pillows, 58 pounds of wool, 3 rugs, 1 linen wheel, 4 blankets, 3 chests, 4 large pots with hooks, 3 stone jugs, 1 frying pan, 3 axes, 3 augurs, 2 files, bricks, tackle & block, 43 lbs corn "stick baskit", carving knife, iron candle stick, branding iron, 2 locks, 2 bells, 1 "speling book," "buter churn tub," washing tub, 1 cart with traces and "pare of harnes," 9 sheep, 1 old sow, 4 young hogs, 2 cows and calfs, 2 barren cows, 1 "tabel and forms," 1 old bay horse 15 yrs old, 1 plowshare, 1 old mare and yearlong colt, 8-900 pounds of tobacco.
27 Oct 1736. "came Daniell Shawhan and made oath...that this is a good and perfect inventory...."
1939. Query by Wm. G. Hills (6 Shepherd St., Chevy Chase, Md.) re parentage of Sarah Meeks and Darby Shawhan, Sr.
Mar 1983. History of "Darby's Desire" and documentation of Shawhan ownership from 1709 to 1808 by Shawhan, Ron T. (New Providence, NJ)
He married Sarah MEEKS, daughter of Walter MEEKS & Sarah, November 20, 1707 in St. Paul's Parish. Died 1736 in Kent County, Maryland.
Other Family Connections There are several relationships, the timing, locations and names of which may point to Darby's parents and family. In Talbot County these include the arrival of Cornelius and Thomas aboard the ship Encrease in 1679, the marriage of David Shehan to Bridget in 1713, the July 1714 death of a Daniel Shehawne whose estate was administered by his wife, Bridgett, the October 1714 birth of a Daniel Shehane to parents Cornelius and Alice at St. Peter's Parish, and the birth of David in 1716. The names Daniel and John appear frequently in Shawhan families of Kent and Talbot counties. Across the bay in Calvert County there is the 1718 death of John Shehon and in St. Mary's County the 1721 death of Darby Shohon. In Dorchester County Thomas appears in 1715 and in 1722. From Bertie County, North Carolina comes Miles Mason Shawhan. Other Shawn names appear in Massachusetts.
Daniel left the Eastern Shore for Frederick County, Maryland in 1740. The eldest daughter, Sarah, married Edward Dyer, son of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Dyer. Edward died in 1749 and Sarah administered the estate in Kent County. Sarah's brother, William would have been 21 years old in 1749. William and his brothers David and Darby were old enough to have left their sister's house by this time. David died in 1766. The estate was administered by his brother Darby and witnessed by his brother John and John's son, Shadrack. The family bible was listed among the assets. Darby never married and died in the home of his brother, Dennis, in Kent County in 1767. He left his estate to Joseph, son of his brother John. Dennis filed suit against Joseph, executor of David's estate for costs incurred in the care of Darby. Of William there is no further record.
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