1608 - Fiction - John Smith
landed on Smiths Island and the island was named
for him.
1632 - The first records of Accomacke County. This
consisted of both the present day Accomack and Northampton Counties.
1642 - The County of Accomacke changed its name to
Northampton.
1663 - The upper part of Northampton County was separated
from Northampton County and named Accomack County
1668 - Fiction -
Smiths Island was settled by "hardy religious dissidents from St.
Mary's County MD".
1668 - In January Court 1668 among other things the Court
ordered that Henry Smith speedily give clothing, lodging and food for his
servants, and that none of them should be taken to Maryland or to Smiths's
Island without their free consent in Court.
1668 - In the same Court it is revealed that one Mary
Jones, former servant to Henry Smith, had been taken without warning to an
Island and detained there for 14 months beyond her time and had suffered
many cruelties.
1669 - Dorchester County in Maryland was established. The
Hungar River was named for Hungars Parish and settled by some inhabitants of
Northampton and Accomack Counties. A tract of land called
"Northampton" was bounded by it. NOTE: Today it is called the
Hunga River. This river empties into the Chesapeake Bay.
1685 - Roger McKeele, a known pirate, set up his base of
operations on Tangier Island. He was also
known as Roger Michael, the second husband of Mary Watson Hope, who,
after having 4 daughters, divorced him in 1675 and married next James
Boniwell.
1694 - On 4 December 1694 John Tyler, the second son of
that name to live, was born on Smiths Island
to John Tyler and his second wife, Alice Butler.
1700 - Fiction -
John Crockett tended cattle on Tangier Island for the West Family.
1722 - On 19 May 1722 Joseph Crockett is born to Sampson
and Alce Tyler on Smiths Island
[Tylerton].
1763 - Joseph Crockett is appointed constable of Tangier
Islands.
1765 - John Fish left all of his "South Point"
patent to Joseph Crockett. NOTE: South Point is part of Smiths Island.
1776 - 4 July 1776, the Revolutionary War begins.
1776- 4 July 1776, Joshua Thomas "Parson of the
Islands," is born.
1776-1783 - Sacker Nelson lived on Fox
Island. His house was burned by the British and he and his family
escaped by "running into the rushes."
1781- On 17 August 1781 William Parker wrote his will. An
abstract reads "To daughter Ruth Boggs. To daughter Frances Read. To
granddaughters Elizabeth and Sarah Nelson. To Elizabeth Taylor all my right
and title of a Negro boy called Israel. To daughter Mary Boggs. To son
Robert Parker (Watts Island) hand mill
and etc. To son Michael Parker. To son John Parker 100 acres where he now
lives. To daughter Sarah Smith. Son John Parker and William Crowson extrs.
Witt: Barth: Taylor, John Smith, Zorobabel Hornsby."
1785 - On 22 April 1785 Joseph Crockett purchases land
from Robert Andrews The deed reads " --- for in consideration of the
sum of two hundred and twelve pounds ten shillings ---land on Tangier
Island containing by estimation four hundred and fifty acres be
the same more or less with all rights etc. --- being 1/2 of the said Island
which descended to said Robert Andrews by the last will of his father
William Andrews dec'd".
1780- circa, Joshua Thomas is raised by David Tyler on Smiths
Island.
1794 - The oldest noted stone on Smiths
Island. It is at Rhodes Point and states "K. E. Nov. Ye 8th
1794, N. E., Aged 31.
1797 - A smallpox epidemic hits the Eastern
Shore.
1797 - Joshua Thomas buys land on Tangier
Island, and marries Rachel Evans.
1802 - The oldest noted stone on Tangier
Island. The first name is gone. The stone reads "Crockett
born 1725, died 1802 aged 77 years."
1806 - Joseph Crockett died on Tangier
Island in this year.
1812- The British occupy Tangier
Island
during the War of 1812.
1814 - Joshua Thomas, "Parson of the Islands"
preached to the British before they sailed for Baltimore. He told them that
they would not succeed.
1866 - Asian Cholera epidemic comes to the Eastern Shore. Tangier
Island was hardest hit, noting the most deaths in October.
1866 - The railroad came to Crisfield,
MD. This allowed the men of the Islands to ship fish, oysters and
later crabs over land quicker than over water
1872- The last of five division lines between the States
of Maryland and Virginia were drawn.
1898 - Crabbing becomes an occupation on the Islands in the Bay.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
McKey, JoAnn Riley. Accomack County Virginia Court Order Abstracts 1666-1670 Volume 2. Bowie MD: Heritage Books, Inc., 1996.
Copyright © by Gail M. Walczyk