Dear Cousins, One of the primary tenets of American Crossroads research methodology is that history is a vital key to understanding and identifying our ancestry, and in order to find ways to overcome dead ends and roadblocks, we must have a basic understanding of the history of the times and regions. During the period of the mid-17th century when many British Isles people found their way to the American colonies, the English Civil War was dictating the course of events in the lives of the general populace, and consequently greatly influenced 17th century immigration to this country. Those immigrants are the progenitors and kin of many American families. Whether "Roundhead" or "Cavalier" their history and genealogy is often fragmented because of the need for secrecy and caution about their identity as power shifted and see-sawed in England. The English Civil War was ostensibly about Religious practices, but the personalities of the protagonists -- King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell -- were the chief causes of the twists and turns of Church and State, the sorry end it temporarily imposed upon the British monarchy, and the trauma it caused each faction of the general populace. First the New England colonies and then Puritan settlement in Virginia and Maryland came from the trauma, while Catholics and those of varied other religious persuasions, especially Quakers, found haven within the benevolent tolerance of Lord Baltimore's Maryland colony. Just as happened in the American Civil War two hundred years later, traditional family allegiances and loyalties were tested and frayed through disagreement over principles of each faction. Maryland and later Pennsylvania functioned under the government of a "Propriatary," -- in Maryland, the various Lord Baltimores who were Catholic; in Pennsylvania, under William Penn and then his son John, who were Quaker. It is quite interesting that although each of these Protriatarys were icons for their particular religious beliefs, yet each was highly tolerant and democratic in the establishment of their respective governments. This was not the case in the New England colonies. Virginia was different in that it had started out under the government of the two Virginia Companies, but those private efforts failed and Virginia came under the direct control of the British monarchy. The first immigrants came to America because of their disaffection with the Church of England. After Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army defeated Charles I's armies throughout England, Cromwell declared the king a traitor and beheaded him in 1649. Shortly thereafter, Cromwell was made Lord Protector, a position that held all the reins of church and state that the monarch had formerly possessed. A total power reversal had taken place and now the former dissenters were in charge. In Maryland there was an imitation of the events in England. Lord Baltimore's government was overthrown for about two years by the Puritan settlers he had encouraged to come to Maryland. These were chiefly around the Annapolis area, but some lived in southern Maryland which strangely, was principally Catholic in St. Mary's and Calvert Counties. The immigrants to America during the Protectorate cannot be said to be totally Puritan or "Other," though, because most were reacting to bloodshed and intolerance of political and religious views. Even though the average British subject may have thought the Church of England needed change, most were horrified that Cromwell's military coup killed their King. There was great chaos and poverty throughout the country, with the result of not just change in church and state but societal attitudes as well. The Levellers and the Diggers (early socialists who wanted more rights for the common man) emerged right along with various religious dissenters. And Cromwellian persecutions didn't stop with the king, many others were also tried for treason and beheaded. The USGenWeb's Somerset County Maryland website includes a touching page about John Huett, one of the victims. The Last Days of John Huett: http://www.rootsweb.com/~mdsomers/history/jhuett.htm Cromwell's government effectively ended when he died in 1658, even though his son Richard briefly held sway for another year or so. In 1660 Charles II reclaimed the throne (but was crowned the next year) and began extracting his revenge on those who had killed his father. Cromwell's remains were dug up and hung all day at Tyburn prison. The Diary of John Evelyn records the event on 30 January 1661 http://www.astext.com/history/ed_main.html Two more political switches took place in Maryland through the effects of "the Glorious Revolution," which placed William and Mary on the throne of England and brought much needed respite from the residue of the Civil War. William and Mary removed the Calverts as Propriatarys in 1692 which upset Maryland's power structure considerably. The Calverts regained their position in 1715 and held it until ties with England were severed in the American Revolution. In trying to summarize the myriad aspects of this topic I hope I have not defeated the purpose of writing on this incredibly complex topic, which has consequences to research which fails to consider the significance of its complexity. Families cannot be labelled simply, or stereotypically, or tied to trite patterns. Many immigrant families contained combinations of varied elements and factions, and depending upon which way the wind was blowing, these attitudes were often suppressed or hidden from the public view. Some families which appear to be Church of England will suddenly be found in Catholic or Quaker records. And Maryland and Pennsylvania being true melting pots, representative families from both sides of the British Civil war are found there, for example, early Calverts and Cromwells became part of the Maryland migrations first to western Maryland and then into Virginia. The Diaries of Samuel Pepys and Sir John Evelyn give unique personal peeps (pun intended!) into the chaotic events and the human reactions of two remarkable chroniclers of the era of the British Civil War. The American Crossroads 17th Century Events page: http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~amxroads/Chron/17cent.html The Diary of John Evelyn: 30 January 1661 Cromwell's body was dug up, taken to the gallows at Tyburn and hung there through the day. http://www.astext.com/history/ed_main.html The Diary of Samuel Pepys http://digital.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/lookup?num=4200 Love, Your Cousin, Carolyn