These entries are from the online Land Patents index cards: NAME Edelen, Richard Year: 1687 TRACT Friendship COUNTY Charles Certificate 358 Acres Liber 23 Folio 376 NAME Edelen, Richard Year: 1695 TRACT Friendship COUNTY Charles Certificate 250 Acres Liber BB#3 Folio 371 Patent 250 Acres Liber BB#3 Folio 371 Richard Edelen left this property to several of his grandchildren in his 16 Jul 1760 will. This is a rent roll entry for another tract called "Friendship" in Charles County, plus some deeds that describe its location. (Michael Marshall's transcription of rent rolls) 1642-1753 Rent Rolls Charles County MD Hundred - Port Tobacco: Rent Roll page/Sequence: 313-81: FRIENDSHIP: 2000 acres; Possession of - 954 Acres - Dent, Thomas : Surveyed 13 June 1672 for Bennett Hoskins at a branch beech by a fresh run called Mattawoman main fresh running down the run. Poss. by Thomas Dent & 1046 acres Bennett Hoskins in England: Other Tracts Mentioned: ; ; ; other notes - 100 Acres - John Coffer; 16 March 1724, 333 Acres - Mary Smallwood from William Hoskins; 12 Aug 1725,, , , , p. 49, TLC Genealogy, Charles County Land Records, 1722-1729; Book L#2 Page 217. At the request of Mary Smallwood, widow, the following deed was recorded this May 21, 1725. Mar 16, 1724 from John Coffer of CC, planter, son & heir of Eliza Coffer, daughter & one of the co-heirs of Hugh Thomas, late of CC, deced, to Mary Smallwood of CC, widow, executrix of the will of James Smallwood, late of CC, deced, for 3000 # of tobacco and for divers other good causes, John Coffer conveys to Mary Smallwood, for the use of sd Mary & the devisees of the sd James Smallwood, according to the intent of the will of James Smallwood, 100 acres of land, being part of a tract of land called Friendship, lying on Mattawoman main fresh [Cr] in CC. Signed-Jno (his mark) Coffer Jr. Wit-Thomas Stone*, Geo Dent*. p. 51, TLC Genealogy, Charles County Land Records, 1722-1729; Book L#2 Page 231. At the request of Mary Smallwood of CC, widow, the following deed was recorded this Aug 18, 1725. Aug 12, 1725 from Willm Hoskins of CC, gent, to Mary Smallwood of CC, widow, executrix of the will of James Smallwood, late of CC, deced, for 95 £ sterling money of Great Britain to him in hand paid by Gerrard Fowke & Bennett Hoskins of CC, Gent, & towards the discharging of a judgment obtained against them by sd James Smallwood in the name of the Lord Proprietary in the Provincial Court on the administration bond of the adm. of Wm Dent, Esq, late of CC, deced, and for divers other causes, sd William Hoskins has sold to sd Mary Smallwood, & for the use of sd Mary & the devisees of the afd James Smallwood, all that parcel of land, being part of a tract of land called Friendship, lying on the south side of Mattawoman fresh in CC, which part is bounded by: sd Friendship as it was ascertained by the Land Commissioners for CC, a parcel of land called Hopewell which sd James Smallwood bought of the afd Wm Dent, to the beginning, containing about 333 acres. Sd Wm Hoskins covenants with sd Mary Smallwood & the devisees afd that they can have and enjoy the before granted land & premises without let or hindrance by Wm Hoskins or anyone claiming under him, sd Wm Hoskins or against the heirs of Bennett Hoskins, Esq, late of the Kingdom of Great Brittain, deced, in whose name the afd land called Friendship was patented. If it shall so happen that the sd Mary & the devisees afd shall, at any time hereafter, be legally dispossessed of the before bargained premises or any part thereof by the heirs of the afd Bennett Hoskins Esq, then sd Wm Hoskins shall repay to the sd Mary Smallwood or the devisees afd, the full purchase money. Signed-W. Hoskins, Wit-Jno Fendall*, Robt Hanson*. p. 74, TLC Genealogy, Charles County Land Records, 1722-1729; Book L#2 Page 353. At the request of Charles Byrne of CC, planter, the following bond was recorded this May 24, 1727. I, John Coffer, Jr, of CC, planter, bind myself to Charles Byrne of CC, planter, and Margery, his wife, in the penal sum of 10,000 # of tobacco in cask, this Jan 21, 1716. The condition of the above obligation is such that, whereas sd John Coffer, Jr and sd Charles Byrne and Margery, his wife, have equal right to 2 tracts of land in CC near Zachia Swamp, the one called Fortune, containing 100 acres, and the other called Nonesuch, containing 50 acres, and hereby divides the 2 tracts as follows (viz) the sd Charles Byrne and his wife, Margery, his wife, to have the afd tract of land called Nonesuch, sd John Coffer paying Charles and Margery Byrne 500 # of tobacco in cask, and sd John Coffer to have the other tract afd called Fortune, now if sd John Coffer shall abide by sd division, then this obligation to be void. Signed-John (his mark) Coffer. Wit-A: Clinkscales, Francis (FM his mark) Miller. p. 74, TLC Genealogy, Charles County Land Records, 1722-1729; Book L#2 Page 354. At the request of Charles Byrne of CC, planter, the following bond was recorded this May 25, 1727. We, Mary Smallwood and John Smallwood, executors of the will of James Smallwood, late of CC, decd, bind ourselves to Charles Byrne and Margery, his wife, of CC, in the penal sum of 100 £ sterling money of Great Britain, this Jan 5, 1725. The condition of the above obligation is such that, whereas a certain parcel of land formerly belonging to Hugh Thomas, father of the sd Margery, containing 200 acres, part of a tract called Friendship, originally granted unto Bennett Hoskins, Esq, lying on Mattawoman Swamp in CC, was by the reciprocal consent of sd Mary Smallwood and John Smallwood & sd Charles Byrne and Margery, his wife, on Nov 29 last, surveyed & divided by Robert Hanson, surveyor of CC, which sd parcel of land is bounded by the ENE line of William Hoskins' part of the afd tract called Friendship between 2 plantations now in the possession of sd Mary Smallwood & John Smallwood, and divided by a line drawn SSE from a hickory standing in the afd ENE line of William Hoskins' part of Friendship by the side of Piney Branch for the length of 132 perches thru the afd 200 acres of land, now if sd Mary Smallwood & John Smallwood and James Smallwood shall abide by sd division and be content with the easternmost part or moiety of sd parcel of land and not disturb sd Charles Byrne and Margery, his wife, from the peaceable possession of the westernmost part or moiety thereof, then this obligation to be void. Signed-Mary (M her mark) Smallwood, John (his mark) Smallwood. Wit-Robt Hanson, Robt Hanson Jr. The plat of a parcel of land containing 200 acres, being part of a tract called Friendship [shows Byrne's part, 100 acres, and Smallwood's part, 100 acres]. On Nov 29, 1725, the above land was, at the instance and request of Mary Smallwood & John Smallwood and Charles Byrne and Margery, his wife, surveyed and divided according to the above plat by Robt Hanson, surveyor. p. 115, TLC Genealogy, Charles County Land Records, 1733-1743; Book O#2, Page 439. Recorded Apr 12, 1742. Mar 27, 1742 from Mary Smallwood of CC, widow, to John Smallwood, William Smallwood, Matthew Smallwood, and James Smallwood Jr of CC, planters, for 10,000 lbs tobacco and for other good causes, all that part of a tract of land, being part of a tract of land called Friendship, lying on the south side of Mattawoman fresh in CC, which part is bounded by the beginning tree of sd tract called Friendship as it was settled by the Land Commission for CC, containing about 333 acres. Also 100 acres more, being part of 200 acres of sd tract called Friendship formerly belonging to Hugh Thomas, bounded according to the division made between sd Mary Smallwood, John Smallwood, Charles Byrn & Margery, his wife, dated Jan 5, 1725 [/6] , which line is bounded by the ENE line of William Hoskins' part of Friendship, the Side Piney Branch. John, William, and James Smallwood's parts of the land are to contain about 100 acres.each. Matthew Smallwood's part is to contain about 33 acres, and also 100 acres more, the moiety of 200 acres formerly belonging to Hugh Thomas, as above mentioned. Signed-Mary (M her mark) Smallwood. Wit-Robt Hanson*, S: Hanson*. ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Middleton Edelen II" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 5:34 AM Subject: [MDCHARLE] Friendship or Mt. Friendship? > Hello, > I have a couple of questions: I am David Middleton Edelen II and my > family were all among some of the original people in Charles and Pr. Georges > Counties, Md.. Upon her death in 1994 my grandmother, Mrs. David Middleton > Edelen (maiden name: Eloise Gilmore Berry) still owned like 90 acres of land > in the "Berry" community along Mattawoman Creek which she always said had > always been known as "Friendship". My dad and Uncle both said that at one > time it was several thousand acres, etc.. I have also heard it was also known > as Mt. Friendship. On the other side of the creek lay my gr gr grandfather > Alexius Llewellyn Middleton's land (back in Civil War or post CW days). > Anyway, my grandmother always said that land had always been in her > family. That her grandfather Judge Thomas Baker Berry owned it at one time > and her father and his siblings were born there. But I have heard that > originally that it was Edelen land. Does anyone know the history of that land > and that area, or anything about Judge Thomas Baker Berry or their line of > Berrys? I can't even find out who Thomas Baker Berry's parents were. I have > my Edelen line back to like 1500, my Middletons back to the 16 or 1700s, but > only have my Berry line back to Judge Thomas Baker Berry, my gr gr > grandfather. I have a lot of info on him personally, his wife's family back to > British Parliament, etc, but none on his folks. My dad met my mom in WWII and > moved to Alabama with her after the war. So I grew up in Alabama and never > knew any Edelen, Middleton, or Berry cousins other than my two Edelen first > cousins in Silver Springs, Md.. > Any info on that Berry land or my gr gr grandfather Judge Thomas > Baker Berry would be greatly appreciated. > Sincerely, > David Middleton Edelen II > Millbrook, Alabama > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message

Thanks Norma. That is interesting. I also remember reading or hearing somwhere that my gr gr grandfather Joseph Benedict Edelen was willed 200 acres of land called "Friendship". I wonder if it is the same tract and if so how did my Berry ancestors wind up with it. In that info about Judge Thomas Baker Berry that I posted it said something about him owning or living on a place called "Troy". I have wondered what and where that was. Judge Berry worked mostly out of Port Tobacco, at least that is what my grandmother told me. Thanks, Dave