Person:Cuthbert Fenwick (1)

"CUTHBERT FENWICKE, Gentleman, St. Mary's Hundred," as he is recorded in a list of the Md. Assembly, 1638, came to Md. 1634; was Mem. of the Assembly 1637; Agent for Cornwallis, Commissioner of Md., 1644. In 1649, then a widower, he m. Jane Eltonhead, wid. of Robert Morson, of "Kecoughtan Co., Va." (Lanc'r). He d. 1655; will dat. Mar. 6, 1654. She d. 1660; will dat. 1660 (for abstract see Davis' Day Star, where a lengthy account of Fenwick appears, pp. 207-219.)

Streeter, in "Papers Relating to the Early His. of Md.," says, p. 41: "In the indictment against Thomas Smith, Cuthbert Fenwick is mentioned as, at the date of Smith's offence, May 10, 1635, 'a servant' of Capt. Cornwallys. He must have served out his time before 1637, and so far improved his fortunes and position as to be able to take the title of 'gentleman'; an assumption which, in those days, would not have been tolerated, unless there had been, on the part of the claimant, some right by birth, education and former circumstances, to the title. He was a planter, and enjoyed the confidence of his fellow colonists, and on various occasions was employed on special business connected with the interests of the Proprietary. He died Oct., 1661, leaving five sons-Cuthbert, Ignatius, Robert, Richard and John."

In Cutherbert Fenwick's will drawn 6 Mar 1654/55, he leaves most of his land to his children with personalty to "brother [unreadable] Eltonhead" (see Baldwin 1968, 219 ; taken from Liber S, folio 219 at MD Historical Society, Baltimore).

Skordas (1974) lists Cuthbert Fenwick as being transported from Virginia as a servant by Thomas Cornwalleys Esq. in 1633 OS, when the Ark and the Dove first entered Maryland waters (MD Patents, Liber 94, 244).

Cuthbert Fenwick eventually patented a large tract northwest of Thomas Cornwalley's Resurrection Manor on the south side of the Patuxent called St. Cuthbert's or Fenwick's Manor, which was later split into two tracts. The most northerly is known today as Sotterly (Stein 1976).