Col. Charles Ridgely II, "Charles The Merchant" (1702–1772), of "Ridgely's Whim", was a Justice, planter, merchant,

ironmaster An ironmaster is the manager, and usually owner, of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain. The ironmaster was usually a large ...

, and member of the

General Assembly of Maryland The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber ...

's lower chamber, House of Delegates and one of

Baltimore County Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...

's commissioners. Charles II was the son of Charles Ridgely I, (known as "Charles the Planter"), ( – 1705), and Deborah Dorsey ( – 1752), daughter of Hon. John Dorsey. Ridgely was born in

Prince George's County ) , demonym = Prince Georgian , ZIP codes = 20607–20774 , area codes = 240, 301 , founded date = April 23 , founded year = 1696 , named for = Prince George of Denmark , leader_title = Executive , leader_name = Angela D. Alsobrook ...

, in the Calvert / Lord Baltimore's proprietary colony of the

Province of Maryland The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S. state of Maryland ...

, and still a minor at the death of his father in 1705. He inherited the estates "White Wine" and "Claret" from his grandfather Hon. John Dorsey, Capt. ( – 1715), although he never lived at either. At the time they totaled 1,400 acres (5.7 km²) between them, and Ridgely later resurveyed them into 2,145 acres (8.68 km²) by adding some surplus land.

First marriage

Ridgely married Rachel Howard ( – 1750) of "Hampton", in about 1722. Rachel was born in about 1696 in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, and died in 1750. Rachel was the daughter of Captain John Howard Jr. ( – 1704) and his first wife Mary Warfield ( – 1699).

Political career

Ridgely became a justice of the peace in Baltimore County in 1741, a position he held until 1753, and became a Justice of the Quorum in 1750. In addition he served as a justice of the Especial Court of Oyer, Terminer, and Gaol Delivery in 1748 and 1750. Ridgely served in the

Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...

, the lower chamber of the

for Baltimore County from 1751 to 1754, and at the same time as a Baltimore county commissioner. Ridgely was commissioned a major in 1751, and became a colonel in the Maryland Provincial Militia by 1757. He was also a vestryman and churchwarden of Old St. Paul's Parish (

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

) in downtown Baltimore.

Land holdings

Upon his marriage to Rachel, he acquired the estate known as "Howard's Timber Neck" from his father-in-law, just southwest of Baltimore Town, which had been established in 1729, and laid out the following year. In 1732, this land was combined with another property known as "Brotherly Love", resurveyed and renamed "Ridgely's Delight". In 1735, Ridgely began leasing parcels of land in "Ridgely's Delight", now a southwestern Baltimore city neighborhood, just outside the downtown area and adjacent to the sports stadiums complex of

Camden Yards The Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a baseball stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home field of Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles, and the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the 1990s and early ...

, of 1992–1998, built on top of the former railyards of the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...

and its historic Camden Street Station and former headquarters, built 1857–1865. The later historic district and rowhouse tight neighborhood which remains today and is still known as "Ridgely's Delight", and is situated on what was first a

Susquehannock The Susquehannock people, also called the Conestoga by some English settlers or Andastes were Iroquoian Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, ranging from its upper reaches in the southern p ...

Indian path leading south from the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

valley further north, and in the Federal period of the late 18th century, a main East Coast post road /highway from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

southwest through Baltimore and on to Georgetown,

, then an active sailing port on the upper

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...

(now part of the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

containing the new national capital

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

after 1800). After running through Baltimore, the post road is now known as Washington Boulevard /

U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...

. The earliest houses within today's boundaries of the pie-shaped wedge community of "Ridgely's Delight" date from about 1804. A large portion of the development of "Ridgely's Delight" occurred between 1816 and 1875, with particular intensity during the 1840s and 1850s. He was the first of the family to reside north of Baltimore Town in the larger surrounding

when he moved there in 1734. He became a gentleman by 1738, and esquire by 1748, and was styled "Charles The Merchant". Ridgely was a planter, merchant, ironmaster, and owner of a furnace and forges. Although his mercantile base was in Baltimore Town and

, his interests extended south into neighboring

Anne Arundel County Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, whi ...

where he purchased tobacco, crops, livestock, and slaves from at least 1736 through the 1740s. In 1745, he acquired "Northampton", near future Towsontown / Towson, and was founder of the Ridgely family of " Hampton Mansion". By 1750, "Charles The Merchant" had taken up or purchased altogether 26 parcels in Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties, aggregating 8,000 acres (32 km²). These parcels were not all contiguous, and they included areas as distant as the present neighborhoods further south of

Roland Park Roland Park is a community located in Baltimore, Maryland. It was developed between 1890 and 1920 as an upper-class streetcar suburb. The early phases of the neighborhood were designed by Edward Bouton and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. History J ...

Guilford Guildford is a town in Surrey, England. It gives its name to the Borough of Guildford, the Diocese of Guildford and the Parliamentary constituency of Guildford. Guildford, Guilford, or Gildford may also refer to: Places Australia * Guildfor ...

and Blythewood in later northern Baltimore City. It was "Northampton", which became the centerpiece for the Ridgely family setting. The tract of land was originally granted to Col. Henry Darnall, Sr. (1645–1711), who immigrated to Maryland from

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The 1500 acre (6 km²) parcel was surveyed for Colonel Darnall in 1695. Colonel Darnall was Gov. Charles Calvert, and 3rd Lord Baltimore's (1637–1714) primary agent in Maryland for many years. The property was inherited by his daughter, Ann Hill (1680–1749) in 1745, in consideration of £600 pounds of sterling. In the early 1760s, Col. Ridgely established several large ironworks, which thrived from the easily mined deposits of iron ore in the area. The large mansion " Hampton Mansion" was built on the tract of land containing 10,000 acres (40 km²), called "Northampton", after the end of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

between 1783 and 1790 by Col. Ridgely's youngest son Captain

Charles Ridgely III Captain Charles Ridgely III (1733–1790) was a colonial Maryland planter and ironmonger. Biography Ridgely was born in Maryland Province in 1733 to Colonel Charles Ridgely II (1702-1772), ("Charles the Merchant") and Rachel Howard. With his fa ...

, known as "Charles The Mariner" (1733–1790), who died after its completion. "Hampton" is about due north of the city of Baltimore and about north of

Towson Towson () is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Baltim ...

(formerly Towsontown), the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

since 1853 of

Second marriage

Ridgely married secondly on December 5, 1747, Lydia (Warfield) Stringer, widow of Dr. Samuel Stringer (d. 1747) of Queen Caroline Parish, Anne Arundel County. Lydia was the daughter of Richard Warfield III, Esq. ( – 1755) and Ruth Crutchley ( – 1713).

Ironworks

In 1760 Ridgely and his two sons built Northampton Ironworks, which included a furnace on Patterson's Run and forges at Long Cam near

Gunpowder Falls The Gunpowder River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tidal inlet on the western side of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, United States. It is formed by the jo ...

. Between November 1763 and April 1764, the ironworks shipped over 1,858 pounds worth of pig and bar iron to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Death

At the time of his death in 1772, Ridgely's estate was valued at £6,285.16.9 British pounds sterling, then current money, including 36 slaves, 6 servants, 121 oz. plate, his one-third interest in the Northampton Ironworks valued at £322.9.3 pounds sterling, and 603 pounds worth of goods shipped by

merchants. He died at "Northampton", (at future Hampton Mansion and near Towsontown/Towson), Baltimore County, Maryland, and his will was probated on June 8, 1772.

Children

1. John Ridgely, Sr. (–1771), who married Mary Dorsey (1725–1786), daughter of Caleb Dorsey (1685–1742) and Eleanor Warfield (1683–1752). Caleb was son of Hon. John Dorsey. They had issue. 2. Pleasance Ridgely (1724–1777), who married Lyde Goodwin (1718–1755). 3. Charles Ridgely (1727), who died young. 4. Achsah Ridgely (1729–1778), who married 1) Dr. Robert Holliday (died 1747). 2) John Carnan (1728–1767). Achsah and John Carnan were the parents of

Charles Carnan Ridgely Charles Carnan Ridgely (December 6, 1760July 17, 1829) was born Charles Ridgely Carnan.Gerson G. Eisenberg, ''Marylanders Who Served the Nation: A Biographical Dictionary of Federal Officials from Maryland'' (Annapolis: Maryland State Archives, ...

(1760-1829), whose uncle Capt.

(1733-1790), willed the estate of Hampton Mansion to, on the condition that he take the surname of Ridgely. 3) Daniel Chamier, a Tory merchant of Baltimore. 5. William Ridgely (), who died young. 6. Capt.

, "Charles The Mariner" (1733–1790), builder of " Hampton Mansion" (future National Historic Site), who married Rebecca Dorsey (1738–1812), daughter of Caleb Dorsey, Jr. (1710–1772) and Priscilla Hill (1718–1782). Caleb was the grandson of Hon. John Dorsey. 7. Rachel Ridgely (1734–1813), who married Lt. Col. Darby Lux II (1737–1795), son of Capt.

Darby Lux I Capt. Darby Lux I (1695–1750) was a mariner, merchant, and Justice of Baltimore County, Maryland. The son of an English clergyman, was born in Kenton Parish, Devonshire, England, on June 15, 1695. He was christened on June 30, 1696, in Kento ...

(1695–1750) and Ann Saunders (1700–1785).

Ancestry

Col. Ridgely II was the son of Charles Ridgely I, "Charles The Planter" ( – 1705) and Deborah Dorsey ( – 1752). Deborah married secondly Richard Clagett, Sr., of "Croome" (1681–1752). Deborah was the daughter of Hon., Capt. John Dorsey ( – 1715) of "Hockley", Anne Arundel County, and his wife Pleasance Ely ( – 1734). Charles I was the son of Henry Ridgely (1625–1710) and Elizabeth Howard (1637–1695).

References

Sources

* Fendall, Douglas Allen. ''The Descendants of Governor Josias Fendall''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ridgely, Charles II People of colonial Maryland Politicians from Baltimore Colonial politicians from Maryland American ironmasters American planters 1702 births 1772 deaths American slave owners Ridgely family