Book Description
According to most histories of Maryland, in 1645-46 Richard Ingle and his ship Reformation terrorized the tiny settlements on the Chesapeake Bay, bringing the violence and mayhem of the English Civil War to the New World. But did he? In this thoroughly researched and well-told tale of deception, greed, and political intrigue, St.Mary’s City archaeologist Timothy B. Riordan unearths new evidence — from muddy “Pope’s Fort” in St. Mary’s to the Admiralty Court records in London — to show that revolution was brewing in Maryland with or without the colorful, sometimes roguish Ingle and his crew.
Plundering Time: Maryland and the English Civil War, 1645-1646 FROM THE PUBLISHER
On 14 February 1645, a Dutch trading ship, Die Spiegel, lay at anchor off St. Inigoes. Aboard was the governor of the young proprietary province of Maryland, Leonard Calvert, and Giles Brent, who years earlier had ordered the arrest of a hot-tempered tobacco ship captain, Richard Ingle. Ingle had escaped and sailed for England but was expected to return any day. As Calvert and Brent urged Die Spiegel's captain to prepare for a fight, a ship rounded into view, cruising up the St. Mary's River. Calvert sped ashore to assemble more men. Flying a white flag, the newcomer sailed closer, then slowly hove to. Her gunports opened, and her captain roared a challenge. Richard Ingle and the Reformation had returned to Maryland, bringing with them the fire of the English Civil War.
The "Plundering Time," as it came to be called, was without question one of the most violent episodes in Maryland history. William Claiborne, long a thorn in the Calverts' side, moved against Kent Island as Ingle and his men attacked and plundered the plantations and estates of Maryland's manor lords. In a few months, Ingle sailed again for England, but the fighting continued as Leonard Calvert attempted to restore order. From Maryland the conflict moved to the courtrooms of London, as Ingle defended his actions and Cecil Calvert maneuvered desperately to hold onto his province against a Parliament relishing its recent victory over King Charles. When order was finally restored to Maryland, the province had been forever changed. Depopulated and momentarily impoverished, Maryland nevertheless became a "good poor man's country," where hard work could lead to wealth and respect regardless of family name, and religious toleration had been codified into law.
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