namely, that Maryland’s lands should begin from the end of the 40th degree, that is the thirty-ninth parallel. In this way the historic controversy arose.
It was in this way that Herrman was brought directly into the dispute: His estate, Bohemia Manor, was located about midway between the thirty-ninth and the fortieth parallels.[1] In November 1682 William Markham, Penn’s deputy, made arrangements with Herrman to meet Lord Baltimore at Bohemia Manor and discuss with them the situation. When Baltimore arrived at Herrman’s house he learned that Markham was unable to keep his appointment on account of illness.[2] Thereupon another interview was arranged, but Penn’s deputy did not keep even that. Shortly afterwards Penn most tactlessly wrote to Herrman and five of his neighbors, advising them to pay no more taxes to Baltimore because their lands would soon be included in the colony of Pennsylvania.[3] This message was no sooner received than Herrman communicated it to his friend and benefactor, Lord Baltimore. After two years of fruitless endeavor, Baltimore finally tracked down Markham and insisted upon an interview. But neither Penn nor Baltimore could come to any satisfactory agreement; nor did their heirs or their children’s heirs. Finally the long drawn out controversy was settled in 1767 by the establishment of what has since been called the famous Mason and Dixon line at 39 degrees, 43 minutes and 26.3 seconds as the northern boundary of Maryland.[4] Thus Maryland lost only 17 minutes of a degree of latitude of its original territory.
- ↑ On the map Bohemia Manor is shown on the North Side of the Bohemia River in “Caecil C” (Cecil County). On the southern bank of the island formed by the Bohemia River and the Sassafracx River is shown Hackston, an estate acquired by the Hacks in 1662.
- ↑ Maryland Archives, Proc. of Council, Vol. V. pp. 376–78.
- ↑ Maryland Archives, Proc. of Council, Vol. 17. p. 472.
- ↑ Ency. Britannica, “Mason Dixon Line”. 11th ed.
