Married Anne Childs 1649 Bristol, England.
"Nearby lies a memorial to Christopher Birkhead, who died in 1676. For more than 200 years these stones lay at " Birkhead's Meadows." This was doubtless a portion of the tract
of 1,300 acres confirmed to Christopher Birkhead in 1666, and possibly lay near the house of Abraham Birkhead, the scene of one of the many triumphs of George Fox, the Quaker, by
whom the "Speaker of the Assembly was convinced."
In 1888 the Birkhead tombstones were moved to St. James parish churchyard and their scanty history shows a custom in Maryland—namely, that of burying the dead in private grounds—which has been the cause why so few graves from remote times have been preserved. Where nearly every freeman, whether a gentleman adventurer or otherwise, was a " planter," and his home, cut off from those of his kind often by miles of territory, became the nucleus of a small community like the castle of some feudal lord, what more natural than that he should provide a place of burial for members of his family and his dependents, which sacred spot, by the lapse of time and change of ownership, was first neglected, then forgotten and finally lost."
Source: Historical Graves of Maryland, p. 23. According to this book, the original tombstone here was for this man, not his father.
◦A will dated 11 Nov 1675 in the Prerogative Court of Canterberry, 1676 -
Folio 127. FHL film 92,318.
Christopher Birkhead had been imprisoned in England in 1654. An early Quaker and a co-worker of George Fox, Chirstopher also had been imprisoned in Rochelle, France in 1657. Christopher may have come earlier to Maryland than his brother Abraham, for in 1661 he obtained a certificate of survey for "Birkheads Parcell, 600 acres of land in the Herring Creek Hundred. Quakers in the Founding of Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
BIRTH: "Christopher Birckheaqd b. 1630,
Parish of St. Mary's Redclift, Bristol, England. He was a shipwright and mariner as his family was."
IGI - Birth given as 1621, England.
Christopher Birckhead II acquired several large parcels of land in Maryland but was a mariner by trade and apparently retained his residence in England. He wrote his will at Bristol on 11 November 1675 and it was proved there on 25 October the next year. He bequeathed his 500-acre plantation in Anne Arundel Co., MD known as "Birkheads" to his wife Joane and son Nehemiah, the latter to have it all after his wife's decease. He gave to his son Solomon 400 acres in Talbot County, MD known as "Bristoll" and "Brickheads Lot" in Anne Arundel County. The rest of his land was given to his son Eleazer. He also gave his wife and son Nehemiah each a 1/16 share in a shop (should this read ship?) "Society of Bristol"; his ship "Friendship" was bequeathed jointly to Solomon and Eleazer. He also mentioned his brother Abraham and his sister Margaret Smith, a widow. Christopher Birckhead b. 1630, Parish of St. Mary's Redclift, Bristol, Eng. He was a shipwright & mariner as his family was. He 1st appears among the records of the society of Friends 1654. He was sent to jail for unsolicited preaching in the Anglican Church of St. Stephens, Bristol, Eng. From there he went to New Rochelle, France where he suffered imprisonment for the same unsolicited outcries against the established church. He fled to Holland (Zealand) where he suffered the same punishment. Copies in Dutch & the original of this tract is on file at the Friends Library in London, Eng. The tract was sent from Holland to George Fox, the acknowledged founder of Quakerism in 1657.
"Nearby lies a memorial to Christopher Birkhead, who died in 1676. For more than 200 years these stones lay at " Birkhead's Meadows." This was doubtless a portion of the tract
of 1,300 acres confirmed to Christopher Birkhead in 1666, and possibly lay near the house of Abraham Birkhead, the scene of one of the many triumphs of George Fox, the Quaker, by
whom the "Speaker of the Assembly was convinced."
In 1888 the Birkhead tombstones were moved to St. James parish churchyard and their scanty history shows a custom in Maryland—namely, that of burying the dead in private grounds—which has been the cause why so few graves from remote times have been preserved. Where nearly every freeman, whether a gentleman adventurer or otherwise, was a " planter," and his home, cut off from those of his kind often by miles of territory, became the nucleus of a small community like the castle of some feudal lord, what more natural than that he should provide a place of burial for members of his family and his dependents, which sacred spot, by the lapse of time and change of ownership, was first neglected, then forgotten and finally lost."
Source: Historical Graves of Maryland, p. 23. According to this book, the original tombstone here was for this man, not his father.
◦A will dated 11 Nov 1675 in the Prerogative Court of Canterberry, 1676 -
Folio 127. FHL film 92,318.
Christopher Birkhead had been imprisoned in England in 1654. An early Quaker and a co-worker of George Fox, Chirstopher also had been imprisoned in Rochelle, France in 1657. Christopher may have come earlier to Maryland than his brother Abraham, for in 1661 he obtained a certificate of survey for "Birkheads Parcell, 600 acres of land in the Herring Creek Hundred. Quakers in the Founding of Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
BIRTH: "Christopher Birckheaqd b. 1630,
Parish of St. Mary's Redclift, Bristol, England. He was a shipwright and mariner as his family was."
IGI - Birth given as 1621, England.
Christopher Birckhead II acquired several large parcels of land in Maryland but was a mariner by trade and apparently retained his residence in England. He wrote his will at Bristol on 11 November 1675 and it was proved there on 25 October the next year. He bequeathed his 500-acre plantation in Anne Arundel Co., MD known as "Birkheads" to his wife Joane and son Nehemiah, the latter to have it all after his wife's decease. He gave to his son Solomon 400 acres in Talbot County, MD known as "Bristoll" and "Brickheads Lot" in Anne Arundel County. The rest of his land was given to his son Eleazer. He also gave his wife and son Nehemiah each a 1/16 share in a shop (should this read ship?) "Society of Bristol"; his ship "Friendship" was bequeathed jointly to Solomon and Eleazer. He also mentioned his brother Abraham and his sister Margaret Smith, a widow. Christopher Birckhead b. 1630, Parish of St. Mary's Redclift, Bristol, Eng. He was a shipwright & mariner as his family was. He 1st appears among the records of the society of Friends 1654. He was sent to jail for unsolicited preaching in the Anglican Church of St. Stephens, Bristol, Eng. From there he went to New Rochelle, France where he suffered imprisonment for the same unsolicited outcries against the established church. He fled to Holland (Zealand) where he suffered the same punishment. Copies in Dutch & the original of this tract is on file at the Friends Library in London, Eng. The tract was sent from Holland to George Fox, the acknowledged founder of Quakerism in 1657.
Married Anne Childs 1649 Bristol, England.
"Nearby lies a memorial to Christopher Birkhead, who died in 1676. For more than 200 years these stones lay at " Birkhead's Meadows." This was doubtless a portion of the tract
of 1,300 acres confirmed to Christopher Birkhead in 1666, and possibly lay near the house of Abraham Birkhead, the scene of one of the many triumphs of George Fox, the Quaker, by
whom the "Speaker of the Assembly was convinced."
In 1888 the Birkhead tombstones were moved to St. James parish churchyard and their scanty history shows a custom in Maryland—namely, that of burying the dead in private grounds—which has been the cause why so few graves from remote times have been preserved. Where nearly every freeman, whether a gentleman adventurer or otherwise, was a " planter," and his home, cut off from those of his kind often by miles of territory, became the nucleus of a small community like the castle of some feudal lord, what more natural than that he should provide a place of burial for members of his family and his dependents, which sacred spot, by the lapse of time and change of ownership, was first neglected, then forgotten and finally lost."
Source: Historical Graves of Maryland, p. 23. According to this book, the original tombstone here was for this man, not his father.
◦A will dated 11 Nov 1675 in the Prerogative Court of Canterberry, 1676 -
Folio 127. FHL film 92,318.
Christopher Birkhead had been imprisoned in England in 1654. An early Quaker and a co-worker of George Fox, Chirstopher also had been imprisoned in Rochelle, France in 1657. Christopher may have come earlier to Maryland than his brother Abraham, for in 1661 he obtained a certificate of survey for "Birkheads Parcell, 600 acres of land in the Herring Creek Hundred. Quakers in the Founding of Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
BIRTH: "Christopher Birckheaqd b. 1630,
Parish of St. Mary's Redclift, Bristol, England. He was a shipwright and mariner as his family was."
IGI - Birth given as 1621, England.
Christopher Birckhead II acquired several large parcels of land in Maryland but was a mariner by trade and apparently retained his residence in England. He wrote his will at Bristol on 11 November 1675 and it was proved there on 25 October the next year. He bequeathed his 500-acre plantation in Anne Arundel Co., MD known as "Birkheads" to his wife Joane and son Nehemiah, the latter to have it all after his wife's decease. He gave to his son Solomon 400 acres in Talbot County, MD known as "Bristoll" and "Brickheads Lot" in Anne Arundel County. The rest of his land was given to his son Eleazer. He also gave his wife and son Nehemiah each a 1/16 share in a shop (should this read ship?) "Society of Bristol"; his ship "Friendship" was bequeathed jointly to Solomon and Eleazer. He also mentioned his brother Abraham and his sister Margaret Smith, a widow. Christopher Birckhead b. 1630, Parish of St. Mary's Redclift, Bristol, Eng. He was a shipwright & mariner as his family was. He 1st appears among the records of the society of Friends 1654. He was sent to jail for unsolicited preaching in the Anglican Church of St. Stephens, Bristol, Eng. From there he went to New Rochelle, France where he suffered imprisonment for the same unsolicited outcries against the established church. He fled to Holland (Zealand) where he suffered the same punishment. Copies in Dutch & the original of this tract is on file at the Friends Library in London, Eng. The tract was sent from Holland to George Fox, the acknowledged founder of Quakerism in 1657.
"Nearby lies a memorial to Christopher Birkhead, who died in 1676. For more than 200 years these stones lay at " Birkhead's Meadows." This was doubtless a portion of the tract
of 1,300 acres confirmed to Christopher Birkhead in 1666, and possibly lay near the house of Abraham Birkhead, the scene of one of the many triumphs of George Fox, the Quaker, by
whom the "Speaker of the Assembly was convinced."
In 1888 the Birkhead tombstones were moved to St. James parish churchyard and their scanty history shows a custom in Maryland—namely, that of burying the dead in private grounds—which has been the cause why so few graves from remote times have been preserved. Where nearly every freeman, whether a gentleman adventurer or otherwise, was a " planter," and his home, cut off from those of his kind often by miles of territory, became the nucleus of a small community like the castle of some feudal lord, what more natural than that he should provide a place of burial for members of his family and his dependents, which sacred spot, by the lapse of time and change of ownership, was first neglected, then forgotten and finally lost."
Source: Historical Graves of Maryland, p. 23. According to this book, the original tombstone here was for this man, not his father.
◦A will dated 11 Nov 1675 in the Prerogative Court of Canterberry, 1676 -
Folio 127. FHL film 92,318.
Christopher Birkhead had been imprisoned in England in 1654. An early Quaker and a co-worker of George Fox, Chirstopher also had been imprisoned in Rochelle, France in 1657. Christopher may have come earlier to Maryland than his brother Abraham, for in 1661 he obtained a certificate of survey for "Birkheads Parcell, 600 acres of land in the Herring Creek Hundred. Quakers in the Founding of Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
BIRTH: "Christopher Birckheaqd b. 1630,
Parish of St. Mary's Redclift, Bristol, England. He was a shipwright and mariner as his family was."
IGI - Birth given as 1621, England.
Christopher Birckhead II acquired several large parcels of land in Maryland but was a mariner by trade and apparently retained his residence in England. He wrote his will at Bristol on 11 November 1675 and it was proved there on 25 October the next year. He bequeathed his 500-acre plantation in Anne Arundel Co., MD known as "Birkheads" to his wife Joane and son Nehemiah, the latter to have it all after his wife's decease. He gave to his son Solomon 400 acres in Talbot County, MD known as "Bristoll" and "Brickheads Lot" in Anne Arundel County. The rest of his land was given to his son Eleazer. He also gave his wife and son Nehemiah each a 1/16 share in a shop (should this read ship?) "Society of Bristol"; his ship "Friendship" was bequeathed jointly to Solomon and Eleazer. He also mentioned his brother Abraham and his sister Margaret Smith, a widow. Christopher Birckhead b. 1630, Parish of St. Mary's Redclift, Bristol, Eng. He was a shipwright & mariner as his family was. He 1st appears among the records of the society of Friends 1654. He was sent to jail for unsolicited preaching in the Anglican Church of St. Stephens, Bristol, Eng. From there he went to New Rochelle, France where he suffered imprisonment for the same unsolicited outcries against the established church. He fled to Holland (Zealand) where he suffered the same punishment. Copies in Dutch & the original of this tract is on file at the Friends Library in London, Eng. The tract was sent from Holland to George Fox, the acknowledged founder of Quakerism in 1657.
Bio by: Linda
Gravesite Details
Stones were re-located from private burying ground in 1888, to St. James Parish Cemetery. Documented to be the "oldest marked gravemarkers in state of Maryland"
Family Members
Children
