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An American Family History

The Brandt Family of Charles County, Maryland

 
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves,
and, under a just God cannot retain it."
― Abraham Lincoln
 
Marylandwas established with religious freedom for Catholics. The colonial economy was based on tobacco cultivated by Africans who had been enslaved.

Randolph Brandt was born about 1644 in the West Indies.

His wife was named Mary.

Their children included:
Mary Brandt (1664 married James Latimer),
Judith Brandt,
Randolph Brandt,
Marcus Brandt and
Charles Bandt (1669, married Elizabeth Douglas).

The family settled in Charles Charles County, Maryland where Charles acquired large amounts of land. His land included Asher, Hammersmith, Barbadoes, and Greenweigh. Barbadoes is an 88 acre island in the Potomac River and is now called Theodore Roosevelt Island.

During Fendall's Rebellion in August, 1661

Whereupon Godfrey said he would goe to Church next Sonday, and gett what men he could there to joyne with those men he had already sent for to meete him in armes at Church that soe they might meete the troope at the head of Portobacco Creeke on Monday,

and then they would take Capt Randolph Brandt and tye him, and turne James Wheeler out of the troope, (they being the onely Roman Catholicks in the troope) that they might rescue ffendall, that he the sd Boyden came late to Church on Sonday purposely for feare of being engaged by Godfrey

Randolph was captain of a unit in the Maryland militia.

In November, 1678, the Assembly voted "Captain Randall Brandt four thousand nine hundred and fifty pounds of tobacco."

In 1693 Randolph Brandt was arrested for acts of contempt and misbehavior toward the government.

Randolph wrote his will in 1697, Charles was still a child and the will required him to be brought up as a Catholic.

 

 
 

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A moiety is one of two equal parts.

Personal property can be called personalty (personality), goods, chattels, articles, or movable property. It includes both animate or inanimate property.

Seals were used to authenticate documents and men were expected to have a personal die. Records in deed books are copies and signatures are usually in the clerk’s handwriting. The clerk drew a circle around the word “seal” to indicate that the original document was sealed.

from Baltimore: Biography edited by Clayton Colman Hall

Captain Randolph Brandt, . . .immigrated to Maryland in the year 1674, bringing with him his wife Mary, daughters Mary and Judith, and son Randolph. That he had a son Marcus Brandt, who remained in Barbadoes, we learn from his will, recorded in Liber A., No. 2, fol. 190, Charles County Wills, as follows:

I, Randolph Brandt, of the Province of Maryland, give and bequeath to my Deare and loving sons Marcus Brandt now residing in the Island of Barbadoes 500 acres of land lying in Charles county in the Province aforesaid, called The Expectation, etc.

Also I give the said Marcus one certaine house with the land and other appurtenances thereto belonging or in any wise appurteyning in the said Island of Barbadoes late in Possession of my father deceased; to him or his lawful heirs, and failing to have heirs, then to my son Randolph Brandt, and his heirs; and in default of heirs, then to my next heir.

3rd. I give to my son Randolph two hundred (200) acres of land on Potomac River, called Hammer Smith, and to his heirs, but in default of heirs, to the next male heir of my body.

5th. To my son Charles the moiety one half of land where I reside, West side of "Piccawaxen Creek" containing four hundred and fifty (450) acres, also the moiety of two hundred (200) acres on the Potomac River called Green Weigh.

6th. To my son Jacob Brandt and his heirs one half of a moiety of land where I live called Asher, containing four hundred and fifty (450) acres, also the moiety of two hundred (200) acres called Green Weigh, on Potomac River in "Accokeek Neck." Sons Charles and Jacob to be brought up in the Catholic Faith.
(Signed) Randolph Brandt.

Captain Randolph Brandt was commanding a troop of horse in Charles county, Maryland, in the year 1678, four years after his arrival in the Province. Coming to Maryland as the son of the King's Commissioner, who had before his residence in Barbadoes been one of the influential Court circle at Hammersmith, we find him perpetuating the places of residence of his father and himself in his patents of land which descended for generations—these were Hammersmith, Barbadoes, Greenweigh, etc. Randolph Brandt was a member of the House of Assembly of Maryland from 1671 to 1675.

Lord Baltimore, to whom Captain Randolph Brandt was very close, always signed his letters of instructions or commendation "your loving friend C. Baltimore," a term of endearment reserved for the favored few by this most distinguished and aristocratic of the Proprietaries, descendant of the Lords Arundell of Wardour Castle, and in his own right a Count of the Holy Roman Empire. His courage, diplomacy and devotion to duty characterize Captain Randolph Brandt's career in Maryland, and mark him as one of her noblest founders of Colonial Maryland families.

Of the sons and daughters of Captain Brandt, Charles [Brandt] only is of direct interest to this memoir. In his father's will, dated 1697, Charles Brandt is mentioned as a minor, instructions being given that he be brought up in the Catholic faith.

He married Elizabeth Douglas. His will, proved March 10th, 1714, is recorded in Liber W. B., No. 5, page 692, Annapolis Wills. To his son Jacob he leaves a gold seal ring, saddle, holsters, pistols, sword, belt and young horse; two silver spoons to daughter Elizabeth; to daughter Sarah, leather chairs, pewter, etc. No land mentioned, that going by law of entail to his son Charles Brandt.

Jacob Brandt, son of Charles and Elizabeth (Douglas) Brandt, married Mary. He was evidently a Catholic. He never held any office in the Province, as he lived after Maryland was under the rule of Protestants, and when Catholics were not permitted to hold office here.

Lord Baltimore, Cecil Calvert (1605 -1675), 2nd Baron Baltimore was the first governor of Maryland.
Phillip Calvert (1626–1682), was the 5th governor from 1660 to1665.
Charles Calvert (1637 – 1715), 3rd Baron Baltimore inherited the colony in 1675.

Charles County is in south central Maryland and was created in 1658. The first settlers were mainly English tobacco planters, their indentured servants and enslaved people. Many of of the settlers were Roman Catholic. The county, as originally laid out, also included parts of present day Calvert, Prince George's and St. Mary's Counties.

 

 
 

Charles County Circuit Court, Birth, Deaths & Marriage Records, Liber Q
Douglas, Elizabeth, d/o John Duglas, b. 26 Apr 1673 (also noted as 6 Apr 1673 E. 126)

Brandt, (Brant), Randolph, Chas. County,
29th Dec.y 1697; 10th Feb., 1698
. . .
to son Charles and hrs., ½ of dwelling plantation, Ashar, 450 A. on E. side Piccawaxen Ck., lately leased by Peter Carr, and ½ of Greenwigh . . . . . .
Testator desires sons Charles and Jacob brought up in the Roman Catholic faith.
Test: Walter Storey, Edward Fitzgerald, Thos. Thrift, Patrick Kelly. 6.222
Testis (Test) is latin for witness. Testes is the plural.
Piccowaxen Creek is just south of Morgantown, Maryland. It has been spelled as Pickawaxon, Pickiawaxen, Pickwixon, Pyckywaxen and Pykawaxon in Douglas family documents.

 
 

 
 

1642-1753 Rent Rolls Charles County, Maryland Hundred - Piccawaxen or William and Mary Rent Roll
page/Sequence: 288-4
Asher: 400 acres;
Possession of - 225 Acres - Brandt, Charles
Surveyed 25 July 1649 for Thomas Petite near Cedar point was Escheated [reverted to a lord or the state] to his lands and afterwards granted to Capt Randall Brandt 1684

 
 

 
The first European settlements in Maryland were made in 1634 when English settlers created a permanent colony.

Charles County Circuit Court, Birth, Deaths & Marriage Records, Liber Q

The will of Charles Brandt, dated 12 February 1713/14 and proved on 10 March 1713/14, named wife Elizabeth and children Jacob, Elizabeth and Sarah.

Charles Brandt 35A.363 I Charles County £145.19.0
Apr 28 1714
Appraisers William Herbert, Thomas Harris.
Creditors: Philip Briscoe, Raphaell Neale.
Next of kin: [his uncles] Benjamin Douglas, Joseph Douglass

Charles Brandt 36B.97 A Charles County £145.19.0 #3646
Jan 31 1714
(of Prince George's County.) The amount of the inventory is equivalent to 35,028£
Payments to; Rev. Mr. Kee, Edward Diggs, Philip Briscoe, George Bellows, Edward Anderson, Edward Gardiner, William Doulton, Anne Cugnitt.
Executrix: Elisabeth Howard (relict), now wife of Thomas Howard.

Mister ( Mr.) was derived from master and Mrs. and Miss were derived from mistress. They indicated people of superior social status in colonial America.
Prince George's County, Maryland was created in 1696 from portions of Charles, and Calvert Counties. It was divided into six districts called hundreds: Mattapany, Patuxant, Collington, Mount Calvert, Piscattoway, and New Scotland. A part the county became Frederick County in 1748.

 
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©Roberta Tuller 2025
tuller.roberta@gmail.com
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