Notes:

"ANNE ARUNDEL GENTRY--DORSEY FAMILY" by Harry Wright Newman
"Edward Dorsey, first don of Edward Dorsey and wife Anne, was born in
Virginia and came up the Severn during the days of the Commonwealth in
Maryland. On Aug. 25, 1664, he with his two brothers received jointly
400 acres of 'Hockley-in-the-Hole'. Evidence is unmistakable that he
followed for a time the occupation of his father and was certainly
engaged in ship building as late as May 6, 1667." "Before Nov. 1670,
Edward Dorsey married Sarah, a daughter of Nicholas Wyatt, Gent., by
his first wife. Sarah, his wife, died about 1690. He took for a
second wife, Margaret. All indicators point to the fact that she was
one of the daughters of John Larkin, Innkeepers, by his wife
Katherine. It is quite evident that the children of the second
marriage did not have the advantages of those of the first wife. The
widow remarried soon after the death of Col. Dorsey, but did not
survive her second husband. Perhaps, the children were neglected by
their step-father. Anyhow they were not schooled in letters, and as a
consequence made their mark on official documents." "On Jan 4,
1700/1, Edward Dorsey....assigned...my oldest son Edward Dorsey four
plantations bordering his dwelling-plantation at Elk Ridge and one
south side of Patapsco a little beyond the Falls with negroes,
livestock, household furniture whereon in trust for his five sons,
that is Samuel, Joshua, John, Nicholas, and Benjami. (Provincial
Court, Liber TL no. 2, folios 169,279)
To son Samuel the Patapsco plantation with three negroes and
other personltry To son Joshua the plantation 'where Black
Dick lives' with 100 adjoining acres, negroes and other
personalty To son John plantation that negro Bacon 'now lives on'
with 100 acres, negroes To son Nicholas the plantation 'that
negro Tom lives on' with 100 acres To son Benjamin piece of land
between Dick and Bacon."
"It was not until 1679 that Edward Dorsey entered into public or
political live of the province. In that year he was made a Justice of
the Peace for Anne Arundel County and a Gentleman Justice of the Quoroum.
He continued to serve in that capacity for a number of years
thereafter and in 1686 when he was styled Captain Edward Dorsey of His
Lordship's army he was likewise a Gentleman Justice of the Quorum. He
rose in the provincial forced from Captain to Colonel, a grade he held
at the time of his death. He entered the General Assembly 1694 as a
delegate from Anne Arundel County and continued to serve in all
succeeding sessions of the Lower House until his death. When he
became a domicile of Baltimore County, at the time that Baltimore
embraced both banks of Patapsco, he was likewise elected to the Lower
House. In 1695 he was made the Keeper of the Great Seal of the
Province." "He however was outspoken in his political views...in
1692 'Major Edward Dorsey had made several mutinous and seditious
speeches on board "Capt. William Hill Ship.'" "...he was on
Commission to erect the courthouse and the free school for Anne
Arundel Towne. He was granted the contract for the erection of the
first church of St. Anne in 1696." "Edward Dorsey was a staunch and
loyal supporter of the Calverts,...In politics (he) was a supporter of
the House of Stuart and an acknowledged member of the Jacobean Party"
"After the death of Samuel Wyatt (brother to his wife Sarah) the only
son and heir of Nicholas, Edward claimed his estate by rights of his
wife, as sole heiress. A battle royal insued with Thomas Bland,
Gent., who had married Damaris, the Widow Wyatt, and step-mother to
his wife. Edward had Bland arrested and caused him to be kept
prisoner at the Public Ordinary for several days. Thomas Bland in his
petition to the Provincial Court swore that in July 1677 he delivered
to Mr. Edward Dorsey all the real and personal estate of the late
Nicholas Wyatt, but Dorsey entered upon it and with force carried away
three servants which were his (Bland's) property whom he had purchased
with his own resources. Furthermore, John Booth one of the servants
was so ill-treated by Dorsey that he ran away and that Alice another
servant was so misused that she was 'brought to a dangerous
sickness.'(Md. Archives, vol. 67, p. 420)" "His original will, dated
Oct. 26, 1704 is on file at Annapolis, ...probated in Baltimore County on
Dec. 27, 1705. (Wills, Liber 3, folio 725): To son Nicholas
100-acre portion of 'Long Reach' at Elk Ridge and personalty at
16. The inventory was taken at the 'seated plantation', and also the
Upper Plantation, Elk Ridge Quarters, the Round Bay Plantation, and
'in the store house', and in 'Little Flat House'. There were books,
one Gould Seal ring, one Silver Seale, Ivory headed cane, silver
tobacco box, silver hilted sword, silver plate and surveying chain.
His wearing apparel was appraised at L7.10.-. There were also
thirteen negro slaves and two white indentured servants. Samuel, the
eldest son approved the valuation of L 528.8.11. It was filed at
court on April 1, 1706."

Edward married Margaret Larkin. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"ANNE ARUNDEL GENTRY--DORSEY FAMILY" by Harry Wright Newman "No
familY of early Anne Arundel is better known thruout the State than
the prolific Dorsey family. More descendants have qualified for
lineal-patriotic societies, especially the Colonial Dames, than any
other family in Maryland." "The family had its beginnings in
Virginia around Lower Norfolk and the emigrant Edward did not figure
to any marked degree in the public life of Virginia or even
Maryland..." "Amidst a strictly agricultural and fur-trading
economy, Edward Dorsey, a shipwright, was one of the early
industrialists and thus constucted much-needed watercrafts for the
early planters along the Bay and the several inlets on which he and
the first settlers established their plantations." "The persistent
belief has prevailed among all early historians of the family that the
name was at one-time D'Arcy, and the belief is not without merit. The
D'Arcy was an ancient family of Old England and was raised to peerage
in 1332...The name is derived from the Norman-French of 'de Adreci'
which is found in Britian by 1086..." "The Virginia records indicate
that sometime before Oct. 7, 1646, Edward Dorsey entered Virginia.
Edward Dorsey either left the colony and returned..." "Edward Dorsey
married in Virginia and his wife was undoubtedly Anne--who later
became convinced of the Quaker preachings....By Edward Dorsey arriving
in Maryland from Virginia with the early contingencies of the
non-conformists, his political beliefs coincided with those of the
Puritans, but during his 9 or more years in the Province, he was
inactive politically...his seat and shipyard was at 'Dorsey' on the
south side of the Severn. It formed a promontory between 'Freeman's'
or 'Norwood's Cove' and Dorsey Creek." "Ultimatley, Edward Dorsey and
his wife became 'convinced' of the Quaker doctrine. ...a letter of
Robert Clarkson of the Severn dated 14th of ye ...1657 '...and
likewise Ann Dorsey is a more larger measure, hir husband I hope
abideth faithfull in his measure.' ("Quakers in the Founding of Anne
Arundel Co". by J. Reany Kelly, pp. 15, 17) "Edward Dorsey with
others was drowned off the Isle of Kent during the summer of
1659....petition to court of Anne Arundel County Tues, 2 Aug 1659:
"Whereas Thomas Hinson hath petitioned this Court Shewing that hee
having taken up the Boate wherein Edward Darcy and some others were
drowned, neare the Isle of Kent, being desyred by the said Darcys
Overseer to take up the same Which he did deliuery the same Boate to
the cheife in Authority...." "No inventory or adm. of his personal
estate is recorded at Annapolis...On Aug. 20, 1664, the three sons of
Edward Dorsey were granted...a plantation on Cabin Neck Branch of the
south bank called 'Hockley-in-the-Hole' some distance from the
Severn."
"DORSEY" "The Dorseys of Maryland are a branch of the British family
of Darcy, which appears both in England and in Ireland. The first
Darcy in England was Sir Norman d'Areci, who was one of the Norman
knights who accompanied his cousin, William the Conqueror in the
conquest of England. English genealogists have traced Sir Norman
d'Areci back to Rollo, the Viking leader, who became the first duke of
Normandy. (Rollo d. 931, was known to his warriors as Rolf the Ganger
because he was so large a man that no horse could carry him. He
therefore led his troops on foot. His statue may be seen in Rouen.)
His son, called William Longspee (d. 942) was the second duke of
Normandy. Richard Sans Peur (d. 996) a grandson was the third duke.
His son Richard II, the fourth duke, was married several times. His
oldest son, Richard III, the fifth duke, died early and Robert, the
next son, became the sixth duke. Robert's son was William then
Conqueror. The son of Richard II, the fourth duke, by his third wife
Pavia, was William, who became Count of Arques. Among other titles
which he possessed was that of Count of Areci, a Norman town near
Dieppe, which title he passed to his son Norman. The latter became
known as Sir Norman d'Areci or Darcy. He was first cousin to William
the Conqueror." "After the conquest of Sir Norman d'Areci was
rewarded with vast possessions. He was lord of 33 manors in
Lincolnshire. The family became known as Darcy and spread into
Yorkshire and Essex. Hockley in Essex, where the Darcys were lords of
the manor, is generally believed to have been the source from which
the Dorseys of Maryland and Virginia are derived, as the first land
grant which Edward Dorsey, the founder received in Md. was called
Hockley...The Darcy coat of arms with its three cinquefoils also
appears at nearby St. Nicholas Church (in Essex, England)...Joshua
Dorsey, son of Edward Dorsey, affixed a seal to documents he signed
bearing the cinquefoil of the Darcys, thus indicating, prior to 1688,
the fact that he considered himself to be a descendant of the ancient
family of Darcy."

Edward married Anne. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"THE DORSEY FAMILY" by Maxwell Dorsey and Jean Muir Dorsey, 1947
"Ann Dorsey, wife of Edward is thought to have outlived her husband,
and to have returned to their former home in Virginia, for no further
records is found of her in Maryland. It seems reasonable to suppose
that their children were born in Virginia."