Somerset County Maryland

Somerset County Courthouse is located at 30513 Prince William Street, Princess Anne MD 21853; phone: 410-651-0320.

Beginnings [1]

Somerset County was erected August 22, 1666 by an order of the provincial Council, and embraced "all that Tract of land within this our province of Maryland bounded on the South with a line drawn from Wattkin's point (being the North point of that bay into which the River Wighco, formerly called Wigchcocomoco, afterwards Pocomoke & now Wichcocomoco again, does fall exclusively) to the Ocean on the East, Nanticoke River on the North and the Sound of th Chesapeake Bay on the West"; which was erected in the name and as the act of the Lord Proprietary "into a county by the name of Sommersett County in honor to our Dear Sister the lady Mary Sommersett." The commissioners, Stephen Horsey, William Stevens, William Thorne, James Jones, John Winder, Henry Boston, George Johnson, and John White, were empowered "to enquire by Oath of good & lawfull men of all manner of fellonies Witchcrafts inchantmts Sorceryes Magick Arts Trespasses forestallings ingrossing & extorcons" and "all &l singler other Misdeeds and offences."