THOMAS    BOULDEN

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  THE STORY AS I KNOW IT

The Boulden family were early planters on the Eastern shore of Maryland.  Their story goes back to Jamestown 1610 when Thomas Boulden came to Virginia.  He moved up the Chesapeake Bay to Kent Island and was buried there in 1665.  The family continued expanding north into Cecil County and eventually across the state line into Delaware.

Estelle Smith Kepler wrote The Boulden Family

Thomas Boulden Jr. was born in Cecil County Maryland on April 1, 1728 to Richard Boulden and Mary Hewes, his wife. The "Jr." was to distinguish him from his uncle Thomas Boulden "Sr".  St. Stephens Parish records, page 29 Early Anglican Church Records of Cecil County MD.

In 1746 Thomas Boldin, Thomas Boldin Jr. & Thomas Beetle obtained certificate to 500 acres, and then from that a Patent on the same 500 acres called Bristole.   from certificate book LG#E, page 636 and Patent book LG#C, page 501.  The Senior Thomas Boulden sold his part of Bristol in 1774 and moved to Virginia. 

In November 1759 Thomas Boulden was appointed  Constable of Back Creek Hd. from Court Proceedings beginning November Court, 1759, Book F.K. No 3.   He was a First Lt. os the Sassafras Battalion of Militia and became Captain of Bohemia Battalion in 1778. These are noted in Maryland
Archives, Vol. 21, Pages 47, and 145, but I don't know the publication.  So he was a man of leadership in Cecil County. 

Thomas Boulden Jr.  married Augustine Boulden who was his first cousin.  That they were first cousins is stated in Kepler's The Boulden Family.  I would really like documentation on that  They had  one known child, but her father, James Boulden's will, dated January 4,  1783, Cecil county Will book M1, page 7-11, stated "I give and bequeath unto the children of my daughter Augustine, the sum of five pounds to be equally divided among them their mother having had her sufficient part from me before her death."   He would have know the difference between child and children, so there must have been at least one more and possibly more  The one we know is:
John Boulden born 1767

 John was raised at "Bristol", part of a large track in Back Creek Neck on Back Creek. .  The farm still exists.  It is on Elk Forest Rd, between the Elk River and Back Creek (now the Chespeake Delaware Canal).

Thomas Boulden died after July 26, 1780, the date he had been commissioned JP for Cecil County.  James Boulden, possibly Augustina's father, but more likely her brother James Boulden, was appointed guardian of the 14 year old son.

So Augustina Boulden died before her husband, as there wouldn't have been need for an appointed guardian for her son John.

On March 13, 1783 there was a Valuation of Lands of John Boulden, minor, son of Thomas Boulden, deceased, lists Bristol, 110 acres, Warwick and Triangle 11 Acres, Richard's Choice/ maybe Chance 135 acres and Boulden's Choice 9 acres. Cecil County Land Record Book, Vol 15, folio 218.  The sites were probably contiguous.  For the Appraiser stated 180 acres was cleared, and no more ought to be cleared.  It also went on to state there was a new square log 1 1/2 story house, a seperate kitchen, a granary, smoke house, stable, corn house, a rentable house, and "one Proud Log Quarter house".   John Boulden would be considered very well off.

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