Rediscovering the North Tract, An Anne Arundel Time Capsule

Snowden Cemetery 

 The Snowden family cemetery lies at the western-most edge of the North Tract at the end of Switchboard Rd. in Area R. Approximately 200 feet east of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, this sparsely stoned enclosure boasts the notable names of Snowden, Capron and Hopkins among others. The place is well maintained in summer and surrounded by chain link fencing as are most of the known cemeteries of the North Tract. Across the road west of the cemetery lie the remains of Birmingham Manor, the original Snowden home built in 1690 by Richard Snowden Jr. Once a large profitable estate surrounded by fields and, according to Horace Capron, "with twenty-four tobacco barns all in a row", Birmingham Manor burned in 1891. At the height of its distinction Birmingham Manor rested atop a knoll overlooking the Patuxent River, or Snowden's River as it was known by some since so much of the land through which it flowed was owned by the Snowdens. A descendant named Julius Snowden built a "bungalow" on the foundation of the old manor house and lived there until at least 1939. Presumably the bungalow was demolished by the military when the property came under their control at the start of W.W.II, but in any case the construction of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway in 1953 bisected the knoll and much of the site has been lost forever.

There are fifteen names inscribed on the stones of Snowden Cemetery but according to research done by Shirley Ziska, a PWRC Volunteer, there are no less than thirty graves in the enclosure! Among the missing are stones to Judge John S. Tyson (1797-1864) and his wife, Rachel Snowden Tyson (1800-1899), a Dr. Charlton Smith who died in 1815 at nearly 100 years of age, and many more of the Snowden family. As can be seen in the accompanying illustration, there is much more room in the burial ground than is required by the few marked graves. A visit to the site will also show many depressions in the ground in the unmarked areas; surely this must have been a friendly place with so much of a family remembered here. It is inconceivable that anyone could think it proper to remove headstones from any cemetery for whatever personal reasons. Unfortunately this is not the only cemetery in the North Tract to have been victimized in such a manner.

Detail of 1878 Hopkins map. 

Detail of 1976 Ft. Meade map. 

CEMETERY NO. 12 - SNOWDEN CEMETERY

Located at West end of Switchboard Rd. W. Edge of Training Area R (Old T22)
1976 Ft. Meade Map Coords: 42,26
LAT/LON: 39^o04'52" x 76^o49'52"
Number of Graves - 15

This is a list of the remaining stones at the Snowden Family Cemetery.

Snowden Cemetery Epitaphs

(Capitalizations and abbreviations appear as they do on the actual stones.)

Stone #1:

HERE

Lieth the Body of

Wm. John Crowley

who departed this life

the ____ of _______ 1748

aged 52 years.

Stone #2:

Here lays the body of

M. Richard Snowden Jun.

Eldest Son of M.H. Snowden

Son by his Second Wife

Elizabeth who departed

this life the 18 of March 1753

in the 34th year of his age.

He was a Dutiful Son, Tender

Husband, a Good Christian & a

Sincere Friend. This is erected

by Elizabeth his Widow

as a Mark of her Affection for him.

Stone #3 is a tall monolith engraved on two sides:

Side 1:

TO

LOUISA V. CAPRON.

WIFE OF

HORACE CAPRON.

DAUGHTER OF

NICH'L & ELIZ'TH W. SNOWDEN.

BORN JUNE 3RD 1811:

DIED MARCH 27TH 1849:

AGED 37 YEARS, 9 MO'S. &

24 DAYS.

____

Side 2:

NICHOLAS SNOWDEN

SON OF

HORACE & LOUISA V. CAPRON.

BORN MAY 15TH 1835:

DIED AUG' 17TH 1836:

AGED 15 MO'S & 2 DAYS.

____

Stone #4 is a bronze marker placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution:

MAJOR THOMAS SNOWDEN

BORN 1751 DIED 1803

HE HAD SERVED WITH THE MARYLAND LINE

DURING THE REVOLUTION. MAJOR SNOWDEN MARRIED

ANN RIDGLEY, AN HEIRESS. UPON HIS MARRIAGE

TO ANN RIDGLEY THE ESTATE BECAME KNOWN AS MONTPELIER.

IT WAS HERE GEORGE WASHINGTON STOPPED ON HIS WAY

TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION IN 1789.

IN 1669 RICHARD SNOWDEN AND THOMAS LINTHICOMB

BOUGHT THE IRON MINE AT THE HEAD OF THE SOUTH RIVER.

RICHARD SNOWDEN, SR. WAS MAJOR RICHARD SNOWDEN OF WALES.

RICHARD SNOWDEN, JR. WAS MARRIED PREVIOUS TO 1675

TO ELIZABETH ROGER GROSSE.

RICHARD SNOWDEN THE III MARRIED MARY LINTHICOMB

PREVIOUS TO 1688.

THOMAS SNOWDEN BORN 1722 MARRIED MARY WRIGHT.

PLACED BY THE ARMY - NAVY CHAPTER D.A.R.

Stone #5 is a two-stone sarcophagus, one is blank, the other engraved:

HERE lies the Body

of

Major THOMAS SNOWDEN

Who

Departed this transitory Life

On Thursday the 27th day of October

In the year of our Lord 1803

And in the 55th Year of His Age.

Stone #6:

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF

NICHOLAS

ELDEST SON OF

DEWILTON & EMMA SNOWDEN

BORN FEB'Y 20 1842

DIED SEPT. 18 1849

AGED 7 YEARS & 7 MO'S.

"GONE HENCE TO THY ____ IN A FAR BRIGHTER _____

THOU HAST _____ THE MANSIONS OF GLORY AND BLISS

IN THAT _____ _____ WITH THE SERAPHIM BAND

________ ________ THE HORNS & SHADOWS OF THIS"

(Remainder illegible)

Stone #7 is a stone to Ella Tears, aged 1 year 11 months, but it is illegible.

Stone #8 is a stone to Lizzie Snowden, aged 4 years, but it is illegible.

Stone #9:

REZIN H. & MARY T.

Beloved children of

Wm. & A.W. Snowden

Died Nov. 9 & 10th 1863

In the 6th & 4th year

of their age.

_____

"In that beautiful world on high."

(On the base:)

Schimf & Hilgartner

Balt. Md.

Stone #10:

IN MEMORY OF

ANNA M.

Wife of

Josepf R. Hopkins

and daughter of

John & Rachel Snowden

Died March 27th 1861.

Aged 76 years.

____

Stone #11:

Our dearl beloved

Son & Brother

JULIUS SNOWDEN

Died 11th. Dec. 1855,

in the 17 year

of his age.

"Sweet is the memory of buried love."

Stone #12:

MARGARET SNOWDEN

wife of

Rezin H. Snowden,

Died July 30th 1858,

in the 59th year

of her age.

"Blessed are the pure in heart

for they shall see God."

Stone #13:

GERARD HOPKINS SNOWDEN

WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON THE 27TH OF MAY, 1828

AGED 40 YEASR AND 1 MONTH.

HE WAS A PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN, KIND AND AFFECTIONATE

SON HUSBAND AND FATHER. AS A MAGISTRATE HE WAS JUST

AND HUMANE. AS A FRIEND AND PHYSICIAN, HE WAS

CHARITABLE AND KIND TO THE POOR.

WHEN THE EAR HEARD HIM THEN IT BLESSED HIM AND

WHEN THE EYE SAW HIM IT GAVE WITNESS TO HIM

BECAUSE HE DELIVERED THE POOR THAT CRIED AND THE

FATHERLESS AND THEM THAT HAD NONE TO HELP HIM.

THE (BLESSING) OF HIM THAT WAS READY TO PERISH

CAME UPON HIM, AND HE CAUSED THE WIDOW'S

HEART TO SING FOR JOY. HE WAS A FATHER TO THE POOR.

AND THE CAUSE WHICH HE KNEW NOT HE SEARCHED

OUT. JOB 29 CH. 11, 19, 15, & 16. VERSE.

THIS TRIBUTE OF RESPECT IF CREATED TO HIS MEMORY

BY HIS AFFECTIONATE WIFE WHO FEELS THAT (SHE CAN)

ONLY CEASE TO MOURN HER IRREPARABLE LOSS WITH

LIFE.

BENEATH THIS STONE ALSO LIE THE REMAINS OF HIS

SON JOHN

WHO DIED ON THE 7TH OF JULY 1828.

AGED 7MONTHS 26 DAYS.

"AND JESUS SAID, SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN TO COME

UNTO ME." MATTHEW 19. CH. 14. VERSE.



 

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BIRMINGHAM MANOR CEMETERY

Patuxent Volunteer Shirley Ziska researched and compiled a listing of recorded burials
at the Snowden Family Cemetery, also known as Birmingham Manor Cemetery.

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