Today Cecil County is divided into nine minor political subdivisions called election districts (EDs). But in the earliest times, the equivalent intra-county areas were known as hundreds.
Hundreds in Cecil County
Having its origin in Saxon history, the name was derived from the concept of having a territory that could provide a hundred men to serve in the militia. In the colony, it was used as an administrative area for local government management, which included the work of tax assessors and the appointment of constables. In 1798 the General Assembly enacted a law requiring the division of the then nineteen counties of Maryland into EDs in the place of the antiquated hundred. Cecil County was divided into four EDs in 1800.
We often get questions about the general location of those early civil units, especially the hundreds. Darlene McCall and Lorraine Alexander produced the best reference to answer that question several decades ago. They published a most helpful title, the “Genealogical Research Guide for Cecil County, Maryland.” It included a map drawn by Jon Harlan Livezy, which showed the fully developed system of hundreds in Cecil County in the late 1700s.
Produced long before the digital revolution helped open up access to traces of the past, this particular title has been out of print for several years. But it has always been a helpful source for anyone researching Cecil County families and topics. We occasionally consult our copy for insights shared by these excellent researchers and genealogists.
The nine EDs of Cecil County are the minor political subdivisions of the County. Their evolution from the original four districts created in 1800 to the present nine was legislated as follows:
Creation of Election Districts
• 1800 — Four Election Districts established
• 1835 — Seven election districts laid out
• 1852 — An eighth district, Conowingo, created
• 1857 — A ninth district (Calvert), the last district, was created.
For some 165 years now, the nine districts have remained largely unchanged. With this data as a reference, it is possible to locate the general area where a person lived if the hundred or election district is known.
For additional illustrations on the election districts See this album on Facebook