Henry DRYDEN died in Prince George's County, Maryland. His name appears in the Index in numerous testamentary proceedings and the Inventory and Accounting, (Liber XX, Folio 156, 197) indicates that he was not a married man at the time of his death. He lived in that part of Charles County which in 1695 was formed into a new county called Prince George's, County; the latter included all of the western Maryland settlements until Frederick County was formed in 1748.

Henry DRYDEN seems to have been a merchant in a place called "Charles Towne" some place in Maryland. Court House records show that he was living on May 26, 1699, but dead on August 27, 1700. Suit by the Administrator of Henry DRYDEN's estate, Timothy MCCALL, against Thomas DUDLEY, defendant, was decided for the defendant whose recital of his transactions with Henry DRYDEN, deceased, discloses business deals involving large capital requirements (Liber B Old Series 2, Folio 61-62).

A certain George DRYDEN also lived in Charles County, Maryland, where he died; his Inventory in 1718 is recorded in Liber I, Folio 296; that of his widow, Isabel DRYDEN in 1719, Liber III. Folio 101. It is again a coincidence that in 1891 James DRYDEN sued Philip LYNES for a debt and in 1715, Francis LYNES, deceased, owed George DRYDEN money.

Mention of a Thomas DRYDEN of Prince George's County, Maryland, occurs (Deeds F. Folio 183. Upper Marlboro); shows that in 1719 Thomas DRYDEN married Elizabeth BEALL, daughter of Thomas BEALL, In the Debt Book at Annapolis. Thomas DRYDEN's taxes on a tract called "Elizabeth and Thomas" in Prince George's County are listed in 1753. and in 1754 they are charged against "Thomas Dryden's heirs" for the same tract of 109 acres; in 1755 the charge is entered against Elizabeth DRYDEN continuing so until 1771 when the notation is "Eliza Dryden for future George Moore; and in 1772 the charge is "George Moore, Jr., Elizabeth and Thomas, 109 acres"

Other records indicate that Thomas lived and died in Prince George's County; that in 1719 his father-in-law presented his wife with certain livestock; that he was a planter in 1721 and a tailor in 1733. He was an old man in 1748 and died between 1749 and 1754.

He had two daughters, Elizabeth and Eleanor, of whom Eleanor seems to have married George MOORE, Sr. and of whom Elizabeth, either the widow of Thomas or the daughter, Elizabeth, seems to have married Benjamin MOORE, Sr. The foregoing analyses the records concerning the early DRYDENS of the Western Shore of Maryland. Any information would be greatly appreciated.