The Calvert, Rookwood, Gosling and Doyne Families A Case For Strong Preponderance Spanning Maryland To Virginia

By Michelle Allensworth Pendleton

Calvert Genealogy Group

While working on my Rookwood line I found something that might be helpful in Calvert research at some point.  This could potentially be a research addition for Calvert family connections in Maryland that could be important as a preponderance of evidence in connection to Calvert families in Stafford and Prince William Counties in Virginia.

I came across the 1697/1698 Will of Joshua Doyne1 of St. Marys County, Maryland. 

In this Will- 

Son, Ethelbert Doyne, to inherit 400 acres of land called Notleys Addition in "Chapuco"(Chaptico) that was purchased of the Honorable Lord Baltimore.  This is in St. Marys County, Maryland.

Sons, Jesse Doyne and William Doyne to inherit 200 acres of land each that lies at Nangemy (Nanjemoy) in Charles County purchased from “Madame Elizabeth Calvert and of her son Charles Calvert”.
Further information about the land in Charles County, Maryland was found in the 1738 Will of Jane Doyne2, Joshua Doyne’s second wife.

In this Will- 

The second son of Jesse Doyne, a Joseph Doyne, bequeathed 200 acres of, “Land lying & being on the Eastside of the Creek & Runn Called & known by the name of Wards Runn being part of a Tract or parcell of Land containing Six Hundred Acres of Land heretofore Purchased by my aforesaid Husband of Madam Elizabeth Calvert & her son Mr. Charles Calvert.”

Back history as to how this Doyne family is connected to my Rookwood family:
My earliest known Rookwood ancestor is Edward Rookwood (d. 1717) of Charles County, Maryland.  He was married at least twice and probably three times, his last marriage to a Mary Davis Nelson, widow, who after giving birth to two sons by husband Edward Rookwood, ran off with their sons with a John Gosling.  More on this later in this article.

From a previous marriage, Edward Rookwood had a daughter, Mary.  Mary Rookwood married a John Sanders and had several children, one being daughter Jane Sanders.  Jane married Ethelbert Doyne of the above Doyne family.

Many Calvert family researchers will recognize the Doyne name as being connected with Calvert research in the past.   Mr. John Bailey Calvert Nicklin attributed, with no cited proof, that one of the wives of George the Elder of Stafford County, Virginia as an Elizabeth Doyne.  There has been more modern research into this claim by many to find primary source documentation and none has been found yet.  In fact, there has been no Elizabeth Doyne found in documentation for the Joshua Doyne Sr. family in Maryland nor the Robert Doyne family. Robert is believed to be a brother of Joshua Doyne Sr, but this has not been proven. 

Members of the Joshua Doyne Sr. family also gave a deposition in which the death of Richard Calvert was testified to, son of William Calvert and Elizabeth Stone Calvert, younger brother to Charles Calvert.  


March 8, 1721 (Chancery book #3, page 874) Joshua Doyne [Jr.], age 32, "Richard Calvert died in the fall of 1718.", of these events in Charles and Prince Georges Counties.

 [Chancery book #3, p. 868 ]  Also, in 1721 in another deposition, about Richard Calvert;

Jesse Doyne [brother of Joshua, both sons of Joshua, Sr.] were deposed, stating

that "Richard Calvert died intestate at the house of ‘William Young’.”

It should be noted here that Richard Calvert, son of William Calvert and Elizabeth Stone has been listed in documentation as the fourth son.  Charles Calvert is found in several documents with his mother Elizabeth Stone Calvert and was stated to be the eldest son.  There was one daughter, Elizabeth, whom has also been well documented.  She married James Neale and is possibly the eldest child of William  and Elizabeth Calvert.  

Two sons are missing and the speculation is they were possibly William and George Calvert.  Research has been ongoing for decades to identify the missing sons with the theory that George Calvert could be George Calvert the Elder that appeared in Stafford County, Virginia in 1688.  Madame Elizabeth Calvert, sons Charles and Richard Calvert lived for some years in Stafford County, Virginia.  To date there has been no proof found as to the parentage of George Calvert the Elder of Virginia.

Rookwood family connections to Calvert family:

Mary Davis Nelson Rookwood, with her two sons, William and Thomas Rookwood, left her husband Edward Rookwood of Charles County, Maryland for John Gosling and they together moved to Prince William County, Virginia.  They eventually married and had children, although not sure in that particular order.  William Rookwood, my 8th great grandfather, is half-brother to Mary Rookwood Sanders.

He is also the half-brother to Mary Gosling (Jr.), daughter of John Gosling and Mary Davis Nelson Rookwood Gosling.  Mary Jr. married a Calvert, strongly believed through circumstantial evidence to be Obed Calvert Sr. of Prince William Co., Virginia.  My previous article containing Mary (Gosling) Calvert research HERE. 


William Rookwood’s son, Thomas Rookwood, my 7th great grandfather, married Sarah Calvert, daughter of George Calvert (John, George) and Anne Crupper. 

Some other connections of the early Maryland Rookwood family and the Calvert family in Maryland and Virginia of note are as follows:

Will of Matthew Dyke/Dike, written May 1697: 


Edward Rookwood Jr., SON of Edward Rookwood, given a legacy. Rookwood spelled as Rockwood in this Will.

One of the witnesses to the Will was Matthew Sanders, believed to be a brother of John Sanders, husband of Mary Rookwood Sanders.  More research is needed to establish the exact relationship, if any, of Matthew and John.  

Matthew Dyke along with Edward Ford sued George Calvert the Elder over a land dispute in Stafford County, Virginia in 1693.  The land had originally belonged to Dixey Ward and then to his son and namesake Dixey Ward Jr. Transcription of Dixey Ward  Land Dispute HERE. 

1692 Stafford County Levy:  
John Gosling, step-father to William Rookwood and father of Mary Gosling Calvert living in Stafford County same time as George Calvert the Elder.
Att ye Laying of ye County Levy for Stafford on ye 13th day of December 1692.Present: Capa. Malachy Peale, Mr. John Harvey,Mr. Edward Thomason, Mr. Richard Fassaker,Capa. John Withers, Mr. Robert Alexander, Dr. Edward Maddockes, Capa. Thomas Owsley Justices.

Wolves heads: Capa. Withers, gun; Samll. Jackson, Trapp; John Arrledge, Trap; Dr. Maddockes, Gun; THOMAS BARTON SENR. pitt; Wm Smith, pitt; Richd Foot, Indian; Stephen Stephens, pitt; Stephen Martin, trap; Wm Davis, gun; Herman Salle, pitt; JOHN GOSLINGE, Indian; GEORGE COLVERT, gun; John Champe, pitt; Richard Richee, pitt; John Grigsby, gun; Frans Waddington, pitt; John Martin, pitt; Robt. Hedges, pitt; John Grigsby, pitt; Wm Bennett, gun; Charles Carter, gun; Fran. Waddington, pitt; Wm Perkins, pitt; Ralph Smith, pitt; Miles Vandlandigam, gun; John Gowry gun; John West, Indian; John Tillett pitt; Mr Scarlet, Indian; Joshua Greene, gun; Thomas Norman, gun; George English, gun; Richd Hurdman, gun; Humphrey Peake, gun; Thomas Pearson, gun; Richard Homes, gun; Wm Head, pitt; Thom. Edge, pitt; Wm Burton, gun; Wolves heads total 57 at 200 lb tobacco total amount 13500.

SOURCE: Stafford County, Va, Record Book, Page 271, 1689-1692, by Ruth and Sam Sparacio.


1 Will of Joshus Doyne Sr.:   http://mdhistory.msa.maryland.gov/msaref10/msa_te_1_002/html/msa_te_1_002-0140.html

2 Will of Jane Doyne:  http://mdhistory.msa.maryland.gov/msaref10/msa_te_1_004/html/msa_te_1_004-1067.html

3 Will of Mat(t)hew Dyke:  http://mdhistory.msa.maryland.gov/msaref10/msa_te_1_002/html/msa_te_1_002-0103.html

The Calvert Genealogy Group Website can be found HERE. Calvert Genealogy Facebook HERE. Calvert FTDNA surname project HERE.