Charles Ridgely

After being educated at Baltimore private schools, in Europe, and at Harvard, John and Eliza’s son Charles Ridgely (1830-1872), returned home to Hampton in 1851 and married his first cousin, Margaretta Howard. He took over day to day management of the estate’s farming operation to assist his elderly father. Elected captain of the Baltimore County Horse Guard (a local pro-Confederacy defense militia) at the outbreak of the Civil War, Charles was threatened with arrest by the commander of United States forces then stationed at Fort McHenry for actions against the Army. He escaped incarceration through his father’s intervention, the guard was disbanded, and Charles remained inactive during the war despite his pro-Confederate sympathies.

Though Hampton was physically untouched by war, its enslavement-based economy was deeply impacted by emancipation and no longer functioned by the time Charles became the fourth owner of the Hampton Estate upon his father’s death in 1867. He and his wife, Margaretta, traveled to Europe with their children in summer 1870, managing Hampton by active correspondence with relatives and on-site overseers. He died of typhoid fever in Rome in March 1872 at just 42 years of age.

Individuals

Enslaved People

Hampton was the second largest plantation in Maryland. Learn about the struggle, hardships, and lives of the enslaved.
Hampton's best known enslaved person
Nancy Davis

The story of Hampton's most documented enslaved person.
Margaretta Sophia Howard Ridgely

Following the death of her husband, Margaretta ran the Hampton estate for decades
John Carnan Ridgely

Third owner of the Hampton Estate.
Eliza Eichelberger Ridgely

Eliza Eichelberger Ridgely was one of the most influential women to come through Hampton.
Margaretta Sophia “Margie” Ridgely

Margie went against her family's norms and would go on to make a difference in many people lives.
Eliza Ridgely III

An intelligent and determined woman with strong religious and reforming impulses.
John Ridgely

Fifth owner of the Hampton Estate.

Learn More

The Ridgely Family

The Ridgely Family owned and managed the Hampton Estate for almost 200 years. Explore their impact on history!
The Ridgelys of Hampton

Learn about the history of the Ridgely family at Hampton.
Hampton During the Civil War

The Ridgely's passed their lives without worry until it became apparent that a civil war was about to impact their lives.
Slavery at Hampton

From the colonial period through 1864, the Ridgelys enslaved over 500 people. Enslaved persons, from young children to the elderly
Forms of Control

From physical to mental abuse for the youngest ages to the oldest. Learn about the harsh truths and forms of control.
Indentured Servants at Hampton

Indentured servants were not willing laborers and the working conditions at Northampton Furnace was grueling.
Travels of the Ridgelys

The wealth of the Ridgely family allowed for many extensive world travels.
Revealing the Lives of the Enslaved

A recent Ethnographic Study uncovered major information on the lives of those enslaved at Hampton and their descendants. Read about it here.
History & Culture
History & Culture

Hampton National Historic Site today preserves the core of what was once a vast commercial, industrial, and agricultural plantation.