SFA Annual Meeting 2024 Recap

October 18-20, 2024, we had an excellent annual meeting surrounded by the autumn colors at their peak in Charles County, Maryland--the home of our immigrant ancestor, Thomas Speake.

On Friday evening, we had our traditional weekend welcome reception and began to make connections with cousins from far and near. Attendees were from several states: California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. We thoroughly enjoyed an informative and enjoyable presentation by Mike Mazzeo, of the Charles County Historical Society, which he had prepared especially for our group to help us make family connections with historic sites in the La Plata area.

On Saturday, after breakfast at the hotel, we drove 9 miles south to the Maryland Veterans Memorial Museum, the location of our Saturday morning programming. Several members had requested the option of virtual attendance, and we were happy we could provide it for the first time. In-person and Zoom attendees began with a moment of silence for friends and family affected by hurricane Helene. Then President John Payne made a presentation on the Speaks DNA Project and led a brief business meeting.

The members of the Historical Society of Charles County joined us for a catered lunch and then, along with their members, we moved to a nearby field for a reenactment and presentation by members of “The 1st Regiment of Dragoons” and their horses. They discussed and demonstrated 18th Century Cavalry skills, arms and tactics used in the revolutionary War era, and the necessary adjustments over the years to changing circumstances of the war effort. The men were dressed in authentic historic uniforms and their horses and weapons were representative of the period. They led a fascinating discussion of their activities and were broadly knowledgeable of the historical context.

Following the reenactment, several small groups sought out historical sites of particular interest to them, and a caravan of several cars coordinated a driving tour of historic sites of importance to our ancestors.

We visited St. Ignatius Catholic Church, manor house, and cemetery at St. Thomas Manor, a complex designated as a National Historic Landmark. It is notable as being a Jesuit mission center in 1641, and it is likely the oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic parish founded in the thirteen original colonies. The current church was built in 1798. The view from the church grounds was a beautiful panorama of the Potomac River and miles of forested beauty. We believe many of the descendants of Bowling Speake (brother of John, the Innholder) attended services there.

The caravan moved on to Port Tobacco, originally a river port for Charles County. Our ancestor John Speake, referred to as “the Innholder,” owned an inn near where the courthouse stands, a reconstruction of the 1819 building. This site was also the original location of Christ Church, a cemetery, and the outline of a foundation where the church stood until moved stone-by-stone and reassembled in La Plata. The group was able to experience a guided tour through the well-preserved, historic Stagg Hall, believed to be one of Charles County’s finest surviving examples of 18th century regional domestic architecture. Once a busy port, Port Tobacco declined rapidly after river traffic was cut off by silting and the town was bypassed by the railroad. Port Tobacco Village had a population of 18 at the 2020 census making it the smallest incorporated town in Maryland.

The group gathered for an elegant dinner at a pleasant restaurant, The Charles, in downtown La Plata. We enjoyed a delicious and varied buffet meal (think Maryland crab cakes) with convivial company. George Speake, Sr. rose for a spontaneous sharing of some family anecdotes that were enjoyed by all and elicited sharing by other Speak/e/s family members. A delightful evening!

On Sunday morning we attended the service at the historic Christ Church Durham Parish (est. 1661, present church 1732), where many of our ancestors worshiped. Some attendees took the opportunity to explore the church cemetery replete with Speake markers. Some of us joined current local members during the coffee hour to enjoy homemade chili and good conversation.

After service, a hastily assembled small caravan was treated to a tour of Speake family sites and great family stories lead by Dale Speake (former Charles County Commissioner). It was a whirlwind tour—cemeteries, old house locations, and the site of a historic wharf that was a steamship landing. The impromptu field trip was a great end to a lovely annual meeting.

We’re looking forward to our 2025 event!