Seeking truth in oral history at Tuesday talk

FALLS VILLAGE — History is often viewed as simply a recording of facts, but when those facts are unclear or in dispute, it can sometimes take on the character of a great detective story.

Such is the case of the Chestertown Tea Party, an event celebrated each year since 1967 by the residents of Chestertown, Md., despite the fact that no details of the event were recorded at the time it took place.

The story of the event, and the attempts by historians to chronicle it, was described by Maryland historian Linda Ruggles in her lecture, “The Other Tea Party: Chestertown, Maryland.� The talk on July 7 was the most recent in the Tuesdays at Six evening lecture series.

Ruggles is an associate professor of history at the University of Maryland University College, and became interested in the story when her family moved to Chestertown. Her father is North Canaan resident Fred Ruggles.

According to the first published accounts of the event, several Chestertown colonists boarded the trading ship Geddes in May 1774 and tossed its cargo of tea overboard — as well, possibly, as members of the ship’s crew.

But these accounts did not come until 1898, more than 100 years after the event.

“What seems particularly perplexing is that the supposed Chestertown Tea Party was not publicized as were the other copycat events,� said Ruggles. “You would think that such an event would be widely publicized.�

One possible reason for the mystery, said Ruggles, was to save the reputation of the owner of the ship’s cargo, a respected local merchant named James Nicholson. It is possible that Nicholson did not know that tea had been included in the cargo, and even participated in the event once he discovered what the ship was carrying, said Ruggles.

Another possibility for the lack of information surrounding the event, said Ruggles, is that it may not have actually happened. The story may have been adapted from a similar event in Annapolis, Md., when a ship named the Peggy Stewart was burned in the harbor because it contained tea.

Stories such as the Chestertown Tea Party that are passed down through oral tradition can often result in these inconsistencies, said Ruggles. “We have to understand that it’s subject to change — and frequently does,� she said.

The talk on July 21 is entitled “Is There Such a Thing as Progress in Art?� and will feature artist and writer Peter Pettus. The talks are held each Tuesday in summer at 6 p.m. at the South Canaan Meeting House.