The history of early Maryland is incomplete without the story of Father Andrew White. An English Jesuit priest, White was actively involved in the Maryland colony throughout its planning stages and its first decade of existence. During these early years he filled several significant roles: sacred and secular adviser, first superior of the Maryland Mission, priest, missionary, New World enthusiast, colonist, propagandist, and historian. Directly and indirectly, White's influence was felt by many--by the Indians and the colonists he administered to both physically and spiritually and by those in Europe who relied on his writings for their image of the new colony. Today his influence continues; his descriptions of Maryland provide some of the most valuable information concerning the people, places, and events of the early colony.

Little is known concerning White's early years. He was born in 1579, probably into a London Catholic family of some means. Like...