Information from the Coskery Family Website, http://www.coskery.com/page9.html:
'After the American Revolution, economic reasons influenced the decision of many St. Mary's Countians to emigrate to Kentucky. In 1782, six proprietary manors, including Beaverdam Manor, were confiscated and sold by the state government. Beaverdam Manor had been occupied by the Peter Spalding family. The family had leased land by payment to the Proprietor of a small annual fee called a quitrent. After the war, lease holders were given preference to purchase farms they occupied.
In addition to the price of purchase, each buyer was required to pay taxes according to the evaluated worth of land - too steep for those with limited means. Taxes on evaluated worth was a type of 18th Century sales tax. A third payment was an annual fee paid to the state of Maryland.
Many St Mary's Co, MD, families became owners of farms averaging 175 acres. In many cases, purchasers went into debt giving bonds to the state. In the resale of Beaverdam Manor in 1790, many new property owners were unable to complete required payment. Court records show many Writs of Execution against debtors. Alienation records show the sale and resale of many farms during the 1790's indicating people could not raise the money to pay their land indebtedness.
Many saw migration to Kentucky as a way out of their dilemma between the years 1790 to 1800. The population of St Mary's Co. decreased from 15,544 to 12,794. A large portion of the loss was attributed to westward migration to the Kentucky counties of Nelson, Washington, Mercer and Lincoln.'