"Shaw Bay in the Wye River" a Bruffs Island Travel Page by grandmaR

Bruff's Island is in the Wye River.

Appx .3 nm before G"1" At the split, the Wye River continues north. Do not follow it. Steer to starboard, keeping at 25' depth off Bruff's Island. You are entering Shaw Bay, a noted anchorage.

The National Register listings in Maryland says: The town of "Doncaster was located on one of the earliest land grants in Talbot County, surveyed on October 18, 1658. The early port location was ideal for shipping. Protected from the sometimes tempestuous Eastern Bay by Bennett's Point, the site was safe harbor even during severe storms, at which time ships could take shelter behind Bruff's Island in Shaw Bay. A spit community has connected Bruff Island to the mainland and Shaw Bay has silted considerably

"The Doncaster Historic Town site is the location of the first Roman Catholic Church erected on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The site of the town was one of the first land grants on the Eastern Shore and the town, erected in 1684, was one of the first planned towns in Maryland. The site was an early seat of commerce and may have been the second largest port on the Eastern Shore during the final decades of the 17th century. At its peak Doncaster would have contained inns, a chapel, warehouses, a ferry, stores, stocks and a whipping post, a public square, and a number of residences. Doncaster was a contender for the location of the Talbot County seat. The town's failure to procure that honor led to its eventual demise."