Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 373

[Sharpe to Baltimore.]

To Lord Baltimore. Annapolis March 1767.
My Lord
Since I did myself the honour to write to your Ldp the 7^th
December when the last Ship saild for London from this
Province I have had the Satisfaction to receive the several
Letters with which your Ldp was pleased to favour me the 22^d,
25^th, & 28^th of Sept^r & 2^d & 6^th of Nov^r last. There being
some Livings on the Eastern Shore of considerable Value
vacant at the Time M^r Alien arrived here I immediately
offered him his Choice of them but the One of them was
worth about £230 sterling a year he signified to me that it
would be much more agreeable to him to be inducted into this
Parish which does not at most exceed £i 80 if I could vacate
it by the Removal of the then Rector which therefore I imme-
diately did so that M^r Alien will continue to reside in this
Place until some more valuable Parish on this Side the Bay
becomes vacant which will I expect be the Case very shortly.
It being enacted by a Law pass't here in 1702 that no Minister
or Incumbent shall at one Time hold more than two Parishes
nor Two unless by the Desire or Agreement of the Vestry of
the said adjacent Parish & Consent of the Vestry where he
resides (which consent none of the Vestries choose to give)
M^r Alien cannot in its full extent receive the Benefit of your
Ldp's Instruction in his Favour but your Ldp may be assured
that the Regard you express for that Gentleman will make me
ready & desirous to oblige him on every Occasion. I am now
to return your Ldp Thanks for that rare Wine you were so
kind as to send Me by M^r Alien who having delivered it to
me upon his arrival except three Bottles which the Sailors had
made free with I produced to the Company that dined with
me on your Ldp's Birth Day enough to toast the Donors
Health tho in order to fill a Decanter I was under a necessity
of broaching four of the Bottles owing I suppose to its not
having been ashore long enough to become fine. As soon as
I received M^r Hamersley's Letter with authenticated Copies
of the Settlements made in 1698 & prior to your Ldps Mar-
riage I delivered them to M^r Dulany to have them recorded in
the Secretary's or Provincial Office agreeable to your Ldps
Instructions & that all who may be inclined to purchase any
part of the Mannours may judge for themselves or advise
with Lawyers how these Deeds could operate they will be
shewn by our Clerk to any Person desiring a Sight of them.
I need not I hope tell your Ldp that it was not in order to give
M^r Calvert Satisfaction that the Commissioners applied for
Copies of those Settlements but that we might be able to
shew any Persons inclined to bid for Parcels of either of the

Letter Bk. IV