xlii                Introduction.

         In the preceding volume of the records of the Provincial Court (Arch. Md.
        XLIV; xxvi) will be found a summary of the long drawn out suit of Marma-
        duke Snow against his brother-in-law Thomas Gerard to collect an alleged debt
        of £1000 by execution upon Gerard's personal property and lands, including St.
        Clement's Manor where Gerard had his home. Snow won in the Provincial
        Court, but the Upper House on appeal reversed the order of the Provincial
        Court at the April-May, 1666, session, and ordered Snow to yield possession
        of the manor of St. Clement's to Gerard (Arch. Md. XLIX, xxvi). Gerard was
        represented by Thomas Notley and John Morecroft. Almost immediately
        after the Upper House decided in favor of Gerard, Snow on May 12, 1666,
        gave Gerard a general release for all claims against him. In this release Gerard
        is described as “Thomas Gerrard of Machoitick in the County of Westmerland
        in Vergenia Esq by the name of Thomas Gerrard of the Isle of St. Clements
        wth the Province of Maryland” (pp. 87-09). This indicates that when dis-
        possessed Gerard had gone to Virginia to live. On the same day that the release
        was given a writ was issued repossessing Gerard (p. 108). On February 14,
        1666/7, Gerard seems to have been living at Mattapany, St. Mary's County
        (p. 157). Gerard had leased to his son-in-law, Robert Slye on January 26,
        1654/5, a tract of 1000 acres called Bushwood, part of St. Clement's Manor,
        the rent to be two barrels of Indian Corn (or 20 shillings), the lessee “alsoe to
        doe all the dutyes & services of a Freeholder according to the Custome or law
        of this Province”, and on January 24, 1662/3, actual possession was given by
        Gerard to Slye “by livery of seizin by Turfe and Twigg” (pp. 220-222). Again
        on March 22, 1666/7, Gerard, still described as of both Virginia and Maryland
        in deeds to Slye, leased 500 acres of St. Clement's Manor called Rich Neck,
        subject to an annual rent of one barrel of Indian corn (or 10 shillings) (pp.
        222-226). In December, 1670, a certain Cornelius Cornell was indicted for
        breaking into and stealing nails from the “mansion house” of Thomas Gerard,
        of Westwood, St. Mary's County, indicating that Gerard was then living there
      (p. 621).

         A number of manors and manorial lands changed ownership during this
        period. Thomas Gerard, the lord of St. Clement's Manor, St. Mary's County,
        one of the largest and most important manors in the Province, containing 6000
        acres, and one of the few upon which was exercised the privilege of maintain-
        ing a manorial court, was in the process of being disposed of by its owner.
        Gerard, after a long political dispute with the lords Baltimore and prolonged
        litigation about St. Clement's Manor with his brother-in-law, Marmaduke
        Snow, gradually disposed of his Maryland land holdings and removed to West-
        moreland County, Virginia (Arch. Md. LIII). One of the largest of these
        transfers was that of “Bushwood”, iooo acres of St. Clement's Manor, which
        he deeded, January 26, 1664/5, to Robert Slye after his marriage to his
        daughter, Susanna (pp. 220, 222).
         The reader interested in the transfers of manorial lands will find a number
        of deeds and leases for them in this volume. It is of great interest that in
        nine of these deeds, possession is stated to have passed “by livery of seizen by
        turf and twig,” witnesses usually stating in open court that they saw possession