Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1667-75. 73

Instructions from the right honble Cecilius
Absolute Lord and Proprietary of the Provinces
of Maryland and Avalon Lord Baron of Balti-
more &c^a

To his trusty and dearly Beloved Nephew William
Talbot Esq^r his chief Secretary of his Lordships said
Province of Maryland

I^st His Lordship doth hereby authorize and Require you
that as often as you see Occasion you put the Lieu^t General
Chancellor Council Counselors Iudges Justices and all other
his Lordships Officers of the said Province in mind to observe
and execute all such Powers Instructions and Authorities as
have been given or shall from time to time be given by his
Lordship unto them Iointly or severally and to perform their
duties in their several and Respective Offices and places of
trust
2 That you be strict and Carefull in examining the truth of
all pretences of such as apply themselves unto you to enter
their rights to Land and that you diligently weigh and Con-
sider their allegations and unless you be very well Satisfied of
the truth of them upon your own knowledge or something
very Notorious that you do require due proof to be made of
them to the end you may be fully satisfied that the same rights
have not been formerly allowed and made use of and that no
rights or Conditions of Plantation be allowed but to such have
just Right unto them his Lordship doth require you to make
strict search in relation to all such Rights claimed before you
make any Allowance of such rights
3 That you take care to enquire after Escheats of Land and
hereditaments Escheated or forfeited to his Lordship by any
ways or means whatsoever and the same to cause to be so
entred upon Record there that all such Pattents of forfeited
Lands may Evidently Appear and be known at first sight to

Liber A. M.
p. 50

be Escheated or forfeited by prefixing some short memo-
randums or note thereof over the head or margent of the said
Pattents upon record as aforesaid
4 That you also Cause the said Escheated Lands as afore-
said to be entred in another place of the Records together by
themselves in due Order mentioning the names of those Lands
the quantity of Acres they Contain together with their bounds
and the County and place where they lye and the time of
their Escheat and forfeitures
5 That you Cause the same to be likewise entred in every
respective County Court where such Escheat Lands shall
happen to be Seized into his Lordships hands and that you
Cause from time to time notice to be Given to his Lordships
Surveyor General and his Deputies of such escheated and

p. 51