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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 179
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remember that about the time that Mr Ogle died, A Cause
came on to be heard before the provincial Court in which a
Son of Mr Thomas was plantiff & the Vestry of St Mary Ann
Parish in Caecil Cty Defendant. The Matter disputed was
the Right of the Vestry to 100 Acres of Land part of Talbot
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Letter Bk. I.
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Mannour which the Defendants contended they held under the
persons who purchased it of that Talbot who was convicted in
Virginia for a Murder committed on board one of his Majesty's
Ships in Potuxent River. The Provincial Court did not enter
much into the Merits of the Cause but gave their Judgment
that the Supreme Court of Virginia could not properly take
Cognizance of a Crime committed in this province therefore
that the conviction was illegal & that the Copy of the Record
of the Conviction ought not to be Evidence in this Govf This
Judgment of the provincial Court might have been attended
with ill Consequences with respect to his Ldps Title to the
whole Mannour. therefore Mr Thomas & the Agent not being
of opinion that the Court ought to have regarded or deter-
mined on that point desired to be heard against the Judgment
in the Court of Appeals, which Court on a Hearing about 13
weeks since did reverse the Judgment of the Provincial for the
Reasons offered by the Appellent. The Action brought by
Mr Thomas was to recover 100 Acres of Land that the Vestry
holds & claims. Mr Thomas had taken a Lease of the Agent
under His Ldp & was to have enjoyed it had a Verdict been
given in his favour. There are about 500 Acres more of the
mannour under the same or similar Circumstances which are
claimed by one Mr Baker a Burgess under Deeds of Sale &c
from sundry persons who had purchased under the Heirs or
Executors of that Talbot the Father. The Judgment of the
provincial Court being reversed Mr Thomas is at Liberty to
insist on a new Hearing before that Court but his fears lest the
Issue of a Tryal should affect his Ldps Title incline him to drop
his pretensions especially as the Vestry & Mr Baker are willing
to remove all Occasion for future Disputes by consenting to
Lease the Land they respectively claim if His Ldp will grant
them Leases renewable for ever on the same terms that the
Rest of the Mannour is leased. The other parts of the Man-
nour that lye south of the Temporary Line were I am informed
leased by his late Ldps Order to avoid Disputes with such as
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p. 111
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were in possession who wd else have contested His Ldps Title.
The Leases renewable every 99 years on payment of a small
Fine two fines payable on every Alienation & a small Quit
Rent reserved. Colo Lloyd & Mr Tasker are of Opinion with
me that if His Ldp be so pleased the Propositions of Mr Baker
& the Vestry should be received. You will be pleased to sub-
mit this to his Ldp & direct what shall be done & also whether
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p. 112
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