120 Records Illustrating the History of Maryland

P. R. O.

Colonial
Papers.

other course to have it done but afterwards I finding most
people of our County and being informed it was so generally
through the Countrey that all people except such as had
beene in armes or abettors to theire cause was willing to
remaine as they were untill theire Majesty's pleasure should
be knowne and I conceiveing that my consenting to choose
delegates and representatives to sitt in such Assembly and
they countenancing the thing that was done although they
were awed to it would make me guilty as well as they that
did it, therefore I resolved not to choose nor consent that any
should be chose however being moddest forebore rayleing
or speaking grosly of what was done and when the time
apoynted was come for the Election Coll: Jowles and divers
of his souldiers being at the place and I also and divers of the
better sort of the people of our County, discourse arrose about
chooseing representatives and I and many others being much
the greater number argued against chooseing any, amongst
which discourse Coll: Jowles threatened that if we would not
choose representatives freely he would fetch them downe
with the long sword and withall required the deputy Clerke
to read some papers that he had Whereupon I askt Coll:
Jowles whether those papers were theire Majestys authority
and if they were I would read them myselfe if not they should
not be read, but he still bid the Clerke read them Whereupon
I said to him and the rest of the Company Gentlemen if the
Lord Proprietary have any authority heere I command you
speakeing to the Clerke in the name of the Lord Proprietary
to read no papers heere Whereupon Coll: Jowles went away
in great rage saying he would choose none yett afterw^ds have-
ing got some of his souldiers in drinke hee and they did some
what which they called a free choyce and I and many more of
the better sort of the people sett our hands to a paper wright-
ing that exprest modestly and loyally some reasons why wee
were not willing to choose any representatives to sitt in that
intended Assembly for which doeing I was fetched from my
house on Sunday the 25^th of August 1689. by James Bigger
and six other armed men by order of the persons assembled
at the command of Coade and his accomplices and kept close
prisoner at the house of Philip Lynes under a guard of armed
men and upon the 3^d day of September carryed by a Com-
pany of souldiers before the said Assembly where Coade
accused me of rebellion against theire Majestys King William
and Queen Mary for acting as above written and withall told
me if I would submit to a tryal they would assigne me Council
whereto I answered them that I was a free borne and loyall
subject to theire Majestyes of England and therefore expected
the benefitt of all those laws of England that were made for