Popish Government thereby denying their Faith Allegiance
and subjection to their present Majesties which would have
been high Treason and adhereing to their Enemies against
the conscience and interest of all good Protestants and to
involve them into the same crimes of Disloyalty with their
Enemies and subject them to the penaltyes of the Law for
High Treason. Whereupon the most eminent Protestants in
the Province associated themselves with this Resolution That
as God Almighty had given their Majesties a just call to the
Crown to whom their Faith and Allegiance was due so
according to their Duty and the Laws of the land they would
with their lives and fortunes mainteyne their Majesties Right
and Title to the Faith and Allegiance Obedience and subjec-
tion of their subjects in the said Province.
Thus matters stood untill towards the latter part of July 1689
at which time the people of Virginia did often threaten us and
were ready (in great numbers) to come over into Maryland to
reduce us alleadging wee were Rebells for not Proclaimeing
their Majesties in the mean time news being brought to some
of the aforesaid Protestants that the Deputy Governors were
fortifying the Court house at St Maries and Matapany garrison
and raiseing men to keep the same; they sent over to the
Magistrates in Virginia desireing them to restrain the pro-
ceedings and designes aforesaid of their people. And there-
upon about two hundred and fifty Protestants tho very badly
provided with Armes and Ammunition marched down to the
City of St Maries to know the truth of the aforesaid Report
and to desire the Deputy Governors to call an Assembly which
had been for a long time prorogued against the desires of all
honest men. That speedy course might be taken for the satis-
faction of both Protestants and Papists untill orders from Eng-
land. But when they arrived there they found the said Court
house full of armed men made a garrison ready to oppose
them. Whereupon they sent into the said Fort the Protestant
Declaration demanding to have King William and Queen
Mary to be proclaimed and submitted To which they refuseing
to do the said Protestants marched up resolutely to the said
Garrison and haveing gained the Doores and Windows and
being ready to enter Those within did surrender takeing with
them their private armes and leaveing the publick armes to
the Protestants and then they marched to Matapany Fort about
eight miles distant where about four hundred men were in
Garrison and demanded surrender of the same to the use of
King William and Queen Mary the which they refused for
sometime to do. But finding the number of the Protestants to
encrease and resolveing to attacke the same They surrendered
upon Articles and thereupon a convention of the cheife of the
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P. R. O.
Maryland
B. I. Vol. 2,
B. E.
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