Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1687/8-89. 33

cacon; M^r Dare and M^r Gundry were of my opinion yet not-
withstanding Wroth, Stevens and allome would have her plact
with she that was Thomas Hawkers wife who married Edward
Jones and lyes on the north side of Bohemian River, a very
convenient place for the Taylor to take her away into Pensil-
vania. These Actings put the who Court into Tumult, the
Aunt crying after her girle, the girle after her Aunt, Justice
Stevens pulling the girle and she striveing to get from him,
at last she got loose, and into her Aunts boat did goe, they
brought her to M^rs Stabeleys where I met them, mine and my
neighbours horses being there from whome I had all this story,
There I was againe set upon and humbly for God's sake
desired to take the child down with me to my wife which I did
and now have her at my house; two dayes after comes
Wroth and Stevens to my house to demand the child, I re-
fused to deliver her telling them I heard they were going to
sell her to the Taylor, M^rs Pope telling Wroth in the open
Court that he came to her and advised her to let the Taylor
have the girle, and he would be bound that the Taylor should
give her a discharge for that of the girles estate that was in her
hands which is confest to be 16000^lb of Tobacco and this she
offered her oath for, it did I must confesse move me soe that
I told him I could well afford to suspend him of being a maj-
estrate for his misfeizance in his office. For that he in being
a majestrate to protect orphants and widowes went about to
destroy them though this discourse may seeme arrogant in me
yet if that power which my Lord left in me in his Cheife Justice-
ship be not by later Commission abbrogated I can shew presi-
dents on it by the cheife Justice in England and though I never
intended any such thing, I thought fit to trouble you with it.
In respect I guesse it will be a complaint against me Worthy

Liber B.
P. R. O.

sirs I doe assure you that my greatest desires are a quiet life and
to live free from these troubles had not the releife of fatherless
and the peace of the province been concerned in it I should
not have moved—I shall make bold to trouble you with one
thing more that I had the trouble of. There is one Hill that
lives in sasafrax River who had a wife and was a house keeper
there this man (as he told me) had occasion to goe to the Clifts
or about the Herring Creeke and stayed from his wife about
two Cropps These Majistrates notwithstanding they knew
where he was married his wife to another man; and when he
came back they kept him out both of his house, wife and land,
under pretence that he lost his property in his lands, goods
and house because he had lost his wife. I writt to them and
I heard that they gave his house and land but whether he hath
his goods & his wife I know not. I doe only acquaint you
with this to let you know what kind of Justices you have there

p. 163