292 Court and Testamentary Business, 1653

         Liber B.   being taken before the Governour and Secretary A Court held

               at St Maries this 8th day of August 1653.

                Upon Examination as aforesaid he the Said John Smith con-

               fesseth that about the Seven and twentieth of July last, he

               being a hired Servant to ifra: Bright of the Isle of opened a

               Chest which was then locked in his Said Masters house by

               drawing the Nailes thereof; but whether the Said Chest was

               his Said Masters or his Mates he doth not know. And that

               he then tooke out of the Said Chest a Suit of Clothes which

               he Sayeth were his own, and that he had bought them of the

               Said Bright his Master, and alsoe then tooke out of the Said

               Chest two Small pieces or remnants of Lockorume a Shirt a

               Canvas Sheet a new paire of Shoes a Case of knives and Some

               Sugar and had likewise taken in the Same house three pieces

               of Bacon three loaves of bread four twists of Tobacco and four

               apples all which he had bound in a Bundle together intending

               to have taken them with him to Virginia, but before he put

               Such his intention in Execution he repented himself thereof,

               and the better to Colour the busieness and to pacific his Said

               Master he told him that the Indians had opened the Chest and

               had taken the things before mentioned out of the Same, and

               that he never Enjoyed any of them nor removed them out of

               the Said house, but that the Same were all of them restored

               againe to his Said Master, Upon Consideration had by this

           P. 481   Court this present Eigth clay of August 1653. of the Said pris-

               oner John Smith his Examination aforesaid, And upon the re-

               lacon to the Court by mr Thomas Hynson and John Ellis that were

               Charged with the bringing down of the Prisoner to the Court

               that the particulars intended to be Stolen were not removed

               out of the Said Brights house but returned to him againe It is

               ordered that the Said Smith be whiped with twenty five Lashes,

               and be responsible and pay all Charges incurred by his im-

               prisonmt and punishment, And the wages wch he is to receive

               from Bright Soc farr as it will extend to goe to the paymt of

               the Said Charges, and the rest lie is to be responsible for, out

               of his Labours for the future, And the Sheriffe is forthwith to

               See the prisoner punished according to the direction of this

               Order; which was done accordingly and the prisoner there-

               upon discharged of his imprisonmt and the bond for prosecu-

               tion Menconed in the Said order at Kent is Vacated.

                These presents Testify that I Henry Bishop doe bind and

               deliver over all my crop unto John Medley and John Thim-

               bleby for their Security for Severall debts due unto them from

               me the Said Henry Bishop, as Wittness my hand this present

               14th of August in the year of our Lord God 1653.

             Wittness John Metcalfe    the mark of Henry Bishop

                     Robert Greene