3  Court and Testamentary Business, 1653.

            Liber B. Month at St Maries where the Court or the Secretary who hath

                power for the Granting thereof upon Consideration to be then

                taken of the busieness will grant Administracon to whom it

                properly belongeth. And the other busieness now Moved

                relating to the Said Estate may be then taken into Consid-

                eration.

                John Johnson & Thomas Adams pltes  Upon Complaint this day

                Coll ffrancis Yardley & Nathanll Batts defts made by John Johnson and

                Thomas Adams Craveing reliefe against Colonell ffrancis

                Yardley Nathan” Batts and others for that Contrary to all Law

                and Justice and in affront of the Governmt here they had lately

                by force of Armes taken and Surprized a Vessell riding in

                Patomock River within this Province belonging to them the

                Said Compits to their great Damage. The Said Coll Yardley

                in Answer hereunto Saith that he did take the Said Vessell as

                prize for that as he alledged She came lately from trading at

                the Movadoes or Dutch Plantacon But the Said Colonell,

                Nathaniell Batts, mr Charls Thurston now prsent in Court nor

                any other their Complices or confederates in this Rebellious

                UnWarrantable Action Makeing any thing appeare to the

                Court that the Said could be a lawfull prize nor that they or

                any of them had any Lawfull Warrant or Authority to make

                prize of her, And it appearing to the Court that the Said Ves-

                sell had lately ridd about two months together at Accomack in

                Virginia which the Said Colonell could not deny, and Comeing

                from thence to this Province fraighted with Cattell and Goods

                belonging to Some Inhabitants here, one or both the owners

                being Inhabitants of Virginia, and Corneing up (as it Seems)

                with intent to Seate in this Province and none of the Dutch

                Nation (Soc far as appears to this Court) having any interest

                in the Said Vessell, and the Court (for Very Sufficient reasons)

            P 509    apprehending that this Enterprize was meerly undertaken and

                grounded upon a Malitious quarrell. It is therefore Ordered

                that the Said Vesseil with all furniture and Goods belonging

                to her be forthwith restored to the Said Johnson and Adams,

                and for any thing belonging thereto (goods or otherwise) which

                Shall be made appeare by proofe to have been imbeazeiled by

                the Said Colonell or his Complices in their late Enterprize

                aforesaid the Said Coll Yardley (who takes the busieness

                wholy upon himself) when the Same Shall Soc appeare upon

                proofe, is to give the owners trebble Satisfacon And the Said

                Colonell ffrancis Yardley for his offence herein and affront to the

                Governmt is Ordered to pay forthwith three thousand pounds

                of Tobacco and Caske for a ffine to the Lord Proprietary, And

                the Said Nathaniell Batts appearing to be a Mayne Instigator

                and Actor in this busieness in Respect of his offence therein is