518 Correspondence of Governor Skarpe.

Letter Bk. V

tho some of them if the Sheriff is very active diligent punctual
& well acquainted with the People of his County & their
Circumstances may be worth £300 a year yet the Instances of
Peoples injuring their Fortune by undertaking these Offices
have been very common owing to their not being in a suffi-
cient degree possess't of the above mention'd Qualifications ;
The Security too that a Sheriff must give is very considerable
& I believe there has been no Instance since the Settlement
of the Province of Persons being appointed till he had resided
some time at least in the Province nor indeed would it be
possible for an entire Stranger such as M^r Hackman is to
discharge the Duty of the Office; but if His Ldp pleases he
might after he is of Age be appointed to a Sheveralty when
by residing some time in the County he shall have acquired
knowledge enough to carry him thro the Business. Besides
the Offices of Clerks & Sheriffs in the several Counties there
is also in each a Deputy Commissary nominated by the Com-
missary Gen^l but these Offices are of small Value scarcely any
of them being worth more than £20 or £30 stg a year & as
the Commission issues from the Commissary Gen^l they must
be conferred on People who have resided three years in the
County & are possess't of a Freehold. There is also in every
County a Deputy Surveyor for executing Land Warrants, who
in order that they may properly discharge their Duty should
be pretty well acquainted with the Lands in their respective
Counties, two or three of these Offices may perhaps bring in
near £200 a year, but they earn it dearly the Duty being very
slavish, & the Rest of them are so little worth that few Gentle-
men in case of a Vacancy make Application for a Commission.
One half only of these Deputy Surveyors are appointed by
me, those on the Eastern Shore holding their Commissions
from M^r Benj. Young Clk of S^t Mary's County who some
years ago on his Marriage with a Daughter of M^rs Hide His
Ldp's Aunt was appointed Surveyor Gen^l of the Eastern
Shore an Office worth I suppose about £60 or £70 stg. since
her Death he married a Sister of M^r Dulanys who bestowed
on him the Clerkship of S^t Mary's & secured to him as I pre-
sume the Continuation of his other Office also. As I doubt
not but His Ldp & you have long ago received an Acco^t of
M^r Allens succeeding Col^o Lloyd in the Agency in Conse-
quence of His Ldps pleasure signified to me by your Letter
of the 24^th of Nov^r & of my desiring Major Jenifer to take
Charge of the Western Shore Rent Roll till His Ldp shall
give particular Orders concerning the Keeping it for the future
I can only say in answer to what you write with regard to M^r
Allen & the Prohibition with respect to my disposing of those
Offices that I have from the moment that Gentleman arrived