PREFACE.

      On the death of Governor Copley in 1693, Sin Edmond Andros, then

     Governor of Virginia, at once seized the government of Maryland, by

     virtue, as he declared, of a royal commission empowering him so to

     do in the event of Copley's death, and the absence of Francis Nichol

     son, the Lieut.-Governon, who was in England. The commission,

     however, on being examined was found to read otherwise, making

     the appointment contingent on the death of Nicholson and the absence

     of Copley. A question as to its validity under the circumstances was

     raised in the Assembly, but no opposition was made to the assump

     tion of Andros, who soon returned to Virginia, leaving Nicholas

     Greenberry, President of the Council, as acting Governor.

      Sir Thomas Lawrence, their Majesties' Secretary for Maryland, had

     been impeached by Copley's administration, deprived of his offices

     and imprisoned, against which actions he had appealed to the Board

     of Trade. An order from that body was now received, declaring

     these proceedings illegal, and reinstating him in his offices. In May,

     1694, Sir Thomas was appointed by Andros President of the Council

     and acting Governor.

      In the summer, Nicholson came into the Province, produced his

     commission and assumed the government.

      It is to be regretted that no biography of Nicholson has been writ

     ten, and still more to be regretted that a considerable part of the

     slight information we have, comes from certainly hostile, and probably

     unscrupulous sources. The recorded facts of his life, in brief, are

     these

      Francis Nicholson was born, it is said, in 1660, but the place of his

     birth is not mentioned. In the earliest notice of him, we find him a

     commissioned officer in the British navy, first as ensign, and then as

     lieutenant. His connection with America began in 1686, when he

     was sent out as Lieutenant-Governor of the northern colonies, which

     had been consolidated under the rule of the violent and arbitrary Sir

     Edmond Andros, whose destiny seems to have been to carry a storm

     centre with him wherever he went.