Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1769-1770. 341

he saw it in September last. All which is humbly submitted
to the Consideration of your Honourable House
Signed pr Order. Ralph Robinson Clk.

The Deposition of William Wyatt Fentham of Charles
County being first duly sworn on the Holy Evangels of Al-
mighty God Deposeth and saith that about two Weeks before
Christmas in the year Seventeen hundred and Sixty Eight he
this Deponent was Committed to the Goal of Charles County
for Debt and that he remained there from that time for the
space of Twenty eight, Twenty Nine or Thirty Days when
he was released by a Bail Bond, that he was confined in a new
House built by the Sheriff about Twelve Miles from the
County Goal that John Doncastle and William Wright and
several others were confined with him in the same Room That
while they were there the Weather was very severe, that the
Water came into their Room when it rained and that it there
frequently became Ice not having for the whole time that he
was with the Petitioners any Fire except one day when a
Chafing Dish of Coals was brought to the Wickett and there
Continued for about one half Hour to the best of his Memory
That while he this Deponent remained there several of his
Companions were very Ill occasioned as he apprehends from
the Noxious Vapours from the Dampness in the Room and
want of Fire, that Doncastle's Leggs were swelled much and
that he said he was Frostbit and was affraid that he should
lose a Limb This Deponent also further saith that he wrote
frequent Letters to the Sheriff acquainting him with their T. O

Lib. C. B.
No. 20

Deplorable Situation but received no redress, that the Sheriff
returned for Answer by the Servant Maid that he desired this
Deponent to trouble him no more with any of his impertinent
Letters for Fire they should not have.
William Wyatt Fentham.

I do hereby Certify that on Tuesday the fifth of this Instant
December I administered a William Wyatt Fentham an Oath
to give true Evidence to the Committee of Grievances of his
Knowledge of the Facts alledged in the Petitions of John Don-
castle and William Wright to the Honourable the Lower
House of Assembly.
Lanc^e Jacques Ald^r

Charles County ss^t At a Court of the Right honourable Fred-
erick absolute Lord and Proprietary of the Provinces of
Maryland and Avalon Lord Baron of Baltimore held at

p. 93