Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1769-1770. 355

Charles County ss^t 25^th April 1770. The above and within
Deposition was taken before me the Subscriber One of his
Lordship's Justices for the County afs^d
before, John Winter

Benjamin Branson aged forty two years or thereabouts be-
ing Sworn on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God Deposeth
that he hath lived several years near Esq^r Lee's and frequently
went to his House as a Neighbour and for the year past lived
within three hundred yards of his Jail and this Deponent
further saith that some short time after the Prisoners were
removed from M^r Smith's Jail to 'Squire Lee's that John
Doncastle told this Deponent that he was very much pleased
with his Change from Smith's Jail to Squire Lee's for he had
come from Hell to Heaven and blessed his God that he had
once more got among Christians, sometime after this Depo-
nent called at 'Squire Lee's and Squire Lee according to Cus-
tom asked me if I would drink a Dram or some Cyder, I in a
merry Humour used freedom enough to say I had not eat my
Breakfast, M^r Lee laugh'd and said I must wait 'till it was
dress't, the Squire asked me if a cut of Bread and Cheese
would do? I answered very well, which was ordered to be
brought and M^rs Lee at the same time went out and presently
returned with a Plate of Fresh Beef, hashed as good as ever I
saw. M^rs Lee told me with a Smile that she had done for me
what she had never done for herself for she had Stole that
Breakfast for me out of the Prisoners' Provision upon this I
told M^rs Lee if that was the way she fed her Prisoners I had
almost got my own Consent to be a prisoner too, and 'Squire
Lee made Answer they should never live worse if they be-
haved themselves well. Frequently after that when I was at
Squire Lee's I have seen exceeding good Dinners carried into
the Jail such as good fat Beef and Pork both Roast and Boiled
and Raw Sallads Clean Table Linen Plates Knives and Forks
and Cyder with their Dinner. I never heard any Complaint
till after there was an attempt to break the Jail when Don-
castle Wright and some others used to Cavil at the Family
and would send very Abusive Messages into the House and
used Squire Lee's Housekeeper in a very Blackguard manner
whenever she went to carry them Victuals or any thing else.
This Deponent further saith he was at Squire Lee's last Fall
and Joseph Harrison's Wife was there and M^rs Harrison was
saying she wanted to go into the Jail to her Husband Squire
Lee declined granting her Permission and gave for Reason
that it was late in the Night and by such indulgencies the Pris-
oners had endeavoured to ruin the Sheriff by breaking the Jail
with some Tools that were given in by some of the Men's

Lib. C. B.
No. 20

p. 102