Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1769-1770. 357

oners that he would procure it for them and not let them want
for any thing during his Absence. Before the Squire came
home Madam Lee told the said Branson she was almost out
of Provisions for the Prisoners and he went immediately and
brought a large Fatted Beef for them which Cost the Squire
22/6 p hund^d W^t And further saith not.
his
Benjamin B Branson
Mark

Charles County ss^t 25^th day of April 1770. The above Depo-
sition was taken before me one of his Lordship's Justices of the
Peace for the County aforesaid
Jn^o Winter.
Charles County April 25^th 1770.
The Deposition of Joseph Waters Aged thirty one or There-
abouts being Sworn on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God
Deposeth and saith that on the fourteenth day of March One
Thousand seven hundred and Sixty Nine he was Committed
to Goal to Richard Lee Jun^r Sheriff on several Suits and
continued there till the twelfth day of November following.
When this Deponent first came to Goal John Duncastle told him
he should be starved alive and that this Deponent had better
break the Goal and go out. Duncastle William Wright and
Ignatius Green said they had been fed on Great Hommony and
Fish for several days This Deponent was very much surprised
at it and after some Consideration asked M^r Joseph Harrison
if that was the Truth he said there had been some Alteration
made a few days this Deponent asked him the Reason and he
said the Prisoners had used the Sheriff extremely Ill in striv-
ing to break out of the Goal wherein there was one Criminal
and several Runaways and Debtors. Harrison and all the
Debtors told this Deponent they had been used extremely well
from their first coming to the Goal until they attempted to
break out, and Harrison said he and Doncastle told the Sheriff
they knew nothing of their breaking out and there had been no
alteration with them. Harrison and all the Prisoners told this
Deponent that they never dined with less than three or four
Dishes of good roast and boiled Meat besides Pudding and
other rarities from their first coming to the Goal till they
strove to break out. This Deponent for five or six days when he
first came to Goal was fed on good Scotch Herrings and Great
Hommony and heard Esq^r Lee's Housekeeper say that M^r Lee
was very sorry that he could not use the Prisoners better that
came in last as well as he could wish for they were not in fault.
From that till I was discharged from Goal the Prisoners was

Lib. C. B

No. 20