216 Assembly Proceedings, 1694-1728.

Liber LL. 4

Acts

favour which by his said petition he hath humbly praid for he feares
he shall Continue a Prisoner for Life and by that meanes his Wife
and four Small Children become a burthen to the County for Neces-
sary Sustenance to preserve them from starving and for that the
truth of the said Peter Sawells Allegations is made appeare to this
present Generall Assembly by Sufficient Testimony and also that
the said Peter has not fallen under such Circumstances by any Idle-
ness or Extravagancy of his own haveing been allways an Indus-
trious pains takeing planter, but Merely by his Losses at Sea and the
Extream decay of the Tobacco Trade and also that the said Peter is
a man of an honest Sober Conversation and has now been a prisoner
for about this five Years past And therefore for that the said Peter
and his family are thought fitt Objects of Charity and th^t his
Lying in Coale Cann be no benefitt to his Creditors tho it may prove
a ruin to his family and a burthen to the County It is humbly praid
that the said Peter may be relieved according to his prayer and that
it may be Enacted.
And be it Enacted by the right Honourable the Lord Proprietarie
by and with the Advice and Consent of his Lordships Governour and
the upper and Lower houses of Assembly and by the Authority of the
same that in Case the said Peter Sawell shall deliver up and Sur-
rendered to the sherriffe of Calvert County in the presence of two Jus-
tices of the peace in the said County whom the said Sherriffe is hereby
required to Summons on the request of the said Peter at the said
Peters now dwelling plantation at Some Convenient time within three
months after the End of this present Session of Assembly all his reall
and personall Estate Either in Possession reversion remainder or in
trust or in or unto which he hath any Claime or Interest whatsoever
and do within the Time aforesaid Convey assigne transfer and make
over unto the said Sherriffe of Calvert County for the use of the said

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Peters Creditors all such his Estate Interest or Claim as af^d after
such manner as by the said Sherriffe and the Major parte of the
Creditors of the said Peter or of such of them as shall think fitt to
Direct therein or his or their Councill Learned in the Law shall be
Reasonably devised or required at the Costs and Charges of such
persons as shall Claime the Benefitt thereof so as the said Peter
Sawell be not burthened with any Warrantees thereby other than
from himselfe and those that Claime by from or under him And that
the said Peter at the Time of such his Surrender and transferring of
his Estate as afd shall take his Solemn Oath or test before the said
two Justices so to be Summoned as aforesaid to the Effect following
Viz. I Peter Sawell do sollemnly swear that the goods debts and
Effects which I have delivered assigned and made over to the
Sherriffe of Calvert County and in trust for the use of my Creditors
is the whole Estate both reall and personall of my own in possession
or have any Title to in the World and that I have not any Estate