32 Assembly Proceedings, 1694-1728.

Public
Record

Office,

London.
C. O. 5.
Vol. 731,
Maryland.
From
1694-1702.
Acts

aforesaid in such manner and forme as by the said Law is menconed
and expressed upon Returne of which writt in case the person or
persons found to be the true Owners and possessors of the said
land should refuse to build a mill thereon and give Security for so
doing as the Law in that Case directs, It should be lawfull for their
said Ma^tys their Heires and Successors or for their Cheif Governor
here for the tyme being to make a Grant of such and so many Acres
of Land as by the said Law is Lymitted and allowed to such person
or persons as would undertake to build the same and give Security
for the performance thereof as the Law in that case requires for any
tyme or terme not exceeding Eighty yeares. And forasmuch as no
Provision in the said Law hath been made whereby to oblidge such
person or persons to keep such Watermills by them sett up built
and finished as aforesaid in repaire during the tyme and Terme of
their Grant as aforesaid by means whereof some persons having once
built sett up and finished a Watermill as aforesaid and having
obteyned a Grant of the said Land whereon such Watermill did stand
for the terme and tyme of Fourscore yeares as aforesaid have after
such mill hath been casually broken or otherwise gone to decay wholy
neglected and refused to repair the same: Yett under pretence of
having once built a Mill as aforesaid Have and doe tend and occupy
the said Land, raising of Stocks and felling of Tymber thereon to the
great prejudice and damage of the reall Owner or Owners of such
Land as aforesaid and prevencon of other well disposed persons who
would undertake the building of Watermills as aforesaid.
It is therefore humbly prayed that it may be Enacted and be it
Enacted by the King & Queens most Excellent Ma^tys by and with
the advice and consent of this present Generall Assembly and the
Authority of the same, That from and after the Publicacon hereof
no person or persons whatsoever having or that shall hereafter have
obteyned any Grant for any Lands whereof such person or persons
are not the reall Owners and possessors thereof and whereon he she
or they have already built or shall hereafter build any Watermill
as the Law aforesaid hath directed shall have any right Title or
clayme to any land granted to them for any tyme or terme whatsoever
after such mill by him or them already built as aforesaid or that
shall hereafter be built shall be casually broke or gone to decay as
aforesaid other then two years for the new erecting building finishing
or repairing of such Mill as aforesaid, but that in all and every case
where any person or persons who have already built or that shall
hereafter build any Watermills which are or that shall hereafter be
broke or gone to decay as aforesaid and shall not within two years
after the Publicacon hereof or within two yeares after such Mill shall
become broke or gone to decay as aforesaid cause the same to be new
builded repaired or finished as aforesaid It shall & may be lawfull
for the reall Owner or Owners of such Land to such person or persons
so granted as aforesaid to reenter upon the same, and in case such