350 Assembly Proceedings, 1694-1728.

Liber LL, 5
Acts

liam Owen and Jacob Ratcliffe of Queen Anns County have by their
Humble Petitions to this Present generall Assembly Severally Sett
forth that they have Continued Prisoners for debt in the Custody of
the Severall Sheriffs of the Countys af^d for some considerable time
Past, and Still Continue in the like deplorable Circumstances not
being able to Redeem their Bodies with all the Estate or Interest
they have in the World Which they would readily Surrender up and
Part with to their Several and Respective Creditors if they would
Accept the same And Grant the said Petitioners their Liberty which
seems so unlikely to Obtain that unless relieved by a Particular Act
to be past in their favour (which by their Said Petitions they have
humbly Prayed) they must Inevitably Continue Prisoners for Life
And thereby their families Utterly ruined And for that the truth
of the said Petitioners Allegations is made Appear to this Generall
Assembly by Sufficient Testimony and for that the said Petitioners
and their families are fit Objects of Charity And that lying in Goal
Can be no Benefit to their Creditors It is humbly Prayed that they
may be relieved According to their Prayer And that it may be
Enacted And be it Enacted by the Right Honourable the Lord Pro-
prietor by and with the Advice and Consent of his Lordships Gov-
ernour and the LTpper and lower houses of this present Generall
Assembly And the Authority of the Same that Unless All or Any of
the Creditors of the said John Medcalf, Susannah Mitchell Ann
Braham, John Hurst Edward Norwood, Frances Dorsey widow,
Edward Jones, Thomas Oldham, William Norton Mathew Ashley
Thomas Shore John Clements, John Oliver William Owen and Jacob

p. 18

Ratcliffe or the Creditor or Creditors of any or Either of them or
the Attorney or Attorneys of such Creditor or Creditors or Any or
Either of them af^d within this Province within Twenty Days after
the End of this Session of Assembly go to the Sheriffs of the Several
Countys in which the Prisoners before mentioned are Respectively
Detained or kept in Custody and give good Security to Pay the Im-
prisonment ffees at Ten Pounds of Tobacco per Day that shall or
May become Due from the said Prisoners or Any or Either of them
after the End of the said Twenty Days And Also to find the said
Prisoners or Any or Either of them Sufficient Meat Drink and
Cloathing during their future Imprisonment in Case they or Any of
them the Prisoners aforesaid shall Deliver up and Surrender or
Cause to be Delivered up and Surrendred to the Sheriff of the
County in whose Custody they Are in the Presence of two Justices of
the Peace in Each of the said Counties whom the said Sheriff are
hereby required to Sumon on the request of the said Prisoners or
Any of them at the Dwelling Plantations or Places of Abode of the
said Prisoners or any of them at Some Convenient time between the
first day of November next and the Tenth day of December next All
their Real and Personal Estate Either in Possession Reversion Re-