126 Assembly Proceedings, August 11-16, 1737.

L. H. J.
Lib. No. 45

That the Provinces of Pensilvania and Maryland Lying Con-
tigious the Northern Bounds of Maryland being the Southern
Bounds of Pensilvania, tho the Limits between them were never
agreed on with any Exact Certainty before the Year 1732 yet
Except in some Instances on the Part of Maryland the People of
Either Provinces in makeing their Settlements Scarce ever varied
above a mile or Two If rom the place which the old Lord Baltemore Set
to Himselfe for the Northern Bounds of his Province above fifty
years agoe but for the more Effectual Preventing any misunderstand-
ing between the Proprietors and People of the said Two Provinces it
was in the year 1723/4 agreed between the Present Lord Baltemore
Proprietor of Maryland and Hannah Penn Widdow and Executrix
of William Penn Late Proprietor of Pensilvania Deceased that for
the avoiding all manner of Contention or Differences between the
Inhabitants of the said Provinces no person or persons should be
Disturbed or Mollested In their Possessions on Either Side nor any
Land be Surveyed Taken up or Granted in Either of the Said Prov-
inces near the Boundarys which had been Claimed or pretended to
on Either Side which agreement tho it was to Continue Eighteen
months only, yet it was Deemed to be Such a reasonable Expedient
for preserving the peace upon the Borders of the Two Provinces
where they lay Contigious that it was Carefully Observed by the
Government of Pensilvania as also Generally by the Government of
Maryland until about the year 1732 when the Lord Baltemore and
the Proprietors of Pensilvania at the Special Instance of the said
Lord Baltemore, Solemnly Entered into Articles of agreement for
Deviding the Province of Maryland from the Province of Pensil-
vania and the three Lower Countys of New Castle Kent and Sussex
on Delaware Commonly Called the Territories of Pensilvania in
which Articles it was Provided that a Certain Number of Commis-

p. 734

sioners should be Nominated on Each side 'for makeing out and run-
ning the Lines, agreed on and run as the Bounds between The Two
Provinces and Countys aforesaid which Bounds were so particularly
and Expressly Described and set down in the said Articles that there
seemed no Doubt but the Same would have been Carried Into Exe-
cution according to the Tenor true Intent and meaning of the Said
agreement yet so it is. May it Please the King that notwithstanding
the Clearness of the Said Articles the Lord Baltemore and his Com-
missioners by Starting the most unreasonable Objection evade run-
ning the Lines thereby agreed on for the Boundaries between the
Said Provinces and at the Same time the said Lord Baltemore and
his Deputy Governour set up a Claim to the Lands lying on the
South Side of Susquehannah River near Twenty miles further into
the Province of Pensilvania than the Boundaries agreed on by the
Said Articles; and makeing use of one Thomas Cresap (a Person
of mean Circumstances and Infamous Character who had Taken