Letter of Transmission. ix

Roman Catholics, while the defendants asked for a Protestant jury, " which
the Governor consented unto as most reasonable " and he himself gave bail for

Mr. Wilkinson.

Fendall issued a proclamation at this Session that no women should be
" admitted or allowed as Attorneys for their husbands in any court " (p. 233).

A long proceeding about the estate of Mr. Benjamin Gill occurred at this
Session (p. 237). William Hewes sued Capt. William Stone for labor in
" setting up " a windmill (p. 251).

The identity of Mr. Overzee's cow (p. 252), the funeral expenses for Simon
Antonio (p. 254), the existence of Indian slavery (p. 254) are of interest, as is
the conviction of three persons to be hanged for larceny (p. 255). They
escaped this punishment on account of the amnesty proclaimed when Richard
Cromwell became Lord Protector. The proclamation of him in Maryland is
given in this volume (p. 258). Attorneys gradually are taking the place of
parties to a suit in pleading and an ordinance in regard to them was made at
this time (p. 256).

The next Session was appointed to be held in Calvert County. By the
way, though there were several other counties in the Province, the sheriff's
returns of writs at the opening of Court session are almost uniformly from
the four Southern counties on the Western Shore (e. g., p. 270). All sorts of
documents are spread upon the records in perpetuam rei memoriam, between
court sessions. We find, for instance, an extent (p. 261), a jointure (p. 261),
a will (p. 262), a bond (p. 263), an assignment (p. 264), a deed of gift of
chattels (p. 264), following close upon each other. Snow Hill Manor, which
was soon to take so much attention from the Court, appears in a question of
title (p. 265). Order is issued for the arrest of Thomas Thurston, the
Quaker (p. 268).

The Court met at Mr. George Reade's house on April 22. A prominent
citizen of Kent brings suit because a maidservant had been sold him and had
been found to have been infected mortally with venereal disease, by her seller
as was alleged, against whom damages were asked (p. 270). Pleasanter cases,
which aroused some interest, concerned the ownership of a horse (p. 277) and
a cow (p. 281). An agreement for the building of a house called for a
" Welch chimney "— a term I cannot explain (p. 281). On April 23, Corn-
walleys sued to recover a fowling piece which the defendant alleged was left
to him by the "soldiers who came from Severn," after the battle (p. 283).
Illicit trade with the Indians by a Bostonian caused the forfeit of the bark,
Mayflower, (p. 287).

A bastardy case (p. 291), a petition from an indigent person (p. 294), an
order protecting orphans' estates in Anne Arundel County (p. 295), questions