Provincial Court Proceedings, 1665-66.    559
      Wm Leeds Plaintiffe                         Liber F F
                       Ordered Ut supra
      Henry Clay defend

      Thomas Gerrard plt Thomas Nottley the plts Attorney desires an
      Richard ffoster deft imparleance untill next Prouinciall Court The
      plt himselfe not being prsent who hath all writeings wth him, and
      him the said Nottley somewhat strangcr in thc said Cause, which
      imparleance is by the Board allowed

      To the honble Gouernor & Councell
        The humble petn of Jn° Bayley Sheweth
        That whereas yor petr landed into his howse in the month of
        October 1664 sundry sortes of Goods out of the Hopewell whereof
        John Sunderland was mastr which Goods were Consigned to Capt
        James Neale by John Joyliffe of Boston as by bill of lading & In
        uoyce may appeare to the uallue of Two hundred seauenty three
        pounds seauen shill sterling, and the said Goods which by reason
        of the said uessell went not to Potomack, where expecting onely for Verte
        an oppertunity to be sent unto the sd Neale But soe it is that on the [p. 175]
         day of ffebruarye Ensueing whilst yor petr was absent from
        home Reymond Staplefort Entred into yor petrs Chamber as Eui
        dently before this Honble Court hath been made appeared, and there
        did rip up & break open 3 great packs of the said Goods and them
        did fraudently beare away to the uallue of Two hundred and nine
        pounds fourteene shillings and 3 pence sterling, & did hide them in
        seuerall places of his owne roome the which Goods or the most part
        of them are still in the sherriffs handes, through which Occasion yor
        petr hath been uery much dampnifyed both in the Goods and want
        of sale thereof as Clearely may appeare—
        Theref ore yor petr Craueth Ordr for the Returne of the said Goods
      Clear of Charges from the sherriffe, that he may send them to the
      abouesaid Neale according to Consignacon and yor petr as in duty
      bounde shall pray &c:

        Reymond Staplefort making his appearance in Court and after
      some disputes inter him & the petitioner Concerning each Claime
      to and propriety in the said Goods menconed in the foregoeing petn
      it is Considered by the Board that the sd Goods were onely in the
      Custody of the said Bayley when first deliuered on shore, and the
      said Staplefort not producing any papers or Orders Authentick for
      the making good his Claime to the said Goods
        It is therefore Ordered that John Bayley the petr haue those Goods
      according to the prayer of his petn now in the possession of Charles
      Brook gent: High sherriffe of Caluert County deliuered him by the