372 Assembly Proceedings, Oct. 2-Nov. 17, 1753.

Liber H. S.
No. I

and pay the Proprietor the Proportionable part of the Assessment
thereon and also pay to the Corporation of Annapolis Five Shillings
Current Money Annually for the ground Rent thereof within Two
months after reasonable Request made that then it should and
might be lawful for the said Corporation into the aforesaid Parcel
or Lot of Ground to Re-enter that the said Robert Gordon some
Years after did Sell one Part of the Lot of Ground aforesaid to
Elizabeth Bennett and the other Part thereof to Ashbury Sutton
of both whom the said Horatio Samuel Middleton had Purchased
and with a good deal of Pains and Expence had Built a good
Dwelling House, and made sundry other Valuable Improvements

p. 114

thereon, and that as that Part of the City had greatly increased in it's
Inhabitants who had good Houses and Improvements also since the
making the said Act in Seventeen Hundred and twenty three and
that the Lower or South West end of the Ship Carpenters Lot and
other Places in the said City had been thought both sufficient and con-
venient for the Encouragement of Ship Carpenters or others to build
Vessels &c. the Corporation of Annapolis on the Seventh Day of
May Seventeen hundred and forty six made a Bye Law entituled
A By Law to prevent the Dangers and Accidents which might arise
from Building Breaming or Graveing Ships Sloops! Boats and other
Vessels whereby the said Horatio Samuel Middleton was prevented
from Complying with that Part of the Proviso in the said Robert
Gordons Act mentioned as related to the Ship Carpenter's business
and prayed Relief in the Premisses and that an Act might pass in his
Favour to confirm his Title to the said One hundred and twenty
Feet of Land at the North West or Upper end of the Ship Car-
penters Lot with the whole breadth thereof, along Prince Georges
Street and on the Dock in Annapolis by giving him and his Heirs
for Ever An Estate of Inheritance in Fee Simple on paying the
yearly ground Rent Reserved and the proportionable Part of the
Assessment to the Proprietor exempted from carrying on the Ship
Carpenters business. And whereas it appears to this General Assem-
bly that the said Horatio Samuel Middleton his Petition is reasonable
and that he had signified his Intention to the said Corporation (who
had the Sole Right of Re-entry) by a Petition which he preferred
to them and by them Granted as appears by an Indorsement by their
Order on the said Petition Be it therefore Enacted by the Right
Honourable the Lord Proprietary by and with the Advice and Con-
sent of his Lordships Governor and the Upper and Lower Houses
of Assembly and the Authority of the same. That the said Horatio
Samuel Middleton his Heirs and Assigns for Ever shall be and they
are hereby Vested in a good sure indefeazible Estate of Inheritance
in Fee simple of in and unto the aforesaid Quantity of One hundred
and twenty feet of Land in length along Prince Georges Street at the
Upper end of the said Lot with the whole breadth thereof to and

p. 115

with the Creek any Law Usage or Custom to the contrary notwith-