Chancery Court Proceedings, 1671.   373





    The Sheriff's Oath                       Liber C D
      Ye Shall Swear that well and Truely you Shall Serve the Lord (fol. 567)
    Proprietary in the office of Sheriff of the County of Talbot & doe
    his Lopps profits that belongeth to you to do by way of
    your office as fanr forth as you may can ye Shall not assent
    to decrease or Lessen nor to concealm.t of any of Lopps R.ts or
    of his ffranchizes & wheresoever ye Shall have knowledge that his
    Lopps R.ts be concealed or withdrawn be it in Lands, Rents, ifran
    chizes or Gifts or any other things, Ye Shall do yor true power to
    make th.m to be Restored to his Lopp again and if ye may not do it ye
    Shall Ccrtific his Lopp or Some of his Councill thereof Such as yc
    Shall know for Certain will Say it unto his Lopp ye Shall not Respite
    his Lopps debts for any Guift or favour where you may Raise them
    without Great Grievance of the Debtor Ye shall truely and Right
    eously treat the people of your Sheriff-wick and do Right to poor
    as well as to Rich in all that belongeth to yo.r office ye shall do no
    wrong to any man for any Guift or other behest or promise of Goods
    for favour nor hate Ye shall disturb no man's Rt ye shall acquitt
    all those of whom ye Shall any thing Receive of his Lopps Debts
    Ye Shall nothing take whereby his Lopp may Loose of y.t R.t may be
    Lessen or disturbed or his Lopps debts delayed ye Shall truely Return
    and truely Serve his Lopps writts as farr forth as it Shall be in your
    Cunning Ye Shall not have to be yr undersheniff any of the Sheriff's
    Clerkes of the last year past Ye Shall take no Bayliff in your Service
    but Such as ye Shall Answer for, Ye Shall make Each of your
    Bayliffs make Such oath as ye make your Self in that, that belongeth
    to their Occupation ye Shall receive no writts by you or any of yors
    unsealed nor Sealed by any but by the Justices of the Chancery
    Provinciall or County Courts or Such other as Shall be thereto
    Authorized by the Lord Proprietary, Ye Shall make yo.r Bayliff of
    the true & Sufficient men of your County you Shall not
    let yo.r Sheriffwick or  any Bailywick thereof to farm to
    any, ye Shall truely Set & Re  Reasonable & due issues of them
    y.t be within your Bailywick after their Estate and hono.r and make
    yo.r pannell yo.r Self of Such persons as be most meet most Sufficient
    & not Suspect nor procured all these things you Shall well
    & truely observe & keep So help you God &C
    June 26.th 1671                  Stephen Tully
      Then was the above written Oath by me administred unto Stephen
    Tully Gentl high Sheriff of the County of Talbot Given under my
    hand the day & year aboves.d Phillip Calvert

    Writt of discharge to Tilghman
      Caecilius &c To Richard Tilghman Late high Sheriff of our
    Co.tY of Talbot Greeting Whereas we have Comitted to our beloved