The First Century of the Court of Chancery.      lv

       Gov. Nathaniel Biakiston was the son of John Blakiston (1633-1702) of
      Newcastle-on-Tyne, a barrister-at-law and a member of Gray's Inn. This John
      Blakiston was a brother of Nehemiah Blakiston, Governor and Chancellor of
      Maryland, 1690-1693 (Md. Hist. Mag., ii, 56, 61). Nathaniel may have
      followed his father's profession, but his name does not appear among the
      admissions to Gray's Inn.
       Upon Blakiston's departure for England in 1702, the government of the
      Province was placed by him, July 30, in the hands of the Council, with Thomas
      Tench, the “eldest councillor” designated as its “ President” and Keeper of
      the Great Seal. Tench as acting Governor and Chancellor, presided in the
      Chancery with Hammond and Smith “assistant justices” until Seymour
      arrived in April 1704, with the Royal commission as Governor (Chanc. Proc.
      P.C., 474-506).
       John Seymour remained Governor from 1704 until his death, July 30. 1709.
      As Governor and Chancellor he presided at fifteen sessions of the Court of
      Chancery held during these years, with rarely more than two members of his
      Council sitting as "assistants" with him. These associates appear in the
      Chancery records during this period as “assistant justices “. At various times
      we find sitting with him as assistant justices John Hammond, Thomas Tench,
      Robert Smith, William Holland, James Sanders, Edward Lloyd, Thomas
      Ennalls, William Coursey, Francis Jenkins, and Charles Greenberry. The
      Chancellor appears as sitting alone on two occasions, and once on July 16, 1717,
      as many as three assistant justices sat with him (Chanc. Proc., P. C., 513-621).
      In 1706 by order of the Lords of Trade and Plantations the old Great Seal was
      broken and sent to London (Arch. Md., xxv, 206, 207, 217). This was doubt-
      less after a new seal had been received.
       Upon the death of Gov. Seymour, July 28, 1709, Col. Edward Lloyd (1670-
      1719) of “Wye,” as President of the Council, became Acting Governor, and
      with this body governed the Province until the arrival of Gov. Hart some six
      years later. The Council records for the greater part of this period unfortunately
      are lost, and we are dependent upon the Court of Chancery records alone. Lloyd
      acted as Chancellor during this entire period. At the first meeting of the Court
      of Chancery held under him, March 15, 1709/10, we find six associates, or
      assistant justices, all members of the Council, sitting with him, some of whom
      had been associated with Seymour on the Court. Those whose names appear
      are Samuel Young, Charles Greenberry, William Holland, William Coursey,
      William Whittington, and John Hall, and these names continue to appear during
      the remainder of Lloyd's administration. At the twelve subsequent sessions of
      the Court of Chancery during Lloyd's presidency, rarely more than two or three
      associates sat with him at any one time (Chanc. Proc. P. C., 677 et seq., P. L.,
      1-86). Again in 1712, a new Great Seal, described in detail, was sent to Mary-
      land by command of Queen Anne, with orders to break the old seal and return
      it to the Lords of Trade and Plantations (Arch. Md., xxv, 259, 260).
       John Hart, commissioned by the King as Royal Governor, took the oath,
      October 7, 1714. The Province was restored to the Calverts in the following
      year, and Hart who appears to have been appointed by the King at the suggestion