xvi         Early Maryland County Courts.


           Battle of the Severn. In March 1657/8 the Proprietary, now restored to power,
           appointed Josias Fendall Governor, an unfortunate choice for Fendall proved
           disloyal, and after an abortive uprising in Charles County in the autumn of
           1660, was for a short period a fugitive, although pardoned soon afterwards.
           With the restoration of Charles II in 1660 Cecilius Calvert felt his position as
           Proprietary more secure than it had been for a decade or more, and with his
           son Charles as Governor, and his half-brother Philip as Chancellor, remained
           in undisturbed control of provincial affairs until his death in 1675.
             The entries of proclamations, oaths of fidelity, and other public announce
           ments by those in control at the time, to be found in these records, reflect the
           various political events as they transpired. Under date of March 29, 1652, the
           Commissioners of Parliament issued a proclamation in the name of the Com
           monwealth of England, assuming jurisdiction over Maryland, which is duly
           entered in the Kent County record (Arch. Md. liv, 7-8). In the court proceed
           ings of this same county for April 5, 1652, is to be found a list of the sixty-
           four men “who do promise and engage ourselves to be true and faithful to the
           Commonwealth of England without King or House of Lords “, although
           additional names continued to be added until 1654 (Arch. Md. liv, 4-5). It
           is to be noted that exactly one half of these men of Kent were able to sign
           their names (Arch. Md. liv, 4-5). On March i, 1654/5, the Parliamentary
           Commissioners appointed an entirely new bench for Kent, and at the same time
           issued a proclamation announcing the transfer of authority from the Common
           wealth to the Protector (Arch. Md. liv, 23-25, 30-3 1). The proclamations
           announcing the restoration of the Province to the Proprietary are entered in
           the Proceedings of the Council for July 8, 1657 (Arch. Md. iii, 323-331).
           In the Charles County Court minutes for November 166o, are to be found
           recorded four proclamations: (1i) the announcement by Philip Calvert, the new
           Governor, of the restoration of Charles II, (2) proclamation of the King
           requiring all inhabitants to assist Lord Baltimore in putting down the Fendall
           insurrection, (3) announcement by Philip Calvert of his appointment as Gov
           ernor by the Proprietary, (4) proclamation by Gov. Calvert of a general am
           nesty and pardon for all Charles County persons engaged in the late mutiny
           and sedition, except Josias Fendall, and John Hatch (pp. 102-104), who, how
           ever, were given a qualified pardon soon afterwards (Arch. Md. i, 408, 442).
             It should be noted that the Charles County records covering the two years
           preceding the Restoration of Charles II, and especially those for the greater
           part of 1660, the last year of Fendall's rule, are of the highest value to stu
           dents of Maryland history. From March 7 to November 1 1 of this year there
           are no provincial records now remaining, either of the Assembly, Council, or
           Provincial Court, they having been deleted when the Proprietary representa
           tives wrested control from Fendall in November 1660, the Provincial Court,
           Dec. ii, 166o, ordering that “All Acts and Orders entred in the tyme of the
           defection of the Government from his Lop being the fifth of March 1659
           Be null and of noe force and that the same be forthwith razed, and torne from
           among the Records” (Arch. Md. xli, 379). Why the Charles County records
           escaped is unknown. Nor are there any county court records for this period