xlvi       Early Maryland County Courts.


            less from Indian warfare in the seventeenth century that did some of the neigh
            boring colonies. A few years after the date when the Kent records begin in
            1648, however, there was a flare-up in Indian relations. At the November, 1659,
            session the court gave a certificate to Mar garet, the widow of Francis
            Hunt, that her husband had “lately been slain upon the Isle of Kent” in the
            previous month. This certificate was sent to the Provincial Court, which on
            March 7, 1652/3, issued a quietus est as a bar against any future suits against
            Margaret Hunt, the wife and administratrix, who had already made payments
            in excess of the total inventory of the Hunt estate, apparently a relief measure
            for the widow (Arch. Md. x, 194,230-231).

             At a court held in Charles County in November 1661, a servant sued his
            master for wages due him for work done about the month of May 1661, before
            he was “prest out in the countrie sarvice to goe to the Susquesahannoks fort”
            (pp. 158-160, 163-164). The Kent tax levy for 1660 shows 108 pounds of
            tobacco paid “To Capt Leeads for pouder and Shott for 3 souldiers sent to
            the Susquahankes” (Arch. Md. liv, 231). On December 7, 1661, the Governor
            issued a proclamation forbiding trade with the Indians without a special license
            (Arch. Md. iii, 443). When a planter was pressed into service against the
            Indians it was apparently obligatory upon his neighbors to care for his crops
            when he was absent, but whether this was done under the general powers of
            the county courts or by order of the Governor and the Provincial Court is not
            clear. Under an act passed in 1654 the Provincial Court in the intervals
            between assembly meetings was given wide powers to conduct warfare against
            the Indians (Arch. Md. i, 345). In any event the Charles County Court, Decem
            ber 7, 1665, assessed damages of 1800 pounds of tobacco and 4 barrels of corn
            against the guardians of young John Stone, a son of the late governor, Wil
            liam Stone, because they had neglected to tend the crops of a neighbor, Samuel
            Harris, on service during the past summer against the Indians (pp. 617, 618).
            At the same session four carpenters were each allowed by the court 15 pounds
            of tobacco per day for eighty days for service against the Indians, and a fifth
            carpenter at the same rate for forty days “ for the Encoragement of others
            that shall be Called to sarve the Country “, and allowance of 5520 pounds of
            tobacco for their payment was made in the county levy (p. 619). It would
            appear that the different status of a planter and a craftsman was recognized by
            the court in its action in these two cases. Included in this same levy was an
            item for payment to “will the Indan Living by Mr. Addameses for his sarvices
            performed to the contry . . . 0300 [pounds of tobacco] . . . to which MT.
            William Marshall disassents to the leviing of it on the Publicke and profered
            to pay it out of his owne purs rather than that it shoold bee layed on the Pub
            licke “, but the item seems to have been retained in the levy (p. 619). Will
            was doubtless a friendly Indian who had been of use in the recent campaign.
            It would seem from an entry in the December 1665 Charles court records
            requiring that Capt. Hugh Oneale appear at the next court with an account of
            the provisions, powder, and shot he had “prest for his Souldiers “, that he
            was then in command of the Charles County contingent (p. 620), although in
            166o he had been involved in the Fendall “rebellion” (p. 148-149).