634 Somerset County Court Proceedings, 1665 1668.





      LiberB No.1 Boston George Johnson & John White gent: Greetinge Knowe yee
               That wee for the ease & benifitt of the people of this or Province &
               for the speedy & more exact administracon of Justice haue erected &
               doe by theis prsents erect all tht tract of Land within this Or province
               of Maryland bounded on the south with a Line drawne east from
               Watkins point being the North pointe of tht bay into which the river
               Wighco formerly Called Wighcocomoco afterwards Pocomoke &
               Now Wighcocomoco againe doth fall exclusiuely) to the ocean sea
               on the east Nanticoke river on the North & the sound of Chesepiake
               bay on the West into A County by the Name of Sothersett County in
               honr to our dear Sister the Lady Mary Somersett & for the great trust
               & Confidence wee haue in yor fidelitys Circumpeccons providences &
               wisdomes haue Constituted ordeined & appoynted, & doe by theis
               presents constitute ordaine & appointe you Stephen Horsey William
               Stevens William Thorne James Jones John Winder Henry Boston
               George Johnson & John White gent: Commissioners Joyntly & sev
               erally to keepe the peace in Sommersett County aforesaid; And to
               keepe & cause to be kept all Lawes & orders made for the good &
               Conservacon of the peace & for the quiett rule & governmt of the
               people in all & every the Articles of the same & to chastice & punish
               all persons offending the forme of any the Lawes & orders of this
               our province or of any of them in Sommersett County aforesaid as
               according to the forme of those lawes & ordrs shall be fitt to be done;
               Wee haue also constituted & ordained you & every foure or more of
               you wch you the sd Stephen Horsey William Stevens & William
               Thorne (unless some one of or Councell be pTsent) are allwaies to be
               one Cornrs to enquire by the oath of good & Lawfull men of yor
               County aforesaid off all manner of Fellonies, Whitchrafts, in
               chantmts sorceryes Magick arts tresspasses Forestallings ingrossings
               & extorcons whatsoever & of all & singuler other misdeeds & offences
               of wch Justices of the peace in England may or ought lawfully to
               enquire by whomesoever or whensoever done or perpetrated or which
               hereafter shall happen to be done or perpetrated in the County afore
               said against the Lawes & ordrs of this or province provided you
               pceed not in any of the cases aforesd to take life or member but tht
               in every such case you send the prisonrs with their Indictments & the
               whole matter depending before you to or Justices of or provinciall
               Court next to be holden of this or pvince whensoever or wheresoever
               to be holden there to be tryed; And Further wee doe hereby Author
               ize you to issue writts process arrests & attachmts to hold plea of
               heare & determine & after Judgemt execucon to award in all Causes
               Civill whether in accons reall or psonall where the thing in accon
               doth not exced the vallue of three thousand pounds weight of tobacco
               according to the lawes ordrs & reasonable Customes made & used in
               this our province of Maryland In wch Causes Civill soe to be tryed
               wee doe Constitute ordeyne & appointe you the said Stephen Horsey