Provincial Court Proceedings, 1669. 599

     Mary Keene Elizabeth Halfehead William Brookes and Thomas Liber JJ
     Mathews being Sworne and examined to speake the truth according
     to their severall Knowledges about and concerning the premisses
     being heard and the said Joane Colledge (being required to make her [p. 457]
     defence thereunto) being heard likewise the said Jurors upon their
     Oathes say That the said Joane Colledge is guilty of murther in con-
     cealeing the birth of her Child in the said indictment abovespecified in
     manner and forme as above against her is supposed, But because the
     Court will be further advised concerning the premisses before judg-
     ment be passed therefore the judgment is resplted till the eightenth
     day of the same December in the yeare aforesaid, and the said Joane
     Colledge to continue in prison in the Custody of the said Sheriff of
     st Maries County untill the same tyme who is comanded to have her
     then and there ready at the said tyme to heare the judgment of the
     Court therein Att which said eightenth day of December in the yeare
     aforesaid att the same Court the said Joane Colledge being by the
     Comand of the Court by the said Sheriff of St Maries County brought
     to the barr and being asked by the Court what she had further to say
     for her self e why Sentence of death should not be passed against her,
     she humbly begg'd the mercy of the Court, and haveing nothing fur-
     ther to say whereupon the Court passed Sentence That the said Joane
     Colledge should returne from the place from whence she came and
     from thence to the place of execution and there to hang by the neck
     till she be dead.
       After which the same day Elizabeth Rousby Mary Keene Ellinor
     Smith Ann Dorrington Mary Larkin Grace Parker Mary Williams
     and sundry other persons exhibited to the Court on the behalfe of
     the said Joane Colledge a Petition for the suspending of the execu-
     tion of the said Joane Colledge untill such tyme as his Löpp the Lord
     Proprietary's further Will and pleasure should be knowne touching
     the granting of her pardon
       Whereupon the Court Ordered that the Prisoner Joane Colledge
     should be repreived till the eightenth day of October next

       The Jurors for the Lord proprietary doe present John Richardson [p. 458]
     of Tredavon Creeke in the County of Talbott County for that he
     the said John Richardson the fourth day of October in the eight and
     thirtith yeare of his Lopps Dominion at Tredavon Creeke aforesaid
     upon Mary Richardson his then wife by force and armes an assault
     did make that is to say with a certaine tobacco stick to the value of
     One peny Sterling which the said John Richardson did then and there
     hold in his hand upon the aforesaid Mary Richardson his then wife
     then and there in the Peace of God and of the said Lord proprietary
     being, voluntarily and of his malice forethought did make an assault
     and the Same Mary his then wife then and there with the said Stick
     feloniously did Strick, So that by the said Stroake the said Mary