Provincial Court Proceedings, 1666.     65

      yow say Fran: Carpenter is Guilty of Manslaughter, answered yes Liber FF
    and soe yow say all yes.
      The Petty Jury dismist                    [p. 297]
      The Prisoner being att the Barr it is said to him thus
      yoW doe remember that yow haue been indicted for felony by yoW
    done and Committed upon yow Indictmt yoW haue been arraigned and
    pleaded not Guilty and for yor tryall haue put yorselfe upon God
    and the Country, which Country hath found yow Guilty Wt cann yow
    now say for yorselfe why according to law yoW should not haue
    Judgm' to suffer death, Whereupon
      The Prisoner then Claim'd benifitt of Clergy Which to him then
    was allow'd The Ordinary then shewing him the booke The Clarke
    askt him Legit ut Clericus uel non Answere, legit
      Whereupon Ordered the Prisoner be burnt in the hand according
    to law, which was in open Court forthwth done and performed, by
    the Under sherriffe of St Marys County

      To the Honoble the Governour and Councell of the Province of
    Maryland
      Thomas Sprigg of the Resurreccon Mannor in Calvert County
    gent Complaynes against Raymond Staple fort of Great Eltonhead
    Hundred in the same County Merchant For that whereas the sayd
    Thomas Sprigg is a good true and Faithfull Subject and a true and
    Faithfull Subject of our Soveraigne Lord the King and of Divers
    of his Progenitors late Kings of England from the tyme of his Birth [p.298]
    hitherto hath behaved and Governed himselfe and of good Name
    Conversacon and Repute as well amongst Honorble and Worshipfull
    persons as all other Subjects of the said King and his Progenitors to
    whome the said Thomas Sprigg was knowne and wth whome the said
    Thomas Sprigg had any manner of way dealing was allwaies accepted
    Reputed and taken as well during his abode in the Kingdome of Eng-
    land as in the Collony of virginia and this Province of Maryland And
    Whereas alsoe the said Thomas Sprigg the One and twentyeth day
    of November One Thousand six hundred sixty and Five and for
    Foure yeares then last past and Continually after the said One and
    Twentyeth of november hitherto was and as yett is one of the
    Justices of the lord Proprietor & of this Province for Keeping the
    Peace in Calvert County and assigned to heare and Determine Divers
    Fellonyes Trespasses and other Misdemeanors in the sayd County
    Committed And the sayd Thomas Sprigg by the Whole tyme a fore-
    sayd wherein the said Thomas Sprigg one of the Justices aforesayd
    as abovesayd hath remayned Justice to all According to the Lawes
    of this Province Equally and truely hath Administred, And in Exer- [p. 29Q]
    cising his Office of one of the Justices aforesayd and in all other
    his businesses and Accons without any Fault or Suspicon of Bribery,
    Perjury, breach of Oath or of any other Falsity or Crime whatso