Letter of Transmittal.        xi

     beginning with the year 1669, are segregated at the back of this old volume.
     The regular court minutes, civil suits, and land papers for this 1669-1670 period
     are recorded on folios 1-139, while the criminal cases are to be found on folios
     455-476.
      The litigiousness of seventeenth century Marylanders, for a community of
     its size, is well shown by the large volume of litigation which an examination of
     the records of the provincial courts at St. Mary's and of the several county courts
     reveals. During the time covered by this court record the population of the
     Province increased from about thirteen thousand to sixteen thousand whites.
      The next volume of the Archives to appear will be the Proceedings and Acts
     of the General Assembly of Maryland 1762-1764.
                            Respectfully submitted,
                                 J.     HALL PLEASANTS (editor),
                                 RAPHAEL SEMMES,

                                     Committee on Publications.