Introduction.             xlv

      Among the rather infrequent suits involving land to be found in this record
    was one between Thomas Hynson and Thomas Ringgold, two prominent
    planters of Kent County. Ringgold, for himself and Hynson, took up in
    1669 1200 acres of land bordering on the Chesapeake Bay, which he patented
    in his own name, agreeing to divide the tract into two parts, and to convey
    half of it to Hynson. Afterwards a dispute arose between them about the
    dividing line, and suits and counter-suits were instituted in which two other
    litigants, Anthony Purs and Henry Parker, also were involved. With the
    details of these suits we need not here concern ourselves. Ringgold was
    represented by John Morecroft as his attorney, and Hynson by Daniel Jenifer.
    The court ordered that the bounds be laid out by a jury of twelve men of the
    neighborhood, these jurors to be selected from twenty-four men, nominated
    half and half by the parties to the suit, each litigant having the right to challenge
    as many as six of those nominated by the other side. After dragging
    through the court for about a year, at the April, 1667, session a verdict was
    given for Ringgoid, and Hynson was ordered to pay 4800 pounds of tobacco
    for damages and costs (pp. 178, 180, 183). These cases involving this land
    dispute are reported in Harris and McHenry's Maryland Reports (ed. 1809,
    I, 9-11).

                MILITARY AND INDIAN AFFAIRS

      There are several references to military affairs and to Indians. Mention
    is made elsewhere in this introduction of four prominent planters, Joseph
    Harrison, James Lindsay, John Lewger, and Thomas Allanson, brought before
    the October, 1666, court to answer for their “contempt” against the power of
    the Lieutenant-General [Governor] as granted to Captain William Boarman,
    commander of the foot company (p. 128). They were bound over to answer
    at the next court when it was expected that the Governor, now absent in Eng-
    land, would be present. Nothing further, however, was heard of the matter,
    which was doubtless some violation of muster regulations, adjusted out of
    court. Two soldiers, Garrett Sennett and Ralph Wormley, who had been
    “much shott and wounded” at Piscataway, petitioned the court for relief at
    its October, 1666, session. Sennett declared that he had expended 1300 pounds
    of tobacco for his cure, and Wormley, a carpenter, that he had expended
    iooo pounds and lost two months labor. Their claims, referred to the Charles
    County court for determination, were later fixed at 9200 and 3200 pounds of
    tobacco respectively (pp. 130, 148, 173). It is to be noted that Ralph Wormiey,
    the Maryland soldier and carpenter, bore the same name as Ralph Wormley, the
    distinguished seventeenth century Virginian, who was President of the
    Council and Secretary of State of that colony.
      A proclamation was issued by the Governor, December 7, 1667, postponing
    the meeting of the court, which was to have been held on December 10, until
    February 11 following, because of the illness of certain justices and “as alsoe
    the present expedition agt the Indian Enemy with other Publiq Affaires which
    cannot suffer Delay” (pp. 219, 220); and at the session which has held in the
    February following, in a suit between Dr. Richard Tilghman and Simon