Introduction. li

Following the presentation of a petition an act [No. XXIX] was passed at
the 1762 session authorizing the erection by the vestrymen and churchwardens
of St. James Parish, Herring Creek, Anne Arundel County, of a new parish
church, as the present church was "so much decayed that it is irrepairable".
For this purpose the taxable inhabitants of the parish were to be assessed
one hundred and thirty thousand pounds of tobacco (pp. 205-206). It is
known that this act was duly complied with and that the present interesting
old Georgian church was then erected. At the 1765 session authority was
given to St. James Parish to use any money unexpended under the 1762 act
for the repair of parish buildings (Hanson's Laws of Maryland made since
MDCCLXIII; Acts of 1765, chapter XXXI).

Two parochial petitions were not granted. St. Peter's Parish, Talbot County,
prayed the passage of an act authorizing the imposition of a tax upon the
inhabitants of the parish of f 500 for repairs to the parish church and for the
erection of a chapel of ease. Action upon this, however, was referred to the
next Assembly (pp. 15, 105, 155). The matter did not come up again at the
session following, but in 1770 an act was passed for the establishment of a
chapel of ease in this parish (Hanson's Laws of Maryland made since
MDCCLXIII; Acts of 1770, chapter vi). The nature of a petition presented
by Prince George's Parish, Prince George's County, is not disclosed by the
journal of either house. It was referred by the Upper House to the Lower
House, where a bill was ordered to be brought in, but does not seem to have
come up for passage (pp. 33, 149, 151). Whether this was identical with
either of the two undated petitions relating to Prince George's Parish that
were presented at the April-May, 1761, session, is uncertain (Arch. Md. LVI;
xxxi, ixxiv, 504-506, 506-508). It did not come up again, however, at the
1763 session (pp. 228, 821, 325).

Petitions involving ten parishes or churches were presented at the 1763
Assembly, praying legislation desired by the petitioners. Most of these petitions
were from the rector, vestrymen, and churchwardens of the various parishes,
with whom the inhabitants or parishioners usually joined. The prayers of the
petitioners were granted in four instances by passing the requested legislation.

Two petitions were presented at the 1763 Assembly by St. Ann's Parish,
Anne Arundel County, one requesting the passage of a bill to levy a tax of twenty
pounds of tobacco for one year upon each of the inhabitants of the parish
to repair the chapel of ease, and the other an act to levy a tax of eight pounds
of tobacco for the support of an organist at St. Anne's Church, Annapolis.
These petitions were referred by the Upper House to the Lower House where
they were promptly rejected (pp. 226, 318, 325). It seems certain that the
petition for the support of an organist was made in behalf of Frederick Victor,
the organist, who was naturalized in 1762, and who is discussed elsewhere in
this introduction (pp. xxiv-xxv).

William and Mary Parish, St. Mary's County, sought authority at the 1763
session "to lay out part of Mr. Urquhart's Parish [John Urquhart, rector of
All Faiths Parish], and that it be immediately annexed to All Faiths Parish",
but this petition was rejected in the Upper House (p. 232). The purport of