Lviii Introduction.

"the Church of the said Parish is an Antient Building, very much gone to Ruin,
so that it Cannot be Expected to Stand long, nor is it practicable to repair
the same", they prayed for the passage of an act levying upon the inhabitants
of this parish 200,000 pounds of tobacco in three equal assessments to build
a new church at a more convenient place than the present location (pp. 181,
264-265). The petition was first presented in the Upper House and referred
to the lower chamber, where a bill for this purpose was drawn and passed both
houses (pp. 52, 177, 181, 185). This act authorized the purchase of two
acres of land and directed that a new church be built upon it (pp. 264-265).

St. Paul's Parish, Kent, through its vestry, churchwardens, and sundry
other inhabitants of the parish, petitioned the Assembly praying, that as there
was in the hands of the vestry 20,000 pounds of Tobacco over and above the
amount required for the repair of the church, that it be allowed to apply this
to building and furnishing a vestry house (pp. 50, 158, 269). A bill to this
end was introduced in the Lower House, passed, and received the assent of the
upper chamber (pp. 177, 181, 185). The vestry house still stands. As the
result of a petition, presented in the Upper House on November 16 by several
inhabitants of Kent County, reciting that as many of the residents of the
middle of that county lived too remotely from the St. Paul's and Shrewsbury
parish churches to attend divine services, it was prayed that there be erected
out of these two parishes a new parish to be named Chester, and that a parish
church be built at the Cross Roads at a place called I. U. (pp. 50, 202, 228,
300). An act creating Chester parish was then passed by both houses (pp. 79,
202). This act empowered the vestrymen to be chosen, to purchase two acres
of land at I. U. and to build there a commodious brick church at a cost of not
more than 130,000 pounds of tobacco; and also to establish a chapel-of-ease
in Chestertown, making use of for this purpose the "commodious house" now
used for church purposes in that town built at private expense on a lot pur-
chased in the same way, "saving to the private Proprietors their Pews in the
said Church and Gallery". The vestry of Chester Parish was given authority
to build an addition to this house at a cost not exceeding 50,000 pounds of
tobacco. The act further provided that the present incumbent of Shrewsbury
Parish, the Reverend George William Forrester, was to serve Chester Parish
as long as he shall continue the incumbent of Shrewsbury Parish (pp. 299, 302).
At the December, 1766, session an act was passed authorizing the building of
a vestry house at Chester Church, and at the 1768 session authority was obtained
to build a new chapel in Chestertown (Hanson's Laws of Maryland made since
MDCCLXIII; 1787; acts of May, 1768, chapter viii).

A petition was presented in the Upper House on December 5 by sundry in-
habitants of Queen Anne's County praying for a division of the existing
parishes of that county, which was sent to the Lower House (pp. 75, 211,
235). This asked that the bounds between St. Luke's, Christ Church, St.
John's parishes in Queen Anne's County and St. Paul's Parish lying both
in Queen Anne's and Talbot counties be laid out and settled for the future
(p. 232). The act which was passed to this end recited that a new division
was necessary because the large extent of some of the parishes made attendance