Acts. 69

in like deplorable Circumstances not being Able to redeem their
Bodies with all the Estate or Interests they have in the World
Which they would readily surrender up, and part with to their
several and respective Creditors if they would accept of the same
and Grant the said Petitioners there Liberty which seems to un-
likely for them to Obtain that unless relieved by a particular Act
to be past in their Favour which by their said Petitions they have
humbly prayed they must inevitably continue prisoners for life, and
as the allegations of the said Petitioners appear to this General As-
sembly to be true and that their lying in Goal can be of no Advantage
to their Creditors it is humbly prayed that the said Petitioners may
be relieved According to their Prayer and that it may be enacted

Liber H. S.
No. 1

And be it Enacted by the Right honourable the Lord Proprietary
by and with the Advice and Consent of his Lordships Governor and
the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly and the Authority of the
same that in case the said Prisoners shall deliver up and surrender
or Cause to be delivered up and Surrendered to the Sheriffs of
the respective Counties aforesaid in the presence of two Justices
of peace of the Counties aforesaid whom the said Sheriffs are
hereby required to Summon at the request of the said Prisoners at
some Convenient Time after the receipt of this Act not exceeding
five days all their real and Personal Estate either in possession
Reversion remainder or in Trust or in or unto Which they have
any Claim or Interest whatsoever and likewise before the day
before mentioned convey Assign Transfer and make over unto
the Sheriffs respectively for the use of the said Creditors all such
their Estate Interest or Claim as aforesaid after such manner as
by the said Sheriffs and by the Major part of such Creditors or
such of them as Shall think fit to direct therein or their Council
learned in the Law Shall reasonably devise or require at the Costs
and Charges of the Persons who Shall claim benefit thereof so
that the said Prisoners be not burthened with any Warranties
thereby Other than against them selves or those Claiming by from
or under them and that the said Prisoners at the time of such their
Surrender and Transferring their Estate as aforesaid Shall take
their Solemn Oaths (or Affirmation if Quakers) before the said

[Prisoners
to be dis-
charged on
delivering
up their
Effects, on
Oath]

two Justices aforesaid to effect following Viz.^t "I A B do Affirm
or Solemnly Swear that the Goods Debts and effects Which I have
delivered Assigned and made over to the Sheriff of

[The Oath]

County and in Trust for the use of my Creditors is the Whole
Estate both real and personal of my own in Possession or that I
have any Title to in the World and that I have not any Estate,
Goods or Effects of any kind Whatsoever left either in Posession
Reversion or remainder (the necessary wearing Apparel of myself
Wife and Children and working Tools excepted) and that I have
not directly or indirectly sold leased or otherwise Conveyed dis-

12

p. 597