Introduction. xvii

and William Paca were the names of the absent Delegates. Anne Arundel
County, however, was represented by her full quota of Delegates (p. 37).

None of the Delegates for Baltimore County were present at the opening
session. John Moale appeared four days later and was duly qualified (pp. 7, 45).
About ten days later, however, he was dismissed from any further attendance
in the Lower House. This was due to a contested election in that County. This
is indicated by the action of the Lower House on November 30 when it was
decided that as sufficient notice had not been given in that County of the election
it was void and a new election was ordered (pp. 37-38, 56).

While Francis Ware was the only Delegate present for Charles County,
Talbot County, across the Chesapeake Bay, was represented by all four of her
Delegates, including Matthew Tilghman, who, later, was to play such an
important part in the Revolution (p. 37; Arch. Md. LXI, xlii). Somerset
County, also across the bay, had three of her four Delegates present. One of
them was William Hay ward, soon to be appointed a member of the Council
which carried with it membership in the Upper House, the personnel of the
two bodies, as we have seen, being the same (Arch. Md. XXXII, 385-386).
The other Counties, including St. Mary's, Kent, Calvert, Dorchester, Cecil,
Prince George, Queen Anne, Worcester and Frederick were each represented
by two Delegates (pp. 37-38).

On December 20, 1769, Governor Eden prorogued the General Assembly
(p. 119). It did not meet again until September 25, 1770. This was the third
session of the Assembly which had been elected in 1767. A number of Delegates
who had been elected in that year took their seats for the first time. Three
Delegates appeared at the opening meeting for Baltimore County. The new
Delegates were John Paca, Aquila Hall and John Matthews (pp. 172, 207).
Robert Hendley (or Henly) Courts, of Charles County, and Joseph Gilpin, of
Cecil County, were sworn in as Delegates at this opening session (pp. 172, 207).
Gilpin took the place of Henry Baker, who had died, while Courts replaced
John Hanson, Jr., who could no longer represent Charles County due to his
acceptance of an office (Maryland Gazette, Jan. 18, 1770).

On October 26, 1770, Parker Selby, Delegate for Worcester County, having
accepted the office of sheriff in that county his seat in the Lower House was
declared "void" and the Speaker was instructed to tell Selby that he was dis-
missed from further attendance. The House also made arrangements to hold
another election in Worcester County in order that the voters could choose
another Delegate in place of Selby (pp. 286-287). As William Hayward, who
had represented Somerset County in the previous session, had been appointed
a member of the Governor's Council, an election in that county was ordered to
determine who should be Hay ward's successor (p. 208).

Robert Lloyd, of Queen Anne's County, who had been Speaker of the Lower
House, at the last session of the General Assembly, died on July 16, 1770, as a
result of a fall from his carriage (Maryland Gazette, July 19, 1770). After
a new election, which had been ordered by the Lower House in Queen Anne's
County, William Hopper took the place of Lloyd (pp. 37, 206, 208, 184-185,
262; Maryland Gazette, Oct. 18, 1770). In Somerset County William Adams