336  Provincial Court Proceedings, 1674.




         Liber M M  and difficult buisnesses of the Said Lord Proprietary was used &
                 imployed in And the Said Lord Proprietary reposeing especiall trust
                 & confidence in the honesty faithfulnesse & integrety of him the Said
                 Thomas on the first day of May in the 41th yeare of the Dominion
                 of his Said Lopp Annoq Dom 1673 by his Comission under the
                 Lesser Seale of the Said Province did constitute & appoint the Said
                 Thomas to be High-Sheriff of his Lopps Said County of Dorchester
                 & the Said Thomas was duly Sworne for the true & just execution
                 of the Said Office & the Same day gave bond to the Said Lord Pro
                 prietary in the Sume of two hundred thousand pounds of tobacco
                 for the true & just execution thereof in all things that appurteined
                 to the Said Office of Sheriff of the Said County of Dorchester ac
                 cording to the best of his Skill power & Knowledge By virtue of
                 which Said Comission from his Said Lopp to him the Said Thomas
                 to be High Sheriff of the Said County of Dorchester & the Said
                 Thomas being duly Sworne & giveing bond as aforesaid the Said
                 Thomas the first day of May in the yeare aforesaid did begin to
                 execute the Said Office of Sheriff of the Said County of Dorchester
                 and in the Same Office by the Grace and favour of the Said Lord
                 Proprietary to this day hath continued & hath duly executed all
                 proces warrants & writts & hath done & performed all other matters
                 to the Said Office of Sheriff appurteineing in the Said County of
                 Dorchester honestly & faithfully & according to the best of his Skill
                 powcr & Knowledge & according to his Oath in yt behalfe takcn,
                 & his bond to the Said Lord Proprietary given as aforesaid & also
                 the Said Thomas by reason of his honest & faith full dischargeing
                 of the Said Office with his Excellency Charles Calvert Capt Genll &
                 Cheife Governour of this Province & also with all the Councellors &
                 justices of the Said Lord Proprietary within this Province & also
                 with all the great & eminent persons within this Province & with
                 all other the Inhabitants of this Province whatsoever State or con
                 dition for the whole time aforesd as Such a true & faithfull man
                 to the Said Lord Proprietary as is aforesaid from whatsoever crime
                 of falsity deceipt perjury extortion or bribery in the execution of
                 his Said Office hath beene accepted & taken to be unspotted & un
                 touched Yet the aforesaid George Parker not ignorant of the pre
                 misses & designing to take away the good name fame & reputacon
                 of him the Said Thomas as also to bring him within the danger of
                 forfeiting his said bond of two hundred thousand pounds of tobacco
                 So passed as aforesaid by him the said Thomas to the Said Lord
                 Proprietary for the true & faithfull execution of the Office of Sheriff
                 of the County of Dorchester aforesaid & also to bring him the said
                 Thomas in the Opinion of the Said Capt Generall Councellours &
            p. 252  justices & all other the great & eminent Persons of this Province
                 and with all other the Inhabitants of the Said Province to be a
                 perjured person, a retarder of justice, a taker of Bribes, to delay