64       Provincial Court Proceedings, 1672/3.

         Liber M M   the said servant Thomas bearing date the 20th day of February 1668,
                 And whereas the said Alexander by and with the free will Consent
                 and good liking of the said servant Thomas The Eight and Twentieth
                 day of July 1670 on the backside of the said writing, under the hands
                 of the said Alexander and the said servant Thomas, did assigne all
                 his Right and interest of and in the said certeine writing and the
                 said servant Thomas unto the said John Atkey, And the said John
                 saith that he had reteyned him the said servant Thomas in his service
                 to serve him the said John for and during the Residue of ye said
                 Terme of foure years mentioned and Expressed in the said certeine
                 writing then to come and unexpired, And being of him the said
                 servant Thomas lawfully possessed, the said servant Thomas the
                 28th day of July 1671 Run away and Depted out of ye service of
                 the said John, wch said servant Thomas afterwards the Eighth day
                 of November 1671 came to the hands and possession of the said
                 Wm Boyden, yet the said Wm Knowing the sd servant Thomas to
                 be the servant of him the said John and to him of Right to belong
                 and pteine, and devising and fraudulently intending Craftily and
                 subtilly to Deceive and defraud the said John of ye said servant
                 Thomas the said servant to the said John although the said Wm by
                 him the said John often Required hath not Delivered, but the said
                 servant Thomas to him hitherto to Deliver hath Denyed, and as yet
                 doth Deny, and unjustly Deteyne contrary to the act of Assembly
                 in that case made & provided, To the great Damage of the said John
                 whereupon he saith he is Damnifyed and hath lost to the vallue of
                 Eight Thowsand pounds of Tobacco, and thereupon he bringes his
                 suite.
                   And the said Wm by Benjamin Rozer his Attorney Cometh and
                 defendeth the wrong and injury when &c and saith that he is in no
                 wise guilty of ye premises alledged agt him by the said John, and
                 this he prayeth may be Enquired into by the Country and the said pTh
                 likewise.
                   Therefore Comand is given unto the Sheriff of St Maryes County
                 that he cause to come before the Justices of the Provincial Court
                 to be held at the Citty of St Maryes the Eleaventh day of February
                 next being the first day of the same Court Twelve &c by whom &c
                 who neither &c because aswell &c to recognize &c and the same day is
                 given to both ptyes.
                   At which day that is to say the 11th day of February in the 41th
                 yeare of ye Dominion of Caecilius &c Annoq Domini 1672 came
                 aswell the said John Atkey by George Parker his Attorney as the
                 said Wm Boyden by Benjamin Rozer his Attorney And the Jurors
                 of that Jury likewise came to wit Wm Thompson Henrick Johnson
              p. 6 Jesse Allen Robert Clerke Richard Owen Richard Dawson John
                 Raven Charles Clerke John Barber George Charlesworth Peter Evers
                 and Abraham Roades who to say the truth in the premises being