xxii                 Introduction.

           to sue in formna pauperis. So it does not now appear whether Hagleton
           ever got his corn and clothes, though he was, of course, completely free.
            The treatment of servants at this time seems to have been a little less hard
           than it had been, for there were fewer runaways and far fewer cases of ser-
           vants protesting against cruel masters—or mistresses. Elizabeth Griffin, trans-
           ported to the Province and there sold to Francis Street, a Calvert County cai-
           penter, said in her petition, that during her master's life she had lived quietly
           as his servant, but that since his death his widow had “very much abused” her,
           giving her not enough food and necessities, and beating her so hard that she
           could not do the work she owed. The petitioner and her mistress were ordered
           to appear before Cot. Baker Brooke, one of the justices of the Court, or
           Mr. Roger Brooke, who were to hold an enquiry and “to doe according to
           right & justice in this behalfe.” (post, p. 474). And this is the only case of
           cruelty coming up in these sessions. Nor were the runaways very numerous.
           When they did run away and were caught, they still had to serve ten times
           as long as they had been away (post, p. 313). In April 1675, six negroes
           belonging to one man and two to another ran away to Virginia, and only three
           of the lot were recovered (post, p. 356).
            In some cases the delivery of servants was called for in writings obligatory,
           of which there are so many here, and when there had been no delivery, the

           man who should have received them brought action to get them or to recover
           the debt. These cases are interesting humanly, and besides, they give some
           idea how much servants were worth. Jeremiah Wade was granted 2500
           pounds of tobacco for want of a woman servant between the ages of sixteen
           and twenty-four and sound and healthy (post, pp. 65-66). Thomas Courtney
           and John Quigley bargained that Quigley should deliver to Courtney “one
           man negroe aged between fifteene and five and twenty yeares Clean limbed free
           from all diseases Soars paines aches or infirmityes in Sound & perfect health
           in body and mind” with a bill of sale with warranty. When Quigley did not
           deliver, the Court allowed Courtney 8ooo pounds of tobacco (ibid., p. 94). Ac-
           cording to a contract, Henry Ward was to receive two able-bodied men serv-
           ants with their clothes and bedding, and with at least four years to serve.
           When he did not receive them, the Court granted him 12,000 pounds of tobacco
           from Henry Trulock, the other party (ibid., p. 144). There is even a case
           where a servant was replevied, exactly as a horse would have been (ibid.,
           p. 489).
            Cecilius, Lord Baltimore, in England, tried to send a manservant to his son,
           Governor Charles, in Maryland, but without success. He shipped “on board
           the good Shipp called the John of London whereof the Said Miles Cooke then
           was and still is Master One man Servant or passengr named James Jackes to be
           delivered . . . at the house of the said Charles Calvert at Mattapenny in
           Petuxent River . . . being to the Said Charles Calvert consigned & Sent”,
           with the usual exceptions relieving the captain of responsibility. This was on
           September 16, 1675, and Lord Baltimore in London paid the passage money.
           Captain Cooke “Signed with his hand according to the Custome of merchants
           in the like cases a receipt in the nature of a bill of Ladeing”, and he agreed