336       Provincial Court Proceedings, 1677/8.

             Liber N N  agt him And itt is considered by the Court here, that the said Edward
                    Bleek recover agt the said Wm Knott the sume of Nine hundred
                    seventy six pds of tob for his costs & charges by him about his
                    defence in this behalfe laid out & expended And the said Wm Knott
                    in mercy for his false clayme.

                    Robt Ellys    Mary Ward Exx of the last Will & Testamt of
                      agt Matthew Ward of Talbott County deceased was
                    Mary Ward Exx Attached to Answer unto Robt Ellys of a plea of
                    Matthew Ward trespas of the case
                                 And whereupon the said Robert Ellys by Robert
                    Carvile his Attorny saith, that the said Matthew Ward being upon
                    the Eleventh day of December in the yeare of our Lord One thousand
                    six hundred seventy six justly indebted unto the said Robt Ellys in
                    the sume of foure hundred & fifty pounds of tobacco And the said
                    Matthew Ward being an Attorney att Law & practiseing as an At
                    torney in the County Courts of Talbot & Kent County, & the said
                    Robt Ellys shewing him a list of debts due to him the said Robert
                    Ellys from severall persons in the said Countyes, he the said Matthew
                    Ward desired the same might be putt into his hands to collect &
                    receive the same, or on refusall of paymt to sue for & recover the
                    same And thereupon the said Robt Ellys did deliver unto the said
                    Matthew Ward a list of debts by bills & accounts amounting to the
                p. 571  sume of Six thousand foure hundred twenty foure pounds of to
                    bacco a copy whereunto is here annexed to collect sue for & recover,
                    the receipt whereof the said Matthew Ward did by writeing under
                    his hand acknowledge And did in consideracon thereof assume upon
                    himselfe & to the said Robert Ellys faithfully promise, that he the
                    said Matthew would well & truely pay or cause to be paid to the said
                    Robert Ellys when he should be thereunto requested not only his
                    said debt of foure hundred & fifty pounds of tobacco but also all
                    such other sumes of tobacco as he the said Matthew should receive
                    upon any the bills & accompts aforesaid And the said Robert Ellys
                    in fact saith, that the said Matthew Ward did recover & receive of &
                    from Herbert Croft fifty pounds of tob, from Humphrey Davenport
                    Eighty pds of tob, from Stephen Tully two hundred ninety one
                    pds of ton, from Mr Marsh three hundred sixty seven pounds of
                    ton, from John Wells three hundred & Seventy pds of tob, from
                    Tobias Wells one hundred thirty nine ptts of tob, from John Darby
                    two hundred ninety nine pds of tob, & from John Stanley Seventy
                    pds of tob, all which said sumes doe amount unto the sume of one
                    thousand five hundred fifty foure pds of tobacco which together
                    with his said debt of foure hundred & fifty pounds of tobacco in the
                    whole amount unto the sume of two thousand & foure pds of tobacco
                    craftily & subtily to defraud & deceive he the said Matthew in his
                    life tyme or the said Mary since his death Exx of the last Will &