Provincial Court Proceedings, 1678/9. 123

Lordpp the Lord Prop^ry (who by reason of his Office on behalfe
of his Lordpp is bound to prosecute all felons murderers robbers
or any misdoers or offenders against the Lawe) publickly did informe
that the said Nehemiah had robbed him on the high way & putt him
in feare of his life & tooke violently from him his hatt & perriwigg,
& required the said Attorney Gen^ll to draw an Indictment against
him for the same, by meanes whereof the said Nehemiah from
amongst the rest of the Attorneys of the same Court was secluded,
& by the Court comitted into the custody of Gerard Slye gentt high
Sheriffe of the said County of S^t Maryes then present in Court
And afterwards to witt the twelfth day of the same June att the
City of S^t Maryes aforesaid in further prosecution of his wicked
divellish & malitious contrivance aforesaid, the said Edward the said
crime of felony robbery upon his corporall Oath to the said Nehe-
miah did againe impose before W^m Hatton, John Addison, John
Warren, Thomas Courtney, John Darnall, Jacob Young, John
Brown, Thomas Tasker, Richard Marsham, Robert Robins, Ran-
dolph Brandt, George Godfrey, Thomas Innis, Thomas Bankes,
Robert ffranklin & Charles Howell gentl being of a certaine Jury
or Inquest of the body of the said Province who upon the only evi-
dence & testimony of the said Edward Husbands against the said
Nehemiah then & there upon his Oath as aforesaid falsely malitiously
divellishly & wickedly given, the said jurors or Inquest for the body
of the said Province did present the said Nehemiah Blakiston by the
name of Nehemiah Blakiston late of S^t Maryes County gentl (mean-
ing the said plaintiffe) for that he the twenty sixth day of March
in the first yeare of his said Lordpps Dominion & in the yeare of
our Lord one thousand six hundred seventy six att Mattapony in
S^t Clements Manno^r in the County aforesaid in the high way there
in & upon Edward Husbands then & there in the peace of God &c
being did make an assault, & him the said Edward then & there in
great feare of his body putt, & one hatt called a ffrench hat & one
perriwigg of the Value of three pounds Eight shillings sterling then
& there from the person of the said Edward with force & armes
feloniously did take & carry away contrary to the peace &c which
Indictm^t aforesaid the said Justices in the Records of the said Court

Liber N N

caused to be entred And Recorded, & the same day comanded the
said Sheriffe of S^t Maryes County the said Nehemiah his Prisoner
as aforesaid to the barr to sett, whereupon the said Sheriffe the said
Nehemiah to the barr of the said Provinciall Court brought, & the
Court requiring the said Nehemiah his hand att the barr to hold up,
the said Nehemiah was for the supposed felony & robbery to him
by the said Edward as aforesaid imposed by the Clerke of the same
Court arraigned, & upon his Arraignment he pleaded not guilty &
for his tryall putt himselfe upon the Countrey Therefore comand
was given to the same Sheriffe of S^t Maryes County that he should

p. 787