Provincial Court Proceedings, 1678. 35

dyn his Attorney complaineth, that whereas by an Act of Assembly
made att the Citty of S^t Maryes in the yeare of the Dominion
of &c and in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hun-
dred Seventy two & continued to this p^rsent day amongst other things
itt was Enacted. That any Servant or Servants whatsoever unlaw-
fully absenting him her or themselves from his or their said Master
Mistris or Dame or Overseer shall serve tenn dayes for every one
dayes absence to be judged when such Master Mistris or Dame
shall bring the said Servant before the Justices of the Provinciall or
County Court as by the Act more att large itt doth more fully ap-
peare And the said Jacob in fact saith, that the said Mary was
Servant to him the said Jacob & dureing the said tyme of servitude
did absent herselfe unlawfully from the service of him the said
Jacob for the space of three hundred sixty five dayes or one yeare,
to witt from the first day of January One thousand six hundred
Seventy foure untill the first day of January One thousand six hun-
dred Seventy five By which accon accrueth to the said Jacob to
demand service of the said Mary according to the said Act Notwith-
standing which the said Mary service according to the said Act to
him the said Jacob to render hitherto hath & still denyes to render
To the damage of the said Jacob foure thousand pounds of tobacco,
& thereupon he bringeth his suite
And the said Mary Seames by Robert Ridgely her Attorney com-
eth & defendeth the force & injury when &c and prayeth liberty to
imparle hereunto untill next Provinciall Court & itt is granted unto
her, the same day is given to the plaintiffe also

Liber N N

Now here att this day to witt the twelfth day of October in the
third yeare of the Dominion of Charles Lord Baltemore &c Annoq
Doni 1678 cometh as well the said plaintiffe as the said Defend^t by
their Attorneys aforesaid And the said Mary by her said Attorney
saith, that she is not guilty of the p^rmisses above by the said Jacob
imposed upon her And of this she putts herselfe upon the Countrey
And the said Jacob also Whereupon itt is comanded the Sheriffe of
S^t Maryes County that he cause to come here twelve &c by whom
&c and who neither &c to recognize &c because as well &c Att which
said twelfth day of October in the yeare aforesaid cometh the said
parties by their Attorneys aforesaid And the Jurors impannelled
being called likewise come to witt Richard Boughton, Robert Mason,
Thomas Doxey, John Doxey, James Rumsey, Tho: Bowdle, Thomas
Osborne, Lewis Blangy, Thomas Ball, Henry Howard, Thomas
Gilbert & Richard Hodgson, who being Elected tryed & Sworne to
say the truth in the p^rmisses upon their Oaths doe, say that the said
Mary Seames is not guilty of the p^rmisses above by the said Jacob
imposed upon her Therefore itt is considered that the said Jacob
take nothing by his writt aforesaid but be in mercy for his false
plaint thereupon prosecuted And that the said Mary may goe thereof

p. 707