16        Provincial Court Proceedings, 1681.

     Liber W. C. and six pence Law full money of England wch to him hee oweth and
                 unjustly Detaineth, and that hee should have then and there that
                 writt, as by the same writ Remaining upon Record doth appeare,
                 Wch said writ of the Lord Propry against the said John Burditt at
                 the suite of the said Nicholas Painter for the said sume of Two
                 thousand Eight hundred Twenty eight pounds of Tobacco & seaven
                 shillings six pence in Money Hee the said Nicholas Painter to the
                 said Richard Ladd, Then and still being sheriffe of the said County
                 of Calvert Att the house of the said Richard Ladd scituate upon the
                 Cliffts in Calvert County aforesd the Twentyeth day of the same
                 Moneth of August did Deliver in forme of Law to be Executed, And
                 the said Nicholas Painter did acquaint the said Richard Ladd that the
                 said John Burditt was within his Baliwick (to wit) at the house of
                 Richard Keene in Petuxent River, and Required the said sheriffe to
                 goe or send an Officer forthwith to serve the said writ upon the body
                 of the said Burditt, But the said Richard Ladd the duty of his Office
                 not Regarding, Nor his Oath taken for the true and due Execucon
                 thereof not at all weighing, The said writ of ye said Lord Propry
                 against the said John Burdett at the suite of ye said Nicholas Painter
                 for the said sumes of Two Thousand eight hundred Twenty eight
         p. 399  pounds of Tobacco And seaven shillings six pence in Money a fore
                 said, Refused and Denyed to Execute, And the same writ to his
                 Lops Justices of the Provinciall Cort held at the Citty of st Maryes
                 the ffifth day of October then next following, and by his Lopps writ
                 of adjournmt adjourned to the Twenty third day of November then
                 next Ensueing, Returned, That the within Named John Burditt was
                 not to be found within his Baliwick Whereas If the said Richard
                 Ladd the Duty of his Office had regarded hee might by vertue of
                 the said writ of Capias The body of the said Burditt have taken as
                 by the said writ hee was Comanded, By reason whereof the said
                 John Burditt afterwards Out of the said County of Calvert with
                 drew himself into places unknowne to the said Nicholas And the
                 said Nicholas thereby is in Manifest danger his debt of Two thou
                 sand Eight hundred Twenty eight pounds of Tobacco, and seaven
                 shillings six pence in Money to him Due from ye said John Burdett
                 as aforesaid Totally to loose, and of the same Utterly to be Deprived,
                 Whereupon hee sayth hee is the worse and hath Damages to the
                 Vallue of six Thousand pounds of Tobacco And thereupon hee
                 bringeth his suite
                  And the said Richard Ladd by Charles Boteler his Attorney Com
                 eth and Defendeth the force and injury when &c and prayeth liberty
                 to Imparle hereunto untill next Provinciall Court and it is granted
                 unto him the same day is given to the plt Likewise
                  Now here at this day to wit the Nine and Twentyeth day of Aprill
                 in the sixth yeare of the Dominion of the Right Honoble Charles
                 Lord Baltemore &c Annoq Dominj 1681 Came the said partyes by