education to the children of the State, as evinced by the
legislation of 1694, '96 and 1704, it was not till 1725—ninety-
two years after the landing of the Pilgrims atSt. Mary's, and

seventy-one after the erection of our County—that we real-
ied the benefits of their efforts. Under the act of 1723 'for
the encouragement of learning and erecting Schools in the

several Counties of this Province,' a 'Public Free School
was established near where the County Seat now stands. * It
was incorporated under the charge of seven 'Visitors,' f whose

names still represent some of our most influential citizens ;
thus indicating the solicitude felt by the Legislature for its
success. How far it realized the hopes of its founders, we have,
unfortunately, no means of knowing (Troja fruit, is nearly all
the Records announce.) It was, through the liberality of Geo.

Plater, of Annapolis, endowed with one hundred and eighty
acres of land, from the cultivation of which, the 'Master'—
who was to be a 'member of the Church of England, of pious
and exemplary life and conversation, and capable of teach-
ing well the grammar, good writing and the mathematics'

derived his chief support. Whom they found to fulfil
these requirements; who ministered at this primitive Temple
of Science,—it were idle now to inquire; though as Rev. J.
Gay and Win. Hunter are entitled 'Masters' in the Records,
we may indulge the conjecture that both in their day ruled
'lords dominant' in this Pioneer School, which for fifty-
two years held undivided sway in our County. But a rival
at length appeared. In 1775, Dr. Jno. H. Smith donated a
lot of ground near Lower Marlboro' to certain individuals,§
for the use of a 'Public School', 'to be thereon erected,' a duty
which they appear to have promptly executed, as three years
later (1778) the Trustees represented to the Legislature,
"that they had at their own expense erected a seminary of
learning, near Lower Marlboro', which for several years past,
had secured a sufficient number of students to enable a gen-
tleman of ability to take charge thereof;" and being desirous
of enlarging its plan, they petition to be authorized to sell

* This same year (1725 ) an act was passed for the removal of the County seat from
Battle Creek to ita present site, which was then known as 'Williams' Old Fields.'

Vide Kitty's Laws. Md. 1725. ch. xi.

t "Rev. Jonathan Cay, Jno. Roasby, Esq., Col. Jno. Mackall, Col. Jno. Smith,
Mr. Jas. Heigh, Mr. Walter Smith of St. Leonard's Creek, and Mr. Benj. Mackall.

-vide. idem. 1723. ch. xix.

J This land is described as 'lying in Calvert County, cast of the Patuxent River,

west of the Chesapeake Bay, in the head branches of Packer's Creek." and derived
from the donor's Father, 'Geo. Plater, also of Calvert Co.' who had purchased it from
Wro. Williams in 1704.—Vid. Land Rec. Jane 3,1725. The words East of the Patux-

ent River, imply, as was the fact, that Calvert Co. at one time extended West of the
P. River. Query: was this Geo. Plater (the donor) father to the Gorernor of that
name in 1791?

Dr. Ed. Johnson, Ed. Gantt, Ed. Reynolds, Pat. Sim Smith, and Thos. J.
Claggett. Vid. Land Bee. Calvert Co. Lib. 17Y5. The Thos. J. Claggett here

named, was afterwards (1792) Epis. Bishop of Md.