the Free School buildings and lands, and devote the pro-
ceeds to their own school; giving as an additional reason for
the sale, 'that the Free school did not afford sufficient sup-
port for a master, and that its situation made it difficult to
procure board for youth. This petition was granted;—the more
readily perhaps, from the influence of Thos. Johnson, theft
Governor, who was the fellow-countryman of the petitioners
—the lower Marlboro' school incorporated, and the following
year (1779), the Free School lands and buildings disposed of,
to Wm. Hunter, 'its late master and register,' for the sum
of £1972,* to be applied to the use of this, our second Public
School, which was to be thenceforth known as 'The Lower
Marlboro' Academy.'

SECOND PERIOD.

During this period, which extends from 1779—1854—our
County possessed, beside that of Lower Marlboro,' four ad-
ditional Academies—viz: Prince Frederick, incorporated in
1833; Battle Creek, in 1835; Island Creek, 1836—and Plum
Point, 1845. What degree of efficiency they attained, it
would be difficult to determine, but according to the best in-
formation accessible, it would seem that the course of instruc-
tion varied with the demands of the Trustees, and the ac-
quirements of the teacher engaged. Generally speaking, it
was confined to the elementary branches of English, though
at one period, I learn that an assistant teacher of the classic
found employment in the Lower Marlboro' Academy. This
evidence of liberal patronage and literary pretentious might
be explained perhaps, by the fact, that this school was, at
this time, in the sole enjoyment of the Academic fund of the
County. This fund, amounting to $800 annually, I would
remark en passant, underwent singular transitions. In 1798,
the very year that gave birth to the Lower Marlboro' Acade-
my, it was assigned by the Legislature, to the use of Charlotte
Hall Seminary, for the benefit of which school, Prince George,
St Maryland Charles Counties, had previously made the
same disposition of their Academic funds—and in retura,
Calvert was allowed the joint management of that time-hon-
ored Institution; in 1817 it was withdrawn from Charlotte
Hall, and assigned to the use of the Commissioners of the
Free School Fund of our County, to be distributed in common
with the latter fund for the education of indigent children,
for whose benefit it was annually applied till 1821, when, by

*The Commissioners effecting the sale, were, as appears by a deed bearing date
1779, Chas. Grahame, Wm. Fitzhugh and Thos. Chew.—(Vide Lib. S. S. fol. 198.
Land Rec. Cal. Co.) The sum obtained was more than the same tract would bring
now, and this might hare been due to improvements on them. Tradition indeed tells
us of a Grist and a Fulling Mill; no trace of which now exists, except an em-
bankment, still known as 'Hunter's mill-dam.'