Council, governed the Province. Lee also gov-
erned the Province briefly in 1776 during the inter-
val between the departure of Eden and the assump-
tion of the government by the Convention.

REVOLUTIONARY INTERREGNUM

During the years 1774-1776 more and more of the powers of gov-
ernment came to be exercised by popular bodies, though the author-
ity of the Governor was still acknowledged until Eden's departure.
The Conventions were composed of delegates from each county
elected by the freemen of the Province in much the same manner as
was the House of Delegates. It was inconvenient for so large a
group (at one meeting there were 141 delegates) to remain in con-
tinuous session; therefore, Councils of Safety were elected by the
Conventions to exercise executive power during the intervals between
Convention meetings. With some exceptions, the Councils of Safety
were composed of nine members, five from the Western Shore and
four from the Eastern Shore. The Convention, which met from
August 14, 1776, about six weeks after the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, through November 11, 1776, framed the Constitution
which governed Maryland until 1861. The General Assembly estab-
lished by the Constitution began meeting on February 5, 1777, but
the Council of Safety continued to function as the executive body
of the State until March 20 of the same year. On March 22, 1777,
the Assembly adopted a resolution "for dissolving the Council of
Safety and Vesting the Governor and Council with their Powers."
The Governor and Council had qualified two days earlier on March
20, and they immediately began to perform the duties assigned to
them.

Conventions of the Province of Maryland

June 22-26,1774..............Matthew Tilghman........Chairman
Nov. 21-26,1774..............Matthew Tilghman........Chairman
Dec. 8-12, 1774...............John Hall................Chairman
April 24-May 3, 1776..........Matthew Tilghman........Chairman
July 26-Aug. 14, 1776.........Matthew Tilghman........Chairman
Dec. 7, 1776-Jan. 18, 1776.......Matthew Tilghman........President
May 8-26, 1776...............Charles Carroll, Barrister..President
June 21-July 6, 1776...........Matthew Tilghman........President
Aug. 14-Nov. 11, 1776.........Matthew Tilghman........President

Councils of Safety

August 29, 1776-October 21, 1776 Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer,
President, Thomas Johnson, Jr., William Paca, Charles Carroll, Bar-
rister, Thomas Stone (never acted), Samuel Chase, Robert Alexander,
Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Matthew Tilghman, John Beale Bordley
(declined), Robert Goldsborough (never acted), James Hollyday,
Richard Lloyd, Edward Lloyd, Thomas Smyth, Henry Hooper.

January 18, 1776-May 26, 1776 Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer,
President, Charles Carroll, Barrister, John Hall, Benjamin Rumsey,
James Tilghman, Thomas Smyth, Thomas Bedingfield Hands.

May 27, 1776-July 6, 1776 Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, President,
Charles Carroll, Barrister, John Hall, Benjamin Rumsey (never acted),
George Plater, James Tilghman, Thomas Smyth, Thomas Bedingfield
Hands, William Hayward.

July 6, 1776-November 11, 1776 Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer,
President, John Hall, George Plater, Charles Carroll, Barrister,