62 PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY

pounds of tobaccoe which by an Act of Assembly of this province Intituled an
Act touching Coopers and gaudg[es] of tobacco hogsheads which to him he
oweth and unjustly Deteyneth.

And whereupon the Said Abraham Feilds by Thomas Hughes his Attorney
Complayneth that whereas in and by a Certaine Act of Assembly begunn and
held att the Citty of St. Marys the 21th day of September Annoque Domini
1694 in the 6th year of our Sovereign Lord and Lady William and Mary by the
grace of God King and Queen of Englnd: Scotland France and Ireland etc. and
by Severall other Acts Revived and Continued and now Standing it was Enacted
by the Authority aforesaid amoung Divers other Lawes and things therein Con-
tained that any Cooper or Coopers person or persons whatsoever that Shall
Agree with any of the Inhabitants of this province and undertaking with him
or them to Sett up or make his or their tobacco hogsheads and Casks Shall and
are thereby to Sett up and Finish one halfe of the Said tobacco hogsheads and
Casks by the tenth of October next Ertsueing the undertaking of the making of
Such tobacco hogsheads and Casks as aforesaid and the other moyety of the Said
tobacco hogsheads and Casks to Sett up and Finish by or before the tenth of
December next Ensueing Such Contract as aforesaid and if any Cooper or
Coopers person or persons whatsoever within this province Soe agreeing and
undertaking [the] Same as aforesaid Shall Willfully or otherwise neglect and
refuse to make Sett up and finish the Said tobacco hogsheads [and] Casks as
aforesaid by Such time as aforesaid Shall forfeitt the Sume of one hundred lbs.
of tobacco per tunn of Casks or tobacco hogsheads Left at the time aforesaid
unmade not Sett up and unfinished to be recovered in the Severall County
Courts where the partie or parties Cooper or Coopers doe att that time dwell or
reside unless the Said Cooper or Coopers person or persons agreeing or under-
taking the Said worke or Caske aforesaid Shall or Cann before the Comisoners
of Such County Courts make it appeare Suffitiently that he was hindered in the
performing his Said Agreement or undertaking by Sickness or Some other Law-
full Impediment to be Adjudged and Approved by the Said Comisoners of the
Said County Courts as by the Said Act Relation being thereunto had it doth
and may more Fully and at Large Appeare and the Said Abraham Feild[s] in
fact Saith that the Said John Gardiner not being Ignorant of the premises upon
the 16th day of November 1694 did agre[e to] undertake to Sett up and finish
for him the Said [Abraham Feilds] four tunns of tob[acco] [60] hogsheads or
Casks to be made Sett up and Finished in Such manner and forme by Such times
as in and by the Said Act of Assembly is Limited expressed and declared but
he the Said John Gardiner the Said Act of Assembly not Regarding nor the
penalty in the Same Contained any Jott fearing did not make Sett up nor Finish
the Said four tunn of tobacco hogsheads or Casks or any part thereof for the
Said Abraham Feilds According to the Act of Assembly as aforesaid although
often thereunto Required whereby Action hath Accrued to the Said Abraham to
have and demand of the Said Gardiner 100 lbs. of tobacco per: tunn of the Said
Cask not Sett up and unfinished as aforesaid According to the Act etc. amount-
ing in the whole to the Sume of Eight hundred pounds of tobaccoe and there-
upon he brings his Suite.

Thomas Hughes for plantiffe. Pledges etc. John Doe, Richard Roe.

And the Said Abraham Feilds Came into Court and prayed Leave of the
Court here that he might have another Attorney to pleade for him in the Action
aforesaid his former Attorney Thomas Hughes not being here in Court and it is
granted unto him. And now here at this day (to witt) the 24th day of November