xxxvi PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY

laid upon their respective offices for the public uses by act of Assembly. To some
extent the clerk of the county acted as an administrative arm of the Provincial
Court, being charged with posting at the court-house or some other public place
the dockets of causes triable at the next Provincial Court. 41

Clerk of the Indictments

At the May 1696 court William Bladen was sworn clerk of the indictments. At
the June court a commission was entered from George Plater, attorney general of
the province, dated June 17, 1696, constituting Bladen clerk of the peace, viz.,
clerk of the indictments. 42 The oath to be administered the clerk of the indict-
ments, drawn up by William Dent, solicitor general, at the order of the Governor
and Council in October, 1695, and presumably taken by Bladen, read as follows:

You shall well and truly Execute and perform the Office of his Majesties Clerk of the
Indictments for prosecutor of his Majesties pleas in ________ County Court ac-
cording to the jurisdiction of the Court. You shall not decrease or lessen his Majesties
Dues, by any Fines, Forfietures or other legall means accruing, but to the Utmost of your
skill and power do his Majesties service therein. You shall not be of Councill or give
Councill with any against his Majesty or whereby his Dues or profits may be lessened or
diminished, but in all things according to the best of your skill and power well and truly
serve his said Majesty in the said Office while you shall continue therein, and to see all
Criminalls duly prosecuted. So help you God.43

Bladen continued as clerk of the indictments until the June 1698 court when
the justices appointed William Stone to the office during pleasure. Then at the
January 1698/9 court Joshua Cecil was admitted to office upon presentation of a
commission from the Attorney General, William Dent, appointing him clerk of
indictments and "Prossecutor of his Majestyes Pleas actions Suites and demands
of what Nature or Kindesoever Ariseing within the Said County and Cognizable
by the Justices of the Said County Court." Cecil continued as clerk of the indict-
ments under Governor Blakiston. 44

Neither the Liber nor the Council records indicate the degree of supervision
exercised by the attorney general over the various clerks of the indictments. In
October 1698 and July 1699 there are references in the Council minutes to some
instructions which the attorney general intended to give to the several clerks of
the indictments and which were "well aproved", but we have seen no copy of any
such instructions, although presented to the House upon the later occasion. 45
That the office of clerk of the indictments was not considered lucrative appears
from the fact that the annual payment for the public use required by law for such
office holders was only 200 pounds of tobacco. 46

Minor Court Personnel

Two minor court officials were the crier and the drummer, only the former
being recognized by law as an officer of the court. John Joyce was crier for most

41. 20 id. 288 (cf. 20 id. 330); 23 id. 110; 20 id. 524; 23 id. 205; 25 id. 30; 38 id. 57.

42. Infra 7, 14.

43. 20 MA 310.

44. Infra 347, 435, 522. In cases in which the grand jury found a true bill the clerk of the
indictments received 200 pounds of tobacco of the criminal. 38 MA 113; 22 id. 502. Why
Bladen ceased to be clerk of the indictments is not apparent. In 1698/9 Nicholson characterized
him to Blakiston as very loyal to his Majesty and ready in his duty. 25 id. 44.

45. 25 id. 20; 22 id. 346, 440.

46. 38 id. 50.