72 court of appeals of maryland

of Appeals had the room in the southern corner,
as has been stated.

After the October term, 1780, some or all of the
judges attended at each term of court, but repeat-
edly adjourned without having transacted any
business, until 1783. Meanwhile, on June 3, 1781,
David Bradford qualified for the office of clerk
of the court, having been appointed, presumably,
after the passage of the act of 1780, chapter 23,
which authorized such an appointment, an em-
powering act having appeared necessary because
a clause in the constitution for the appointment
of court clerks gave the power specifically only to
the judges of the General Court and justices of
the county courts. And on October 2, 1781, Judge
Solomon Wright took the oath of office. The
qualification of Judge Jones is not recorded in
the minutes, but his attendance was noted for the
first time on November 20, 1781. On October 2,
1781, the three judges present, Rumsey, Wright
and Murray, took a special oath prescribed by the
act of 1780, chapter 11, to qualify them to sit on
appeals from the Court of Chancery. Judge
Jones and Mackall took the same oath later, on
May 9, 1785.

The seeming dilatoriness of the judges in tak-
ing up the organization and work of the court is
attributable in part, no doubt, to the preoccupation
of the people with the war. Maryland and New
Hampshire escaped having any actual fighting
within their boundaries, but the absorption of the
population in the war was, of course, great in
those states too. Maryland, because of its situa-
tion, saw no little part of the movements of the