Pitch^t, the first twelve foote in the cleere the second nine-foote & the third Eight foote
with an Italion or hip¹. Roofe with Lutarnes hip^t, with twelve Archytryve Windowes
in the two Cleere storyes with Cornishes over the heads of the Windowes two of them
in the Court Hall of eight foote by seaven the Rest five by six with seaven or eight
Lutarne Windowes in the Roofe together with two stacks of brick Chimneys of fower
harths of eight foote within the Gaumes with a fayre open vill [well] stare Casse up
unto the Roofe haveing severall partitions with folding Wenscoatt dores where nessi-
sary the lower Dores p[b]olectioned with two chimney pieces for the lower roomes The
Court Hall to be wenscoated Raild & banisterd seald & inclosed in such forme &
manner & as Comendable as in the Provinciall State House with good & sufficient light
Clapboard Covering & Weather Boarding with a Second Covering the second yeare
after finished the whole building to be pform'd & finished att his the s^d Swetnams
owne Charge saving Glass hooks hinges boltes & locks onely excepted; with all brick
laying & plastering worke & under Pining with brick or stone w^ch is to be done by
some knowne woorkman who is suffitiently to Calk Render wash & stopp the whole
building & Prime the Windowes in Oyle Coll: Philemon Loyd to provide & finde him
Colores that the whole woorke to be substantially built woorkman Like & that all the
several! timbers therto be good proportion & of such regular scanling as shall be
reasonably advised by any good Archytecktare in Consideration of w^ch bargains Cove-
nants Promises Articles & agreements of the part of the s^d. Richard Swetnam by him
his heyrs Execut^rs or Adm^rs well & truly to be pformed fulfilled & kept as afores^d the
s^d. Richard Woolman Major William Coursey Coll: Philemon Loyd Edward Mann Capt.
George Cooly James Murphy William Combes Comission^rs for the County afores^d have
agreed to pay in behalfe of the s^d County unto him the s^rt Richard Swetnam his heyres
ex^ms Adm^rs or assignes one hundred & thirty thousand pounds of tobacco one Moyty
att the sealing & delivery of these presents ....... ⁵

This building seems to have been completed before 1685.⁶ The settlement which built up
around it came to be known as York, and from time to time facilities for lodging and vic-
tualling of man and beast expanded to meet the needs of a growing population. The courthouse
itself ministered to some of the needs, for in spite of the court order of 1684, an ordinary was
kept in the courthouse and in 1697 it returned a fair revenue to the county.⁷

An act of 1706 provided for the erection of Queen Anne's County.⁸ When the lines had
been settled, York was still in Talbot County but on the edge rather than in the center as
theretofore. At the court session of August 21, 1706, a commission was appointed to select a
new site for the county seat and the last session of court was held at York on June 17, 1707.

First Courthouse at Easton

The next court met at Oxford on August 19 following, in the house of Daniel Sherwood,
where it continued to meet at least through November 1708 and probably for the duration of
the Oxford period. In the meanwhile, at November Court of 1706, the courthouse was rented
to Ralph Stevenson until it was demolished in November 1708, and the lead from the roof sold
to John Sherwood. It was apparently the intention of the commission to make Oxford the
county town. Accordingly, town lots were resurveyed and some other preparations made. At

5 Talbot County Judgments, 1673-1682, ff. 494-95, Ms., and cited in Tilghman, II, 212-13. 6 Some changes in the original plans, among them an enlarge- ment of the porch, as well as the names of several suppliers are found in the Judgments record of 1682-1685 as follows: To Mr. Sweatnam for addition to the Porch to the Court House... This Court hath ordered that Col. Philemon Lloyd send to England for the Statute Books as the Lawe provides, together with glass hooks and hinges and oyle for the County House. 16 January 1683. To Major Wm. Coursey for Timber to Double Cover the County House ... 16 January 1683 To Richard Jones for Hooks and hinges Tor the County House According to Mr. Sweatnam's direction...

16 January 1688 To William Coursey for Laying out the County Land... 16 day of (?) 1684 Ordered by this Court that noe Drink be sold in the Court House or Drunk there during the Sitting of the Court on forfiture of two shillings six pence for every Pott or Bottle of Drink said during the sitting of the Court as aforesaid. To Col. Lloyd for Lead-glass and other thins for the Court House ..... To Richard Sweatnam for part of his last payment for Building the Court House ..... Nov. 17, 1685 To Wm. Wrench for Glazeing the Court House . . , 7 Arch, of Md., XXII, 102-03. 8 Ch, 3, April Session.

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