170

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

Dec. Ses. 1821.

Passed Feb. 23,
1812.
Preamble.

CHAPTER 248.

An act in favor of James Beacham and Sally [Sarah] his wife.
WHEREAS, it appears by the petition of James Beacham and
Sarah his wife, of Queen Ann's county, to this general assembly,
that by an order of the chancellor of Maryland, a certain Arthur Bry-
an conveyed to Sarah Floyd and Elizabeth Floyd, a parcel of land
called Hemsley's Park, lying and being in the county aforesaid, and
that Sarah Floyd intermarried with a certain Wollman Price, who,
together with his wife, conveyed to John Barrow their undivided
moiety in fee simple; that Elizabeth Floyd intermarried with a cer-
tain Henry M'Neal, who in like manner conveyed their undivided
moiety to a certain Philemon Lecompte, who sold to John Meloney
the father of Sarahone of the petitioners; that the aforesaid John Bar-
row died intestate, leaving the following children, his heirs at law—
Ann, who intermarried with Basil Legg, Mary who intermarried
with Solomon Ross, and John Barrow; and that the said Ann, since
the death of her father, has departed this life, leaving the following
children her heirs at law—Mary, William and Eliza, who are all mi-
nors under the age of twenty-one years; that the aforesaid John
Melony, by his last will and testament, devised his moiety of said
land to his children, to wit: Frances, and Esther who afterwards in-
termarried with Isaac Aylor, Sarah one of the petitioners, Elizabeth
who intermarried with Andrew Beacham, and Aaron; and that said
Aylor and Esther his wife conveyed their interest in said land to
said James Beacham; the petitioners therefore pray that a law may
pass directing a division of the said land to be made so as to lay off
the moiety held by the representatives of the said Sarah Floyd sepa-
rate and distinct from the moiety held by the representatives of the
said Elizabeth Floyd—Therefore,

Commission-
ers—to divide
—return.

Sec. 1. Be it enacted By the General Assembly of Maryland,
That William E. Meconekin, Thomas W. Hopper, John Neavitt,
John Braggs and Peter Foster, or a majority of them, be and they
are hereby authorised and appointed commissioners, with full pow-
er and authority to divide the said parcel of land called Hemsley's
Park, lying and being in Queen Ann's county, into two distinct
equal parcels having regard to the quantity and quality, and to as-
sign to the representatives of Sarah Floyd one moiety, and to the re-
presentatives of Elizabeth Floyd the other moiety; and the said com-
missioners or a majority of them, shall cause die same to be survey-
ed and divided as aforesaid, and a plot thereof, with a plain and full
certificate of the proceedings thereon had, under their hands and
seals, to be made and returned to the judges of Queen Ann's coun-
ty court, for their rejection or confirmation as they may think pro-
per; and if the same shall be confirmed by the said court, then the
said division shall he final and conclusive between the parties as
aforesaid; and then the said court shall direct the same to be record-
ed in the land record books for Queen Ann's county.

Oath.

2. And be it enacted, That before the commissioners ap-
pointed by this act shall proceed in the execution of said commis-
sion, they shall take the following oath or affirmation, before some
justice of the peace for said county, to wit: "I A. B. do make oath
that I will well and faithfully do my duty as a commissioner for di-
viding a parcel of land called Hemsley's Park, according to the best
of my experience and judgment; and it shall be the duty of said