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The Capital and the Bay: Narratives of Washington and the Chesapeake Bay Region, ca. 1600-1925

The Calvert papers, Vol I

No. 16. GOVERNOR CHARLES CALVERT TO CECILIUS, LORD BALTIMORE.

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[Indorsement.]

2 June 1673
3d Duplicate of my sons Answer
to my l??? sent this last
Shipping for Maryland--

Sent inclosed in my
sons letter dated 2d
August 1673.

May it Please yr Lop

Yours of the 15th of August by Capt George Hilson I Received, which assures me that yor Lopp hath Receiued as well my L??? as all the bills of Exchange I sent yor Lopp this last yeare, which is to me a greate satisfaction, Considering how Troublesome the times are; Sorry I am to heare of poore old Tullyes misfortune, and for Hollinsworth he hath beene since with me, but of that I shall give yor Lopp a more full account hereafter. As for that Caution yor Lopp is pleased to giue me for my owne security (my house at Matapenny standing so neare the water) I humbly thanke yor Lopp for yor advice, and shall Endeavour my owne Security by Removing up to Zachiah, and also shalbe very Cautious of what shipps I goe on Board of, but for that yor Lopp writes me about Gookins ship, and their designe, (wanting only the Concurrence of the Master) I never heard any thing of it, before now from yor Lopp.

I am heartily sorry to heare that my Cozen Talbot hath so behaved himself both towards yor Lopp and his mother, and

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truly I must Confesse that in this he hath much Deceived me in my thoughts of him, for I alwaves supposed him to be a person of that honor and worth, that unkindnes to a mother, and ingratitude to a Rela??n that had so much oblidged him as yor Lopp had beene much below the Generosity of his Temper. I am glad that Mrs Boughton hath Received her Tobacco, and doe wish she had sould it as well as the Rest, for I tooke all Care imaginable in the Collecting it here, so that I Dare boldly affirme, that if any Tobacco would ffetch money hers would. I am glad that yor Lopp Received the Wallnut Tree plankes and peices of that wood, and the hogshead of sweete sented Tobacco, as also Cis Two wilde Cat skynas, and Doe heartily Rejoyce that yor Lopp likes them.

The Duplicate of yor Lopps of the 8th of October sent by Capt Croscombe I Received, though the originall was lost (wee understanding since that Croscombe was taken) I have often spoken to my Cozen Baker Brookes to give yor Lopp an account of the Escheated Lands, and shall once more put both him and James Thompson in minde of Complyeing with yor Lopps Desires, according to yor former comands to them, and by the last of these Shipps, I hope they will Retorne yor Lopp that account from their owne hands that yor Lopp wilbe well satisfyed with, but as yet my Lord I must needes confesse I have had very little account from Either myself, while I Received this Lre from yor Lopp I never knew other then that my Cozen Brookes had sent Mr Langford his 10?? and Charles Playdell his ffee, I shall speake to him but truly that place now is become so inconsiderable, that I beleeve he will humbly suplicate yor Lopp to take off John Langfords 10?? p an? for now their is little worke for a Surveyor in Maryland, but howsomever for Charles Playdells Fee I will take Effectuall Care that he sends him that; when the warrant to Chandler

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yor Lopp writes of Comes to hand it shalbe Entred upon Record and a graunt in yor Lopps name passed according as yor Lopp hath therein Directed.

Yor Lopp writes that all the bills of Exchange are pd. Excepting Ould Tullyes, Truly my Lord I am glad to heare that the Rest are so well payd, but for the poore ould man his losse hath beene so greate that I hope yor Lopp will not Expect it from him, and for the sueing his security here I tooke none of him for I looked vpon him as a man sufficient, and one that had beene an ould Trader here in yor Lopps Province, lately yor Lopps Admirall and one tht I went and Came in his ship & from whom have Received some Civillityes wn under his Dominion in his wooden Kingdome.

Touching what yor Lopp writes about the Imposition money, I have still taken it of the Masters hitherto, and shall Doe without yor Lopp Directs otherwayes, but severall psons object here that Sr William Barkely in Case of shipwrack taking or Casting away makes allowance, and Constantly Receives the Imposition money of the Marchant that freights the Tobacco, and not of the Master as I Doe here, so that if he showes Masters of shipps any Act of favour more in Virginia then yor Lopp does here, yor Lopp will finde the priudice more then the advantage, in the meane time I shall pceed as I have done untill I shall Receive other Directions from yor Lopp I only acquaint yor Lopp of it, that if yor Lopp should be complained to, you might be prpared.

I Retorne yor Lopp my humble thankes for Delivering the bonds & account of shipping to my Lord Shafstsbury and comrs of the Treasury, & shall Endeavour in my care for the future to merrit that good Character his Lopp is pleased to favour me with.

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I am very much oblidged to that honnest & Civill gentleman Mr Massey for his kinde Character of me wch I must confesse to be more then I have merited from him, although I have used my utmost Endeavor to oblidge him, & shalbe glad of all opptunityes to serve so pious & so Deserving a pson, as I finde him to be, and indeed a pson that is so much a gentleman, and good Company wch is somewt Rare here in Maryland, and for my writing to yor Lopp that I Designed to allow him but 10l p an? if I did so my Lord it was a mistake for I never designed him lesse thn 20l p an? according to yor Lopps Comands, and that he might be assured of it I showed him that pt of yor Lopps Lre.

ffor the Chancelor & Colls Complaint to yor Lopp I payd them as I thought to their Satisfaction for they made no objection agt it, yor Lopp having sctled the Chaneclors ffees at 1d p li at tht Rate I payd them-- yor Lopp hath reserved to yor self the best bills of Exchange & Ready money & therefore I thought I must pay them in Tobacco out of yor Lopps Rents & did not thinke it convenient too much to undervallue the Comodity of the Country, and for their Receipt of it I have their full discharge but what yor Lopp shall ordr for the future in that affayre I shall Readily & obediently comply with.

ffor Major Fitzharberts Complaint I Doe much admire at that time, but of the particuler actions of that pson shall give yor Lopp a full account in one undr my owne hand.

I have severall times put the Coll & Cozen Darnell in minde of Complyeing with yor Lopps Desires in pcuring those Rarityes which yor Lopp Expects from them and have myself proffered very greate Rates to severall psons here to procure them knowing how acceptable they would be to yor Lopp but finde the people here of that Rugged humour, that I can finde

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no pson that will make it their busines for any Reward unlesse they should accidentally take them. I Doe not Doubt but my Cozen Calvert and Darnell will themselves by these Shipps give yor Lopp a particuler accompt of their Care in this affayre, and if I can for any gratuity whatsoever procure any such shall Carefully send them to yor Lopp by some of these Shipps.

I have also Received a coppy of the Receipt yor Lopp gave to Capt Cornwallis for Rent of some land here, and doe humbly take notice thereof, and assure yor Lopp that nothing shalbe done here in that busines without yor Lopps further ordr Hollinsworth hath also by his owne hand Delivered me yor Lopps Lre in his behalfe, and since the faith of the Country is passed to the Indians in that affayre I have referred him to the Assembly the busines not being to be done by me nor yor Lopps Councill here I humbly conceive without their Consent.

I finde that the lines of those lands layd out for yor Lopp by Mr White are not at all for yor Lopps advantage the good land being in most left out, neither were the Surveys pfected although they were Delivered into the office by Mr White, but I shall use my utmost Endeavour to have yor Lopp Right done you in that case, which when I have Effected I shall send you a Coppy of the Record of them, I have already Resurvey'd yor Lopps Mannor of Choptico and have throwen out many Intruders there, and shall take that Course for the future, that all yor Lopps Mannors here shalbe Cleare according to former Instructions from yor Lopp.

Mr Carew doth officiate at St. Maryes & so hath done since his coming in, & with Mr ffosters Consent, who is called away by Catholiques at patuxent, I Conceive the Catholiques of the Congregation at St Maryes, are very cold in their Contribution to Mr Carew (who is so modest a gentleman that I beleeve he
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never demanded any thing of 'em. wherefore I Conceive he gets little but what small stipend his Patron allowes him, wch I wish be well payd. I have offered him my service to speake to the Catholiques about it, but he wholy refused it and seemes contented, yet I finde in Discourse with him a very greate inclination to Remove from his Patrons to the Ridge in Ann Arundell County, where he hath Reconciled some to the Church, and I beleeve he hopes of a more advantageous (though not more honorable) Patronage there--but this as a secret!

Before Wm Brookes died, he had a greate inclination for a young woman here who is my servant to whom upon his Deathbed he gave 3000li of Tobacco, and 800li of Tob to the Church, his Estate was very inconsiderable, and (after those Legacyes are payd) if their be any Overplus, when got in I shall Retorne it to yor Lopp for his Brother; his Seale according to yor Lopps Comands I send by this shipping.

The Duplicate of yor Lopps of the ninth of October I Received and Doe suppose that Sr William Talbot will not come here without yor Lopps favour and Consent, for he is not so dull to thinke, that without that, it would be worth his time and trouble to undertake so long a voyadge. This acct of Sr Wm Talbot from yor Lopps owne hand hath much startled many that knew him, who Could scarce have beleived it had it come another way.

ffor the proffits of the place I have already ordered the collecting of them, and shall make a full Retorne of the produce of them to yor Lopp (I meane of what Can be Collected) this shipping but I feare the London shipps coming in so late this yeare, I shall finde it a hard matter to procure freight for all this shipping, but shall doe my utmost Endeavour, According to yor Lopps Comands I have signifyed to those gentlemen that

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Sr William Talbots Comission is Revoaked by yor Lopp and he is not like to Come here any more, I Retorne yor Lopp thankes for Retorning me that noate of the bills of Exchange which I have Received.

The Duplicate of yor Lopps Lre of the 24th of October I Received, and doe not at all admire at Mr Henry Courseys informa??n to yor Lopp about a boy one Thatcher a servant of mine, which savors somewhat of his former kindnes and Carriage to me, for had it layen in his power to have Done me any mischeif I doe beleeve he wld have beene glad of nothing more then to have Effected it for my owne pt I doe protest I never Troubled any servt of mine or any other pson about Religion, and I Conceive Sr Joseph Williamson hath given yor Lopp satisfaction in that and that that was only a ly of Courseys raysing, for the lad he is of very little use to me, and if Sr Joseph Williamson pleases to take any Care for his passage I shall send him to him, and be glad to pleasure a pson that may be so usefull to yor Lopp (and consequently to me) in a farre greater matter, but I Conceive that when Sr Joseph sees him he will misse of his Expectation, for I never found any Delight or satisfaction in him in that musicall point, for which Mr Coursey or his father have famed him to be so Excellent at. I Doe Remember that I did write yor Lopp about sending yor Acct by Capt Pery but did not, but since I hope yor Lopp hath Received it for I have sent it by five or six severall oppertunityes.

I should be heartily glad to heare that the Controversy betweene his Royall highnes and yor Lopp about the Horekeele &c were Determined, and I assure yor Lopp it would be very wellcome newes to many psons here who have a Desire to seate and Inhabite there, and yet are unwilling to Remove their goods Servants and stocks untill they certeinly know

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undr whose Governmt they are like to be but howsomever in the meane time I shall Encourage all psons that I Can to scare there, & Endeavor the prservation of yor Interest there to the utmost of my power.

I humbly thanke yor Lopp for those Expressions of favour and Kindnes to Doctor Wharton, and have acquainted him of them for which he is very thankfull, and will write yor Lopp more at Large himself by these shipps, I have already built a Country house for summer time at Zachya, according to the fashion of the building of this Country, but by what I have Done already I finde building here to be very Chargeable, and am loth to bestow much more of it, least (though the place be so healthfull)when I have Done Cis should not like it. I Retorne yor Lopp thankes for sending me in that warrant for Mr Allen, and shall punctually observe yor Lopps co?ands about yor Mannors and Escheated lands, and from time to time shall give yor Lopp a pfect account of our pceedings therein, wch I hope wilbe satisfactory to yor Lopp. I Rejoyce much that my ffrend Mr Charles ffortescu is so well Recoverd & likely to live, I Retorne yor Lopp my humble thankes for giving me satisfaction in it, for he is a pson that I have alwayes had a greate Kindnes and Respect for. Yor Lopps of the 10th of November in the behalfe of my Cozen Darnell I Received, and have already taken Care for an Employmt for him, which I hope (when he is Capable to manage & Execute himself) will pve very considerable to him, and in the meane time finde him a sufficient competency to mainteine him, I humbly Conceive yor Lopp and his father from his owne hand will Receive an account of my Care of him.

Yor Lopps of the 12th of November in behalfe of Mr Stephen Goffe by his owne hand I Received to whom for some time I gave Enterteinmt at my owne house and have advised

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him to an honnest man to live with this summer neare Zachiah that he may be neare me, and withall I have given him such advise and particuler Cautions as I thought fit, and I shall according to yor Lopps comands give you a pticuler account touching him, in a single Lre only Relating to him, to which I Referre yor Lopp for full satisfaction concerning him.

Yor Lopps of the 20th of November I Received, in which was Enclosed the noate of the Tokens yor Lopp was pleased to send me my wife and Children, I have also Received the thinges themselves, as also my mothers picture which wilbe a great Ornament to my Parlor and though the Painter hath not done it for her advantage as yor Lopp writes yet those thinges are much Esteemed here for all which Tokens of yor Lopps favor to me my wife and Children wee humbly Retome yor Lopp thankes.

I have Received Mr Ogilbyes Bookes but desire no more such prsents, but shall answere yor Lopps Expectation to the Gentleman, since yor Lopp writes me you conceive my honor is Engaged, though such favor wilbe very Chargeable.

I Retorne yr Lopp my humble thankes for yor greate Care Charge & Trouble in procuring me that Sallary from the Comrs of the Customes, and shall humbly submit to what yor Lopp shall thinke fit and gratefully accept of what yor Lopp shall please to allow me out of it. The Seale which yor Lopp sent me is Excellently well Done, and I have Received it, and am much better satisfyed that it is in steele then if it had beene in silver, for it I Retorne yor Lopp my humble thankes.

The boy that yor Lopp designed for Cis is arived but hath a scall'd head, and though a little boy a greate Theife, wherefore the scalld head makes him Dangerous, and his theiving quallity inconvenient if cured to be kept by me, so not to put

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myself to that Trouble shall not Enterteine him, but Dispose of him somewhere neare me that I may have an Eye to him now & then that his mother when she desires it may have an account of him.

I Retorne yor Lopp my most humble thankes for yor kinde Enterteinmt to Richard Keene and his wife, at my Request, who are very proud of the favor yor Lopp hath showen them.

Yor Lopps of the 21th of November on the behalfe of Mr Robert Dowglas I Received by his owne hand whome at prsent I Enterteine at my owne house, and Employ him to teach my Children and shall give him all Encouragemt that lyes in my power, shall Endeavour the promoting of a schoole here, and make him the Master in the meane time till he Can more advantageously Dispose of himself he shalbe wellcome where he is, but doubt he will not finde the people here so desirous of that benefit of Educating their Children in that nature as he might pbably Expect, for the Remotenes of the habitation of one pson from another, wilbe a greate obstacle to a schoole in that way that I pceive yor Lopp ariues at, and that would much Conduce to the pffit and advantage of the youth of this Province.

Yor Lopps of the 24th of November I have Received and touching yor Lopps Dues here I am glad to heare from yor Lopp that you are so well satisfyed with my Care in that affayre the last yeare, and be assured My Lord that the very best bills I shall Endeavor to retorne yor Lopp either by Bristoll or London, but all of London If I finde them good and likely to be payd and for what shalbe wanting yor Lopp shall not neede to feare that I will put yor Lopp further then Bristoll. when I Did write to yor Lopp that I thought a third pt. of the Tobacco made here the last yeare would be left in the Country, wee had not then in the Major pt. of the ships, but

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afterwards there Came many more who I Conceive Carryed away most of the Tobacco made last yeare of the Imposition of which I have already given yor Lopp account and for what is left in the Country at any time, it is next to an impossibillity for me to give yor Lopp an account but if any were left in the Country last yeare, it wilbe accounted and payd for this yeare, if it were good, and kept well & worth sending home.

I Retorne yor Lopp humble thankes for yor great Civillity to Capt Dunch in making him yor Admirall here at my Request, who is very thankfull and proud of that yor favor and hath signified his gratefull acknowlegemt thereof to me upon Severall occasions since his arivall here, I hope their was no incivillity from Capt Dunch to yor Lopp but only some little Difference betweene Mr Burke and him.

I humbly thanke yor Lopp for giving Mr Arthur satisfaction in his scruple of my bill of Exchange of 10l payable to John Lucumb, I forgetting to advise him of it, but I shalbe more punctuall with Mr Arthur in those affayres for the future, and shalby theis shipps send him a Receipt for it, wch will assure him that I allow of the paymt thereof according to yor Lopps comand.

Touching that 700 Acres of land wch I Desired yor Lopps favor in, it is since owned and an heir appeares who is in possession thereof, so that their is now no occasion to send an account thereof to yor Lopp but when any such like occasion againe prsents, I shall send yor Lopp a full and Ample account of anything that I intend to desire yor Lopps favour to graunt me.

My wife prsents her humble deauty to yor Lopp and is very sorry that the Squirells did not Come safe and that those that did had that misfortune, as for one to Escape and the other dy

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she will Endeavour the getting more this yeare and hopes that they (if she gets any) may have better successe.

I Did give Mr Notley the trouble to Collect some dues of shipping in Patomeke River the last yeare but it was only when I was out of the way nor doe I conceive (he having so much busines of his owne) he would be willing to undertake it, but if he could be pswaded to it, I doubt not but he would so behave himself in it that he would give yor Lopp a greate deale of satisfaction, and Ease me of a greate deale of Trouble. As for the Seizing of Winsor, Sencerfe & Croscombe the last yeare for being Dutch built and tradeing with Dutch goods I humbly Conceive the suspicions upon them were sufficiently Cleared at their tryall, and I Doubt not in the least that at their tryall their appeared no Reason for their seizure but only Jealousy, and for Mr Notleys pt I am Confident he neither is nor would be Concerned in anything that should be prjudicial to yor Lopp or the Governmt here, and if any abuse have beene offered by them shipps it hath beene Conived and winked at by the officers of the Custome house where they have Cleared for they alwayes bring with them as authentique Testimonials, and Certifficates from his Maties Customers Collectors & other officers as any Londoner that trades here.

I shall Continue in Doeing what Service I can for yor Lopp touching the Horekeele in ordr to wch on the 19th of June last I issued out a proclamaco??n undr yor Lopps greate Seale declaring and affecting yor Lopps Right to that place and Erected the same into a County, and Called it by the name of Worcester County, assuring the then Inhabitants there that if they would take out Patents from yor Lopp and take the oath of fidelity they should have all favor and proteccon and also for a further Encouragemt to them, did Empower one Jenkins (whom I ordered to reside there) to take pfe of their Rights to

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land graunt warrants &c so that they might not be forced to travayle so farre as St Maryes for the Doeing thereof, and I having graunted the Indian Trade to one Mr Thomas Jones a marchant here, and he alledging the most advantageous place for that was the Horekeele, & that that was yor Lopps right but kept from you by New Yorke, and he undertaking to Reduce it to yor Lopps obedience, I gave him a Comission to be a Capt. for the said County of Worcester, and to leavy men &c, and to march up thither and take possession of that place for yor Lopps use, and Did associate with him one Capt Paul Marsh of Somerset County. In Jones Comission for the Indian Trade their is a Clause incerted for his seizing any Truck that he should ketch any pson tradeing with wthout lycense first obteined for the same from yr Lopp or Lr here, which is according to the Law of the Country. According to his Co?on Jones goes up to the Horekeele with a party of men, and there after some small matter of Resistance, brings all there in subjection to yor Lopp and tooke the oath of fidellity to you, but in Jones Managing this busines he was a little too Rough for he seized great quantityes of Truck for the Indian Trade, wch was designed for Trade with the Indians though he did not ketch them tradeing with them, and used them a little severely at first by binding them &c upon which were many Complaintes, and though I am well satisfyed Jones hath done yor Lopp good Service in it and that their were many Reasons to be given for his Actings, yet severall psons here Exclaimed much of him, and made the busines seeme much fowler then it was I Conceive because he had his Comission from me and because I had somewt of a gratuity for his Co?on for Indian Trade, wherefore to give all psons satisfaction I in open Court tooke away and Cancelled Jones Co?on for Indian trade, and ordered him to redeliver unto
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the Dutchmen all their goods he had seized of theirs wch he accordingly did, and now the place Requires nothing more then a Confirmation of yor Lopps right to it, for it is now peaceably possessed in yor Lopps Right, and Survey'd by virtu of yor Lopps ordrs for severall of the Inhabitants of this Province, who yet seeme loth to Draw their Estates thither not Certeinly knowing who are to be their Masters, I humbly take notice of the Co?on yor Lopp gives me, and if nothing but force will doe, I shall then make use of it to the utmost agt all such as shall withstand yor Lopps Just Right there howsomever hope yor Lopp will peure a speedy End to be made wth his Royall highnes about it. Though as yet many have not gone out of Maryland and Virginea to Portroyall, and those that have wth ill successe Enough, yet aboundance, Remove dayly from Barbadoes and other Islands thither, and although they have Removed theire Estates have yet forgot provisions, whereby they are all almost starved for want of Corne.

As for the Magazine yor Lopp seemes to Chide me for my neglect of it, the Assembly having taken such particular Care about it in the Act of 2s a hhd & that Capt Coop informed you I had sent for 20 Muskets by him I sent for fifty by him, but I thanke him he brought me none, I sent for 100 to Mr Notleys Correspondent, in all I sent for 250, of which I have but 20 come in, and that was from Bristol, the Reason of the not coming of'em in according to my ordr is the warrs and trouble at home, but doe assure yor Lopp shall take such Effectuall Care about it this yeare, tht yor Lopp shall have no Reason to Chide nor the Country to Complaine of me. ffor the use of Carabines in this Country I understand not therefore shall send for none without yor Lopps positive ordr

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Touching the fines and amerciamts here myself & the Councill have prsumed to make use of them to Defray yor Charge at Court times and Assemblyes, but now they come to be so small, that wee cannot be trusted upon Creditt of them, and I am forced now to Enterteyne the Councill at my owne Charge at St. Johns.

And Concerning all lands that are Escheated to yor Lopp I have yearly sent to the Respective sherriffs for an Exact account but yet never could get any, this yeare I have sent out a strict comand to them for that purpose, I hope that will bring it, and as soone as I Receive it, I shall send it to yor Lopp

Yor Lopp writes you would have all Patents Recorded before they passe the greate scale I Conceive that was a mistake of yor Lopps Secretary, I humbly conceiving that it was yor Lopps Intentions, and meaning that all Patents should passe the greate Scale before they are Recorded, for I Conceive the Seale is necessary and Essential to the graunt, and that the graunt cannot in any way be perfected untill it hath passed the Seale, yet wee have beene forced to doe otherwayes here, that is after I had signed them, the Clerke to Record them, and then Deliver them to the Chancelor for the Chancelor would not seale any Patent untill payd in money for the seale, and where one pson is able to procure money here, their is hundreds that Can procure none so that if wee should not have Recorded their Patents before sealed their would have beene such a Confusion in the Secretaryes office that it had never beene to have beene Righted againe, and truly I must needes acquaint yor Lopp that the Chancelors standing so Rigorously upon his pay in money for the scale of Patents before he would seale them has not only hindered himself & the Secretary's office sufficiently but also many hundreds of people from taking up of land that other wayes would have Done

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it so that severall people at last have come amongest themselves to question his ffees, and alledge that it was never consented to in the Assembly as other ffees have beene, and therefore have no Reason to pay'em at all, whereas had he let them freely had their patents his ffees for the Seale would never have beene scrupled I humbly Desire yor Lopps full ordrs in this busines, that such a greivance as this is to the Country, and prjudice to yor Lopp in having yor Rents increased & Revenues inlarged may be quite throwne aside, and and that you will give ordr to the Chancelor accordingly, Yor Lopps orders about 4s a hundred Acres for Escheated Lands to be graunted from yor Lopp shalbe punctually observed.

I am sorry to heare Mrs Boughton lost her Tobacco in Capt Tully which I hope she conceives not my fault but the misfortune of the times.

ffor my Cozen Brookes importuning to be Discharged of the Councill, I Conceive it was only to get a confirm??n of the place I had then given him & now since yor Lopp hath beene gratiously pleased to Confirme it I suppose he wld be very well Contented to serve yor Lopp as one of yor Lopps Councill here provided he could but get off John Langfords 10l p an? but about this I conceive he will write yor Lopp more fully himself.

The assembly hath beene prorouged in Reguard of my not having any Comands from yor Lopp and the Speaker Mr Notleys being sick, but when they sit I will take speciall care to doe my utmost in Complyance wth yor Lopps comands touching the passing & mending those Acts yor Lopp mentions in yor Lre.

Touching those 3 hdds of Tob: that were missing Capt Tully hath given Caution that when paymt is made yor Lopp shall have satisfaction. I Retorn yor Lopp thankes for yor kindnes

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to my Brother Low, and hope he will doe his Endeavor to Deserve it from yor Lopp when occasion prsents. My wife is yery glad the Dryed peaches came safe to yor hand though not so good as they might have beene, had they beene prserued by one that had more skill & Convenience. The season of the yeare is now late to pcure Tob. Especially good sweetesented, but if possible I can I will send yor Lopp a hhd, or wt I can pcure by some of these shipps.

If my Lord Willoughby and Sr Peter Colleton doe come into Maryland (as yor Lopp writes they intend) though I doe not Expect that honor here) I shall endeavor to give them the hansomest Reception and Enterteinmt here Maryland can afford. Concerning Mr Gerards Land I have Employed a Surveyor to Runne it over privately and am now satisfyed, that he holds Tenne or Twelve Thowsand acres more then his due and now assoone as Ever my busines is a little over, shall have it Justly surveyed, and Doe yor Lopp and the said Gerard Right in it, and if possible send yor Lopp an account of it by one of the last shipps.

I Retorne yor Lopp my humble thankes for the two hampers of wine yor Lopp sent me, they prove Excellently good and come safe to hand without Damage.

I have according to yor Lopps comands put the good men in minde of the Anniversary dayes yor Lopp would have observed here, and of their adding my sister Blackestones name to them, who doe all assure me they will take all Care imaginable in observing yor Lopps co?ands therein. Concerning those ffees sent in by Mr Langhorne for the Chancelor I did Conceive it wholy Related to the Chancelors office and that he would have beene so Carefull in that matter, as to have given yor Lopp a particular accompt wherein the Difficulty lay, but since he hath not I shall minde him of it, what I undrstand of

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it, is this, that in the said list of ffees is thinges Charged there that are never made use of here, and many things left out there that wee have dayly occasion for here, but for those thinges that are necessary here the said Directions are very much wanting in this in that it does not distinguish how much in Every pticuler is due to the Chancelor for the seale, the Rest belongs to the Secretaryes office, where all the Records of that busines are kept and all writs Comissions Decrees ordrs &c transcribed and written. As in the said list is allowed for a Subpena ad Respondend 2s now the quere is how much for the making and Recording it, and how much for the seale. the Chancelor takes in all businesses that passe the seale, as much as if he writ them & kept the Records of them whereby it comes about that people genrrally pay Double ffees in such Cases, Those that have beene acquainted with Chancery busines in England alledge the Ld Chancelor takes nothing for the seale of Chancery writt &c but that true it is when the Lord Chancelor pens the seale, on a certeine day his Secretary gives notice to the Clerkes and other officers of that Court to attend who have any such Cursory pcesse to passe the Seale, and they pay the Chancelors Secretaryes but 6d a peice for one writ with another, and the number of them that are so sealed at one opening makes it very advantageous to those Secretaryes, and the Residue of the ffees for such writs, goes to the severall officers of the Court of Chancery, through whose hands they passe for this I humbly conceive yor Lopp may Receive full satisfaction from Mr Langhorne and when yor Lopp sends me yor ordr in that case, they shalbe fully observed, I only write this to yor Lopp the more fully that people may not pay twice for doeing their busines but that the Chancelors ffee for Every writ in Chancery may be Duly setled, or else (that since wee sit here in a Double Capacity aswell Chancery

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as Provincial Cort and one Clerke serves for both busines, and wee try aswell Chancery as Provincial Cort busines at one sitting) the same seale (which is the lesser Seale of the Province) that seales the Provincial writs may also seale the Chancery writs, since one is as Cursory as the other, and that only Patents Pardons or Speciall busines touching publique affayres may passe undr the greate Seale, but for this I humbly Reserve it to yor Lopps Directions by the next.

According to yor Lopps comands about Coll Carters Land I have searched fully into it, and finde that it is not Escheated, but that the Rent for the same (with that he pd yor Lopp in England) is fully pd to this last yeare,

I will endeavor my utmost in pswading the London Masters to take into their severall Shipps Billets as yor Lopp Desires, and hope to give yor Lopp satisfaction therein. I am very glad to understand from yor Lopp the Blackwallnut planke has made so noble a shovell board Table. I shall Continue the same Care in raking security here for all paymts of bills of Exchange to yor Lopp and shall Endeavor yor Lopps satisfaction herein according to Direction, and take foure bills, three of which I shall send to yor Lopp accompanyd with Lres of advise and the fourth keept here, I shall also send double Coppyes of all bonds for feare of a miscarriage, and also of the Account of the Tobacco Exported, which shalbe sent to yor Lopp for yor Delivery thereof to the Lds Comrs & Comrs of the Treasury. Assoone as I can get Augustin Harman Downe here shall get him to pfect his Mapp and incert yor Lopps Mannors in it according to yor ordr I have Received the bounds of Choptico Mannor and have since Resurveyed it with some additions according to yor Lopps ordr with a Reserve, and of the Certifficate of Survey shall send you a Coppy by the last shipps.

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That hdd of vines yor Lopp tooke so much Care to send in the last yeare by Capt Tully for want of Care in a timely Delivery are all perrished and not one of them come up for which I am heartily sorry, having had greate hopes that if they had beene put into the ground in time here, that the soyle would have so well agreed with them that in a short time they would have Come to a greate pfec??n here, and that I might have beene able in some few yeares out of their produce to have sent yor Lopp a glasse of wine of the growth of this Province.

I Retorne yor Lopp thankes for pcuring Capt Cooper and Capt Dunch the favor of a proteccon & also the liberty of wearing the Kings Jack. I also humbly thanke yor Lopp for yor Civillity to Mrs Wyan but some Reporte here have buzzed abroad that my Letter procured her nothing, but what helpes she had in England it was by meanes of some Letters of the Chancelors Lady to some frends of hers there, who had assisted her, I have acquainted her husband also of yor Lopps Civillity and Kindnes to her, who seemes very thankfull to yor Lopp for the same. Concerning that Lre from his Maty about Thatchers sonne, I shall take notice of it when come to hand as yor Lopp Directs.

I am certeinly informed of the Arivall of one Man of warre in Virginia called the Barnaby, and when the ordrs come to hand, they shalbe punctually observed, I hope Major Genrall Smith will have as little successe in that busines as the former Agent Coll Morrison, and spend their moneys with as little satisfaction to his Employers which wilbe for yor Lopps Interest here. And for the graunting of his Maties Rents in Virginia to the Lords Arlington and Culpepper, wee have heard as yet nothing of it here, but suppose the news wilbe very unwellcome to Sr Wm Barkeley. Those two acts

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yor Lopp sent I Rec'd, and shall Deliver a Coppy of Each to the Chancelor according to yor Lopps ordr

Also I Received the Case of Mr Henry Scarborough stated, and also a Coppy thereof from his Attorney here, and when they make their addresses in ordr to the psecution of it, they shall have all Right & Justice Done them, for I am well satisfyed Mr Scarborough hath had much wrong done him, of which the Chancelor I suppose is sufficiently sensible, and I conceive Mr Scarborough did very wisely in making the Chancelor a Defendt for some Reasons (wch I will comunicate to yor Lopp in another Lre of my owne writing) I will not meddle with anything as to Discourse with the Chancelor about that affayre but shall wholy referre it to the Court and then fully pursue yor Lopps Directions.

ffor tht 25li yor Lopp is pleased to ordr me to pay unto the Coll out of the proffits of the Secretaryes place this yeare, I have already owned yor Lopps ordr to him, and shall accordingly make Convenient paymt thereof to his Mother, to whom he hath Desired me to pay the same, and truly my Lord I am very glad of the opptunity for she very much wants it, and I never knew him assist her in any thing of this nature before.

I have already acquainted my Cozen Brookes of yor Lopps ordrs for the setling of a Court of Inquiry about Escheated Lands of which I have Desired him to take notice, and shall use the utmost of my Endeavour that yor Lopp may have a satisfactory account given you in that affayre. Mr Abbington hath since his coming in likewise made his Complaint to me touching that servant, and hath so farre satisfyed me that I am apt to beleive he may have had wrong Done him, though he hath still had here the Repute of a pritty severe Master.

As to what yor Lopp is pleased to write about Mr ffoster and Mr Warren, at that time my Lord they both seemed to take
38

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it very unkindly that yor Lopp should Extend yor favors to others that were not come in more then to them Considering they had beene here so long, and therefore I did Endeavor to give them Encouragemt that yor Lopp would Doubtlesse conferre the same favour upon them which was all that I gave them, and now since yor Lopp hath confirmed them those dubious words of mine they both seeme to acknowledge yor Lopps favor and kindnes to them in a very high manner, and when this paymt does Comence to them, I shall observe yor Lopps comands & stop the Corne.

That Act of Assembly that provides freight for yor Lopp is yet in force, and by virtu of the same I doe Demand pportionable freight in the Respective shipps for yor Lopps goods and doubt not of pcuring sufficient to give yor Lopp satisfaction.

ffor such Lres as come to me under Covert from yor Lopp for other psons I have constantly taken such care for the speedy Delivery of 'em as this Country affordes, which is to send them by the first Conveniency of one that lives neare them, wch if such a Conveniency does not imediately prsent, or the pson by whom I send them prove Careles it is no fault of mine here being no post office or way as yet contrived in this Province for the speedy Dispatch of the same.

Yor Lopps of the 25th of November I Received as also all those warrants that yor Lopp mentiones therein which I will safely Deliver to the psons that are therein concerned. And for that warrant yor Lopp is gratiously pleased to graunt unto Doctor Wharton, I Retorne yor Lopp my humble thankes, and shall take Care the land shalbe seized for yor Lopps use by the sheriff of the County, and for the paymt of the money I wilbe his security and ordr yor Lopp the money and for Mr Playdells ffee I will take Care it be retorned him before I Deliver the warrants according to Direction.

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As for yor Lopps favor to Mr White it shalbe taken notice of, and ordr shalbe given to Ridgely to Record it according to yor Lopps comands, so that Mr White shall finde wee dot him Right here, and if any other be in the like nature they must Runn the Hazard of what will Ensue, but those that I Either know or Can heare of that are in the same condition I shall give them notice how to have it Remedyed (vizt) by yor Lopps Dispensation.

And as for Alanson if he have had any injury by any Survey if wee can any way finde it he shall fully Receive the benefit of yor Lopps favor.

The Comission and seale for Judge for probate of wills &c I Received and Delivered according to yor Lopps ordr but touching this in one of my owne hand to yor Lopp I shall Discourse more fully.

Concerning that favor yor Lopp intends to bestow on the widdow and Orphans of Bartholomew Coates Deceased this warrant is of no use, and Sr Wm Talbot did mistake the Case, wch truly is thus--500 Acres of land in possession of Chandler, and pt of Oversee's Land lyeing in Portobacco Creeke over against Mrs ffookes Escheates to yor Lopp Bartholomew Coates upon Confidence of yor Lopps favor built and Cleared upon it and I gave him an ordr to the Surveyor to Resurvey it according to the auntient bounds, that so knowing what it Conteyned might ascerteine his Request to yor Lopp It appeares by the Certifficate of Resurvey to be five hundred and fifty acres, a coppy of wch I send yor Lopp It is all the Estate he hath left to his wife and Children, which I hope yor Lopp (they having beene Servants to yor family) will graciously confirme to them, so that the bounds of the Land must be specefyed in the warrant, and it having beene already survey'd and Escheated a Co?on warrant will not serve, but their must be

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a speciall Recitall of the Escheate and bounds and then a Co?and from yor Lopp to cause a Patent of Confirma??n to be here passed. Assoone as the severall sherriffs Retornes me their account of Escheated Lands I shall send yor Lopp a fayre list of them, with their names, place where they ly, quantity of Acres, goodnes of the Soyle &c and then I hope yor Lopp will answere my Aunt Peaselyes Expectation.

Yor Lopps of the 26th of November I Received, and I doe humbly Retorne yor Lopp thankes for yor great Care and Charge in pcuring me that Sallary from the Lords Comrs of the Treasury, and I shall use my utmost skill and Endeavor to Comply with their Lopps Directions, and I shall in obedience to yor Lopps comands appointe a person to Receive it but shall humbly Desire yor Lopps assistance in the procuring paymt thereof, for wthout yor Lopps favor in following it there I have very little hopes in pcuring it. I have Received Lres from the Comissioners of the Treasury wch are to one and the same Effect as theirs to yor Lopp was the last yeare. I shall send to yor Lopp by this Conveniency the Instrumt you Comand Executed here as yor Lopp Directs, and also a particuler Lre from myself to the Comissioners undr my owne hand to pay it to yor Lopp or yor ordr

Touching the supposed mistake in my last yeares account this is humbly to Certefy yor Lopp that their was no mistake for it is true that their was arived 87 shipps, but at that time there was Cleared but 81, those which were not Cleared then are to be allowed this yeare as yor Lopp by the account Currant herewth sent will see. I shall Endeavour to give the Lords Comrs all imaginable satisfaction that can be according to yor Lopps comands, and make my account pfect and full both as to the Ports they come from, and are bound to.

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I have Received that Dispensation of his Maties and shall carefully observe the Comrs ordr about it, of wch I Received the Duplicate aswell as the Originall.

Yor Lopps of the 2d of December in the behalfe of Capt Burges by his owne hand I Received, and am very well satisfyed that he hath given yor Lopp assurance of his obedience and Complyance with yor Lopp for the future. I hope he will performe his pmise in the same to yor Lopp, and the more to urge him thereunto I shall give him all Encouragemt accordingly.

Yor Lopps of the 3d of December by Capt Connoway I Received and accordingly thanked him for the Delivery of those things so Carefully and have assured him of all Encouragemt here, and to Countenance and serve him here in any Just thing that lyes in my power, which I doubt not but he will very well Deserve and gratefully acknowledge.

Yor Lopps also of the 4th of December I Received, together with the Books and Materialls for the Secretaryes office, and also the noate of the particular prizes of them all, and shall take Care according to yor Lopps Comands that yor Lopp be Reimbursed out of the proffits of the Secretaryes office for those that are for that use, and for the Rest shalbe yor Lopps faithfull factor

I humbly Retorne yor Lopp thankes for making good what was omitted by me in ordr to the hogshead of Tobacco I sent Mr Langhorne, and Doe allow of what yor Lopp payd for the freight and Custome thereof because Desired by Mr Langhorne, and shall repay the same to yor Lopp

I shall also in obedience to yor Lopps co?ands, write to the Earle of shaftsbury and my Lord high Treasurer in which I shall Retorne them my humble acknowledgemts for their noble favors which Letters written with my owne hand I shall send unto yor Lopp with flyeing seales. I also Received the

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noate of Directions for the severall superscriptions, and in my Lre to the Lord Treasurer, shall signify an account of the Tob. that is Exported, But as to the monethly satisfactory account this yeare, the Lre Came so late to hand that it is impossible for me to doe it now, but the next yeare god willing shall Comply fully with their Lopps Desires and in my Letters to them shall intimate so much.

The Two Chests and the Keyes to them I have Received, as also the Acts of Parliamt, and his Maties ordr of Dispensation dated the 10th of May 1672, also I have Received Twelve Drumheads and lines to them and the scantlings of Blackwallnut, wch scantlings came so late to my hand, that by theis shipps I cannot send them to yor Lopp but by the next shall use my utmost Endeavor to fullfill yor Lopps Comands in the same. As for Mr Lewellen in whose behalfe yor Lopp writes to me, he is already Employed by Mr Notley so will need no assistance or favor from me, but if he should have occasion shalbe Ready to doe him what Kindnes I can. As for Ellis he is at prsent Employed by me, he is married here, and when it lyes in my power to show him any favor I shalbe Ready for his fathers sake. And as for Mr Chilcot of Ann Arundell County, I cannot in honor make him sheriff of that County, for the gentleman that now is in that office, hath so honnestly and hansomely behaved himself, that it would seeme very unhansome in me at prsent to Remove him, but if it in any other way ly in my power to serve Mr Chilcot, when he comes to bring yor Lopps Lre of Recomendation, I shall serve him in that way, that he shall owne yor Lopps favor & kindnes in Recomending him.

Yor Lopps of the 16th of December Received, together with those papers yor Lopp mentions Enclosed therein and shall punctually observe yor Lopps Directions in Rela??n to the

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Comrs of the Custome house, and shall also from time to time send to yor Lopp coppyes of all such Lres as shall come to me from his Maty: Comrs: of the treasury, or others as I shall Judge Convenient to be sent to yor Lopp and as yor Lopp desires.

Sr Richard Belings Lre is behalfe of Mr Gough I have received, and shall Retorne him an answere giving him therein an account both of the Gentleman and his Cargoe, which if he husbands according to the advice and Cautions I have given him, I doubt not but it wilbe both for his owne advantage & for the satisfaction of his frends and Relations. I should be very glad for Mr Whites sake that the match betweene his Royall highnes and the Arch Dutchesse of Jusprugh may goe forward because he writ me word that he is in hopes of some Employmt there.

As for that informa??n of Thurstons to yor Lopp touching that tract of land at the head of Gunn powder River above the falls there (if it prove true) I shall Reserve two Mannors there for yor Lopp and shall give him and his son a graunt or graunts for what they shall Duly prove Rights for according to yor Lopps conditions of plantation.

And as for that inform??n of that lyeing fellow Thurston about Hattons land I humbly conceive it is already answered in that I writ yor Lopp already that their is an heire to it, who is now in possession thereof, and for the sheriffs selling it I never gave any ordr to that Effect, indeed Thurston was with me about it, but I Doubting their was an heire, and understanding something to that Effect, did doe nothing in it but told him if none such appeared he should have it for 17000li of Tob, by which it may appeare to yor Lopp it was not sold to any other. I Received a coppy of a particuler of all yor Lopps Dispatches with a second bill of Lading as also the

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same from Mr Burke. ffor those Lres to the Lord Chancelor and Treasurer, I have already signifyed to yor Lopp they shalbe written in my owne hand according to yor Lopps Comands, and for Thatcher in the begining of this Lre have fully answered that.

Yor Lopps last of the 10th of January I Received, together with those Duplicates & other papers yor Lopp Enclosed therein; I have informed Mr Massey of the miscarriage of his Letters from his frends for the which he is very sorry. I Retorne yor Lopp my humble thankes for yor greate Care and Trouble in pcuring my sallary from the Comissioners of the Treasury, which I hope yor Lopp will Continue from time to time in the getting of it into yor hands.

According to yor Lopps comands concerning the Horekeele I shall Endeavor to give all due Encouragemt to all psons that will seate there, untill busines be Decided betweene yor Lopp and his Royall highnes wch I hope yor Lopp will Endeavor speedily to Effect, since it is so much for yor Lopps Interest.

Concerning Young and Tullyes bills I have already I humbly conceive given yor Lopp a sufficient answere, and for the future I shall observe yor Lopps Directions in ordr to the Drawing of the Bills of Exchange, but for the Letters of Advice they will and must doe that as they thinke Convenient, for in their Lre of Advice the Masters gives their Marchants Advice, that it is for the Dutyes of the ship &c upon which the Marchant payes it, when pchance if the Master drawes it generall, and without such advise, that is for the Dues of the ship, the Masters bill will certeinly be protested, by the Marchant who hath no Reason to pay him any thing but his wages, and what he Expends upon

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the ship and so conceive yor Lopps best Remedy in a bad matter wilbe to sue the security here.

Yr Lops most dutifull
& Obedient son
Charles Calvert

2d June 1673.

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