xii Letter of Transmission.

began on February 19, 1660-1. Title to land (p. 415) and cattle (p. 416) and
questions as to equipment and expiration of term of indentured servants
arise (pp. 417, 418). A grand jury composed of men from St. Mary's, Calvert,
Anne Arundel and Kent Counties (p. 419) filed indictments. Each member
of the Court gave a separate opinion in a case of " duress of imprisonment"
(p. 424). Gerard, Fendall and their associates in rebellion are indicted (p.
427) and Fendall and Gerard sign humble apologies (p. 429). A woman is
accused of assault and battery (p. 430) and another one of murder of her
infant, while a third woman is indicted for theft (p. 433). An action of
defamation resulted from an accusation of a man for theft (p. 433). The term
lasted until February 28— a long one, and before it closed we find a grant of a
license to hunt and kill wild hogs (p. 441) and the issuance of writs for a
session at the Assembly (p. 442). Few entries intervene before the date of
that session, April 17, upon which the Provincial Court also met at St. Mary's.
Trial occurred of a woman for defamation in that she accused another woman
of theft (p. 445) and of several men charged with acting " mutinously and
seditiously " in that they endeavored to secure Fendall and John Hatch when
under arrest for sedition (p. 447). There were three verdicts filed by juries
of inquest upon the bodies of three drowned persons (p. 452). Title to
Leonard Calvert's lands came into litigation between William Calvert and
Governor William Stone's estate and the notable Margaret Brent appeared as a
witness (p. 454). A widow brings to court her differences with one of her
late husband's daughters (p. 455). The session closed on April 23 and a
special one was held at Spesutia on May 16 (p. 456) when a man was indicted
for stealing a " parcel of black peak," and sentenced to be hanged, but was
pardoned forthwith (p. 458). A final concord is entered (p. 460) and John
Babtist appears (p. 460). We later learn that he was a " Moor from Barbary "
(p. 499), but not a slave for life (p. 485), and we wonder whether he were a
negro and if so whether he be not the first free negro of record in Maryland
history and one too who appears to have had fully equal rights before the

law with any other citizen. No further session occured until October 8, 1661,

when the Court met at St. Mary's (p. 468). An Indian slave was demanded
in return for one sold to the " Queen of Portoback " (p. 471). John Lord of
Hartford in New England appears as trading to Maryland. A conditional
will is the subject of an action (p. 472). A man secured a verdict of damage
from an assault (p. 474) and another man was exonerated from a charge of
murder (p. 475). The age of Mr. Gerard's Irish servant was determined (p.
476). Grand Jury indicted William Giles (p. 471) and Anne Nevell, the
latter for murder ot her maidservant (p. 478). The jury brought in a verdict
of not guilty and Mrs. Nevell was " cleared by proclamation " (p. 480). Peti-