Letter of Transmission. xiii

tions from James Neale (p. 481) and John Hammond (p. 483), for the
recovery of property left behind them when they went from the Province,
recall the troublous times of the past. The filing of a deed for land calls our
attention to a practice which became very common in the later years of the
Court (p. 487).

On November 25, the Court met at St. Mary's under the Presidency of
Governor Philip Calvert (p. 492) and on the following day he was succeeded
in his dignity of Governor by his nephew, the heir apparent, Charles Calvert.
Henry Sewall was made Secretary of State and the Session of the Court was
continued (p. 493). Gerard's wife was sister to Abel Snow, the planter of
Snow Hill Manor, and upon his death childless, Gerard claimed the manor
in right of his wife, but Marmaduke Snow, a brother of Abel, living in
England, now appears and considerable litigation follows as to the title to the
manor (p. 495). Thomas Bradnox of Kent Island and his wife were tried
for an alleged murder of a servant (p. 500) and, when freed, they sued the
chief witness against them for conspiracy (p. 506). The following February

II. 1661-2, trip Court met at St. Mary's; present: Charles Calvert, Governor,

Philip Calvert, Chancellor, Henry Sewall, Secretary, and Baker Brooke, Coun-
cellor. Cornwalleys, who was a great litigant, had left the Province, but suits
caused by him still arise, as one did now in regard to whether a girl who was
a member of his household was an ordinary servant (p. 515). Two men
were indicted for disturbing the minister and people at divine service in
Newtown Hundred (p. 522) and others for killing an unmarked bull and
certain marked hogs (p. 523). Men were also indicted for failing to attend on
the guard when they were summoned (p. 524) and for being drunk and
disorderly (p. 525). Capt. James Neale had difficulty as to the carpenter who
built his house (p. 526) and the preciousness of nails is shown in the accusation
against the carpenter that he threw away the bent ones. Robert Holt was
presented for still living with Christian Bonnefield without being lawfully
married to her (p. 528). He soon died and she had considerable trouble with
his son (p. 592). John Hammond tried to avoid a confession of judgment
alleged to have been made by Mrs. Hammond for him, " William Fuller then
ruling the Country as Governor" (p. 528). Before the next session of the
Court, William Bretton filed a deed of land as a site for a Roman Catholic
Church for the " good and zealous " people of Newtown and St. Clement's
Bay (p. 531.

On June 3, 1662, the Court met at St. Mary's (p. 533) and was much
concerned with the title to Snow Hill Manor (p. 534) and with an alleged
failure of a man to fulfil a contract to deliver 47 pounds of beaver skins and
108 muskrat skins (p. 536). The same man's bill at the tavern in St. Mary's