26 Assembly Proceedings, 1694-1728.

Public
Record
Office,
London.
C. O. 5,
Vol. 731,
Maryland.
From
1694-1702.
Acts

ment of such wicked and lewd vices for preventing whereof for the
future Be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid by and with the
Advice and Consent aforesaid that every person or persons corhitting
Fornication & being thereof convicted shall for every tyme so offend-
ing forfeite and pay the Sume of twenty shillings sterling or foure
hundred pounds of Tobaccoe And that every person or persons
comitting adultery and being thereof legally convict either by suffi-
cient Evidence or confession of either party, such person or persons
shall for every tyme so offending forfeite and pay the Sume of Forty
shillings sterling or Eight hundred pounds of Tobaccoe to be levyed
by way of Fyne on his her or their goods & chattels (if any they have)
to the use of their Ma^tys their heires and Success^rs and in case such
Offend^r or Offend^rs therein shall not have goods & chattels sufficient to
satisfye and pay such Fyne or Fynes as aforesaid then he she or they so
offending shall receive such Corporall Punishment as the Justices of
that Court shall thinke fitt not extending to life or member And
whereas many Inhabitants of this Province of desolute life and Con-
versacons entertaining in their houses women of ill names and Repu-
tacon being suspected of Incontinency or by other indirect wayes and
meanes providing for the mainteynance of such women whose Com-
pany they so frequent Be it therefore also Enacted by the authority
aforesaid that every person and persons who shall so harbour enter-
taine and provide for the mainteynance of such woman or women or
frequent her or their Company, or the company of any other lewd
women after publick admonition to avoide the same given by the Min-
ister and Churchwarden with the Consent of the Vestry of the Parish
or Parishes where such person or persons shall dwell, and in case there
be noe Minister then by the Churchwardens of the same with the
consent of the Vestry aforesaid shall forfeite & pay for every tyme
it shall be proved that he she or they shall Cohabite together or fre-
quent the Company of each other after such Admonition as aforesaid,
as if he she or they had really been convicted of Fornicacon and
Adultery and undergoe such paines and penaltyes as against persons
legally convicted of the said crimes by this Law is prescribed any
other Law or Custom to the Contrary notwithstanding.

Acts of 1694,
ch. 25
(Repealed
by 1700,
ch. 8)

An Act Concerning those Servants that have Bastards.

Whereas divers Women Servants within this Province not having
Husbands living with them have been gotten with Child during the
tyme of their Servitude to the great dishonour of God & apparent
damage of Masters & Owners of such Servants for Remidy whereof
Be it Enacted by the King & Queens most Excellent Ma^tys by and
with the advice and consent of this present Gen^ll Assembly and the
Authority of the same that every such Mother of a Bastard Child not
able sufficiently to proove the party so charged to be the begetter of
such Child, in every such case the mother of such Childe shall only be