ROBERT LAWSON, late of Maryland, in America. Administration granted 7 November 1715 to Robert White, guardian of Margaret Lawson, an infant daughter of the defunct, of goods unadministered October 1714 by the relict Margaret Lawson, now deceased. Admon. Act Book 1715, folio 232. WILLIAM LANGHORNE, late of Maryland, beyond seas, bachelor. Administration granted 5 May 1716 to his sister Elizabeth Hall als Langhorne, wife of John Hall, the mother Susanna Langhorne dying before taking administration. Admon. Act Book 1716, folio 91. DANIEL DE ST. THOMAS JENNIFER, late of "Rivo Patuxen" in Maryland, in America, deceased in St. Botolph Bishopsgate, London. Administration 29 April 1730 to Jonathan Forward, a creditor, Elizabeth Jennifer, relict, and Mary and Elizabeth Jennifer, the daughters, being cited and not appearing. Admon. Act Book 1730. CHARLES RUDD, late of Piscattua, in the Colony of Maryland. MARY DEN WOOD, late of the County of Somerset, in the Admon. Act Book 1753. CAESAR GRICE, late of Maryland, beyond seas. Administration 14 August 1754 to his brother John Grice, the relict Grice dying without taking administration. Admon. Act Book 1754. LANCELOTT HALLETT, late of Province of Meriland, in Rivo Sarifax in Virginia, batchelor. Administration 14 July 1671 to brother Richard Hallett. Admon. Act Book 1671, folio 83. NICHOLAS HALLETT, on high seas. Administration 12 July 1671 to Elizabeth Everett, principal creditor. Admon. Act Book 1671. 1 NOTES. NOTE ON "COLONIAL WOMEN OF MARYLAND." Perhaps there has been no character in the history of our Colony about whom so many and grievous misstatements have been made as in the case of Mistress Margaret Brent. Invested with a purely mythical environment, she has been made to do duty as the first woman lawyer, the pioneer advocate of woman suffrage, the beloved of Governor Leonard Calvert, and finally betrothed to Mr. Thomas White, a clergyman of the Church of England, sometime of Virginia and possibly coming in to Maryland occasionally, but whom she probably never saw. The writer of the article on Colonial Women, which appeared in the last issue of this Magazine, takes this opportunity to state that in the preparation of her paper some seventeen years ago, she relied on the statement made by the Rev. Edward Neill with regard to the romantic episode last noted; and it was only after quite a while that her attention was called to the original entry in the Provincial Court Records where the petition setting forth that "Thomas White, out of the tender love and affection he bore the petitioner (Margaret Brent) intended if he had lived, to have married her, and had by his last will and testament-given unto her, the said petitioner-his whole estate which he was possessed of in his life time." Mr. Neill saw fit to omit the concluding sentence which runs : "Your petitioner prays that this may be granted, She being a servant," &c. On further investigation both the contracting parties in the case proved to be serving-people, Thomas White having, a short while before, suffered the penalty of thirty lashes under the law for stealing from his master. Our Mistress Margaret Brent, therefore, stands out a central figure on her stage the administrator and guardian of the Governor's children and estate, the representative of Lord Baltimore's interests in troublous times, the protector of her brother Giles's family and fortune during his absences over-seas, —an ardent and devoted daughter of the "Holy Romane Catholique Church," and a woman who needs no fictitious setting to be one of the most notable of our women in the Colony of Maryland. A. L. S. [It is a popular error to suppose that Mistress Brent was an advocate of woman suffrage. It is true that she asked for "vote and voice" in the Assembly of 1647, but it was not as a Burgess, but as the attorney of Lord Baltimore, who, by the death of his brother, had been left without any one to represent his private interests.-ED.] FORGE IN MARYLAND. [FROM PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON; B. T., PROPRIETORS, VOL. 71.] Province of Maryland : I, Samuel Ogle, Governor of the said Province, do hereby certify that in the year 1747 there was finished and is now in use at the head of North East River in Cecil County, one Plateing Forge working with two Tilt Hammers, and that George Rock of the said County is the Proprietor thereof; and that there is not a Mill or Engine for slitting and rolling of Iron, nor a Furnace for making Steel erected in this Province. Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the said Province this 27th day of September, Anno Domini, 1750. SAM. OGLE. QUERIES. WITHAM.-Henry Witham of Prince George's Co. married, in 1721, Mary, daughter of Maj. Thomas Brooke, and widow of Benjamin Hall (Mag., i, 71). William Whitham was living, 1756, in Bohemia Manor, Cecil Co. Dr. Henry Witham was, in 1708, a subscriber to The Sot-weed Factor or Planter's Mirror; George Witham was a witness, 7 Feb. 1697, to the will of William Sherwood of James City Co., Va.; and, in the Visitation of Yorkshire, Cuthbert Witham, son of William, was a merchant in Virginia after 1665. Information in regard to this family is desired. Mrs. L. B. Rowley, 2021 Oakland Ave., Madison, Wis. WHITE AND BAYNARD FAMILIES.-Dr. John White and Elizabeth, his wife, had a son, Dr. Edward White, who married, about 1751, Rachel, daughter of John and Elizabeth Baynard (or Barnard). After his marriage Dr. Edward White settled near Milford, in Sussex Co., Del. Can any correspondent furnish information concerning the White and Baynard families? Mrs. R. S. White, Palmyra, Marion Co., Mo. PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. Meeting of October 14th.-The first meeting of the Society after the summer recess brought out an average attendance of the members. Among the additions reported to the collections, was a bound volume of papers, relating to the burning of the brig Peggy Stewart, to which was appended a collection of the letters in relation to the same subject, written by Mr. Richard D. Fisher, and which had been printed from time to time in the Baltimore News. Also a photograph of a portrait of Governor Eden, presented by Mr. Fisher, and by him obtained through the courtesy and by the assistance of Rev. Robert A. Eden of London. The following were elected active members of the Society: John J. Nelligan, Edward V. Coonan, Ernest J. Clark, Stuart Kearney, Henry Hollyday, Jr., George Armistead, G. Morris Bond, John H. Trimble, A. H. S. Post, A. R. White, T. J. C. Williams, Wm. Henry Forsythe, Jr., Dr. Ridgely B. Warfield, Charles L. Reeder, Mrs. Frederick Tyson. E. Francis Riggs was elected to associate membership, and Rev. Robert A. Eden was made a corresponding member. Announcement was made of the death since the June meeting of the following members: John A. Whitridge, William F. Porter, German H. Hunt and Reverdy Johnson, Jr. The paper of the evening entitled "The Indian Meaning of Patapsco and other Maryland Geographical names according to Mr. William Wallace Tooker," was presented by Mr. Charles Weathers Bump, and contained much of interest to the members. Meeting of November 11th.-An unusually large attendance, both of members and visitors, characterized this meeting. Among the additions reported to the collections, were five electrotypes of the Raleigh seal, from Dr. Daniel C. Gilman, and 1 an exceptionally interesting manuscript from Mr. Richard D. Fisher on "The Perils of a Surveyor of Customs in Maryland, 1775." The following persons were elected to active membership: J. Alexis Shriver, Miss Marie E. Turner, Rev. Lewis Beeman Browne, Miss Alice G. Harris, Alexander C. Nelson, L. P. Hennighausen, Miss Christiana D. Berry, Mrs. Aquilla Browne Hanson, Charles Morris Howard. S. H. Sheib and John Thompson Spencer were elected to associate membership. W. H. Bixby was made a corresponding member. The following members of the Society were reported as having died: James M. McSherry and Louis E. McComas. "Some early citizens of Western Maryland" was the title of the paper read by Mr. T. J. C. Williams. In addition to being a valuable contribution upon the personal qualities and traits of some of the early settlers in the western portion of the State, the paper was enlivened by the native humor of the writer, and introduced an element no less acceptable than rare in essays of an historical character. |