CHAPTER II.

Tranquility of the Province-Governor Stone visits Providence—Appoints Mr. Edward Lloyd commander of Anne Arundel county— Appoints Commissioners-The Puritans at Providence again refuse to send Delegates to the Assembly-Bennett and Claiborne reduce the Colony of Maryland-Governor Stone retained in office by them-Is soon deprived of his office by them-The Colony submits to the Commonwealth of England-Governor Stone reinstated-Cromwell proclaimed in the Province-Governor Stone declares the Puritans at Providence to be enemies of Lord Baltimore-The Province again reduced-Governor Stone rebuked by Lord Baltimore for resigning his Government-Governor Stone re-assumes his office and powers as Governor-Organizes a Military Force-Seizes the Provincial Records-Secures the Arms and Ammunition of the Province-Governor Stone makes preparations to reduce Anne Arundel to submission, and marches towards the Severn-Arrives at Herring Creek-Appears in the River Severn-The Golden Lion-Governor Stone's party land on Horn Point-Captain Fuller, at the head of the Puritans of Providence, marches to meet them-Battle on Horn Point-Governor Stone condemned to Death-The Soldiers refuse to execute him-Others executed-The Property of Governor Stone and his party sequestered-Lord Baltimore restored to his Rights by the Lord Protector-Appoints captain Josiah Fendall Governor-The Puritans acknowledge the authority of Lord Baltimore-Acknowledgement.

AFTER this last session of assembly, the affairs of the province seem to have subsided into apparent peace and quiet. The puritans of Providence appear to have acquiesced in, and submitted to the proprietary government at St. Mary's.

In July of this year, governor Stone visited the settlement at Providence for the purpose of organizing it into a county; and while there, he issued a commission directed 'to Mr. Edward Lloyd, gent.' appointing him 'to be commander of Anne Arundel county until the Lord Proprietary should signify to the contrary,' and to

Mr. James Homewood, Mr. Thomas Meares, Mr. Thomas Marsh, Mr. George Puddington, Mr. Mathew Hawkins, Mr. James Merryman, and Mr. Henry Catlyn, 'to be commissioners of the said county, with Mr. Edward Lloyd, for granting warrants and commissions, and for all other matters of judicature,' &c.

This commission bears date on the 30th of July, 1650, at Providence.

Mr. Puddington had been one of the Delegates at the last session of assembly.

The names of these gentlemen, thus commissioned, are given principally with a view of gratifying the reader, who may be a native of Maryland, that he may know the names of those who were the principal men among the puritans who first settled on the Severn, and from whom many respectable families in this state now deduce their descent.

1651.

Governor Stone, it seems, agreeably to annual usage, had called an assembly, to meet at St. Mary's, in March of this year. But from strong circumstances, it is to be inferred that the puritans of Providence (or Anne Arundel) refused or neglected to send any delegates or members to attend this assembly; and Mr. Lloyd, as it appears, acting most probably in conformity to the wishes of those over whom he presided as commander, returned some message 'to the general assembly then sitting at St. Mary's,' which gave considerable displeasure to the government there, or at least to Lord Baltimore, in England, when he came to be informed of it, who expressed his resentment at the message somewhat warmly in a letter to the assembly.

What this message was, is not now to be exactly

ascertained, no copy of it remaining on record. We are authorized, however, in collecting from what his lordship wrote upon the subject, that the purport of Mr. Lloyd's message was, that the inhabitants of Anne Arundel county, which they themselves called Providence, had come to the resolution of not sending any burgesses or delegates to the general assembly at St. Mary's, notwithstanding the summons for that purpose.

This stand was, without doubt, taken with a view to the expected dissolution of the proprietary government, and was probably meant by them as a prompt manifestation of their willingness and desire, that Maryland should be reduced to the obedience of the commonwealth of England.

1652.

As soon as the triumph of the commonwealth cause was consummated by the death of the king, and the results which followed it in the mother country, the Parliament directed its attention to the subjugation of the American colonies which had been disaffected to that cause.

Governor Stone, having contended against the authority assumed by Bennett and Claiborne, commissioners appointed by the parliament for the reduction of the province of Maryland, but finding any opposition useless, at length effected an arrangement with the commissioners; by which he was permitted to retain and exercise his official powers, which appear to have been administered with fidelity to the commonwealth. Yet, notwithstanding these acts of submission, and professions of allegiance, he was soon after charged by the commissioners above named, with disaffection to the protector's cause.

They demanded of governor Stone the Lord Balti

more's commission to him, which he showed them; thus getting the commission in their hands, they detained it, and removed him and his lordship's other officers out of their employment in the province under him, and appointed others to manage the government of Maryland, independent of his lordship.

Thus was the province of Maryland completely reduced to obedience to the parliament of the commonwealth of England, and all authority and power of the Lord Baltimore within the colony which he had planted at so much cost, and reared with so much care, entirely taken out of his hands, with the probable prospect, that it would never again be restored to him.

After the commissioners had made a temporary settlement of the government in Maryland, they returned to Virginia, of which province Bennett was made the governor, and Claiborne the secretary of state.

Bennett and Claiborne having thus provided for themselves honorable, and perhaps profitable stations in Virginia, returned to Maryland about the latter end of June, to make a more satisfactory settlement of the government of that province also. Finding that governor Stone had acquired, by his highly correct conduct in his office, great popularity with the inhabitants of the province, and moreover that it was the manifest 'desire of the inhabitants, that governor Stone should re-assume his former place of governor;' arrangements were accordingly made, and he was reinstated by proclamation of the commissioners, bearing date the 28th of June, 1652.

1653.

Contrary to the common usage of the colonial trade to the Chesapeake, 'no English shipping,' it seems, had arrived within the province of Maryland

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during the spring and summer of this year. Conse quently, as governor Stone states, he had received no instructions or intelligence to direct him in the government of the province, no act by the colonial government was passed, directly affecting the interests of the settlement at Providence.

In 1654, receiving certain intelligence of 1654. Cromwell's elevation to the protectorate, governor Stone recognized and proclaimed him as protector, on the 6th day of June, in this year.

This same year, governor Stone, by proclamation, charged the commissioners, Bennett and Claiborne, and indeed the whole puritanic party mostly of Anne Arundel, with 'drawing away the people, and leading them into faction, sedition and rebellion against the Lord Baltimore.'

Induced by this proclamation, the commissioners again returned to Maryland, and with the assistance of the puritans at Providence, by force of arms, turned out governor Stone and the Lord Baltimore's other officers, and put others in their places.

After a short resistance, governor Stone, in July of this year, again submitted to the authority of the commissioners' government.

1655.

Early in 1655, it appears that governor Stone received written instructions from Lord Baltimore, in which he blames him for 'resigning up his government into the hands of the lord protector and commonwealth of England, without striking one stroke.'

Being thus instigated by the Lord Proprietary, to attempt the recovery of the proprietary government, he now re-assumed his office of governor under his former commission.