Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-08-08


Esq, Gov'r of the sayd Province, May 40,
$685."
This was during the last year of the Pro
tectorate of the celebrated Oliver Crom-
well, one of the greatest men in English
history, who died September 3D., 1868. The
first suit brought in the county is thus re-
corded:
1858, May 25.-Arthur Turner demand
ed Warrant against John Ashbrooke in an
action of debt to the valew of 1900 lbs.
Tob'o. Warrant to the SHERIFF. of Charles
Countye to Arrest, &c. Retur'e next Coun-
tie Court, to be holden at Humphrey Az
picE's, the 4th of June next"
Where the locality of Humphrey AL
wick" was, we are in the dark.
''At A Court Held in Wensday, in
Charleses Countie, the Goth of October, 40,
1868. ......--......-.-.
"PREsENTEs
"Josias Ffendall, Esq, Gov, Mr.. John
Hatch, Mr.. James Linsey, Mr.. James WAX
er, (quare WalkerO Mr.. Henrie Addames.'
'NoT PRESENT:
"Gov'r Captain William Stone, Secr't
MT. BAKER BROOKE.
"John Courts, Plantive. The Plantives
Hannibal and Elizabeth Aresting the de-
Spicer, Defendants. PENDANTS in an
action of Defamation, the sayd Plantive de
sireth that the oaths of John Piper and
Daniel johnson mought bee taken in open
Court, which was granted.
"John Piper, aged 80 years, or therea-
bouts, sworne and examined in open Court
sayeth that hee hard Haniball and Eliza.
beth Spicer say that goodman Courts was
slanderous man, and hath slandered the
whole cuntrie; and further, this deponant
sayeth, that hee hard the sayed Spicer and
his wife say that they hard goodman
Courts say that William Empson was &
theefe from his cradell, and further sayett
not.
Daniel johnson, % years, or theara
bouts, testifeth word for word as Johr
Piper had done, and then follows the
judgement of the Court.
| sit is therefore ordered that the sage
Haniball Spicer and Elizabeth Spice
shoold have six lashes apeece, which thu
SHERIFF. is to cause them to receave, bu
the sayd Elizabeth alleging that
"NerG er origi,aie Copia itG I'estor.
/, GEORGE THOMPSON, CPk."
Referring again to Port Tobacco, there
was an Episcopal Church there previous te
the year 1854, Tempo. Charles I'D The
original Church was built on the western
side of the creek, of which there is now nc
trace of it's foundations discoverable. We
know that it was occupied by the Rev
Mr.. Moore, in 1892, Tempo. William and
Mary and that from him to the present
Rector there has been in the Parish regu
lar succession of fourteen ministers, cover
ing period of TT years. The two last
the Rev. John Weems, installed in 1887
died in 1891, and the Rev. Lemuel Wilmer
elected in 1922 and died in 1869, occupied
the pulpits of the old and present Church
for the unusually long period of SO years
very. high compliment, think, to the de
votion and steadiness of the Pensioners.
About $50 years ago, or whereabouts,
Port Tobacco was very near being utterly
extinguished by the removal of the county
seat, or capital, to Chapel Point, and moth
ing but the then powerful influence of ths
Scotch merchants of the former place pre-
vented it. The site of the new town wai
surveyed and laid out by competent En-
gineer, and I we'll remember, some fifty
years ago, when the old Clerks office neal
the centre of the public square was pulled
down, seeing very handsomely executed
plat of the same, colored and framed, which
was named "New Edinburg." The public
square for the Court House, &C., with
streets running to it and to the river were
well laid down, together with ample
ground for wharves, for the accommoda
ton of trade and commerce, on water ther
deep enough for any vessel that could &c
to Alexandria. This shows that the move
ment was seriously entertained in infuen
tial quarters, prompted, no doubt, by the
rapid filling up of the creek and the fast
growing destruction of the navigation al
Port Tobacco. Inmy younger days have
heard many of our best men regret that the
plan of removal did not succeed. T.
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