San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-01-12
!. H. JULIAN, Editor.
A Pirate and His Domain.

middle ages. There are exceptions to
every rule, however, and the Pauletts,
or Parletts, of Long Grange, Hicksford,
England, are now rejoicing over the
misdeeds of seventeenth century rela-
tive. The family is an old one, former
ly owning an estate of over 1000 acres,
now shrunken to a little more than a
tenth of that number. Their gain, if
these claims shall be established, will be
the loss of many thousaDds of Philadel-
phians. Suits for the dispossession of
tenants long in occupation are rarely
successful, even when not barred by the
statute of limitations, but the cause of
the Pauletts appears to have an unusual
degree of strength, as well as great TO-
mantle interest.
The Calvert family, proprietors of
Maryland 200 years ago and more, had
frequent boundary disputes with the
Virginians, and also apprehended inva-
sion from the Swedes in Delaware and
the Dutch in New Amsterdam, now
New York. Hence, in 1861, Cscilius
Calvert, the lord proprietor, wrote to
his agent in Maryland, Gov. William
Stone, to encourage English settlers to
occupy the border lands adjoining Vir-
ginia, and thus secure them against
squatters from the South. Stone obeyed
this injunction, and colonized good
many Puritans and Quakers in these
districts. He went still further, and
looked out for the Northern borders.
Just at this time man turned up who
seemed precisely fitted for the work of
keeping. off intruders. Capt. Amasa
Paulett had reached his fiftieth
year, vast longevity for a
person of his antecedents. He
was born the heir of Long
Grange, but from boyhood was very I'M
ruly. He was Catholic, and refused
to go to the University of Cambridge,
as his father wished. A quarrel arose,
and the enraged sire turned him out of
doors. Amasa went to London, where
he joined party of buccaneers in an
expedition to the Spanish Main. He
was captured by the enemy, and taken
to Nombre de Dios. The Spaniards
were accustomed to convert their
Protestant prisoners and then execute
them. AS Paulett was Catholic al
ready, and of agreeable manners, his |
life was spared. The niece of the Gov
ernor fell in love with him, but he
claimed to be too devout and repentant |
to marry until he had made reparation
for his misdeeds. He had heard of the |
Catholic colony of Maryland, and sailed
for Baltimore with crew of about forty .
Spaniards and Frenchmen. Gov.
Stone made him grant of land for a
Catholic colony on the right bank
of the Delawares, covering the land
from point a little west of that part of
Philadelphia known as Chester, to the
center of Kensington, and extending
mile back from the river. Paulett
agreed to bring over 100 Catholic fam
lilies at his own expense, and pay the
Treasury 100000 pounds of tobacco, an
der penalty of FORGETTING his charter. He
drove off some of the few Swedes who
were already settled on the territory,
made arrangements for colonists, and
then sailed for Nombre de Dios for his
bride. He found her married to another
man, whom he killed, and fled back to
the Delaware. Remorse for his crimes,
or some other influence, appears to
have preyed upon his mind; for the re-
mainder of his life-he died in 16S1-he
displayed an eccentric and mOrose dis ,
position, living back of his main settle ,
ment with no companions but black ,
man and some dogs. He was not so
much demented as to neglect his rights. I
In 16s3-s4, William Penn, who had |
later charter to Paulett's grant, visited
the old recluse and expressed the hope {
that their relations might be friendly, {
saying that his little colony of Quarkers t
up the river only wished to live in peace. !
Paulett agreed with his visitor. Hesaid {
he did not expect to live much longer, G
but woHld like to leave his nephew what |
he had. As their lands might overlap,
he asked Penn to give him deed COW
ering and confirming Baltimore's land
grant. He avoided showing that grant !.
to his visitor, and the latter wanted to
be shown the bounds. Paulett claimed
that he was net well enough to go out,