Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-04-09
Maryland's Great Seal.

heraldry. A committee in the Legislature
was appointed to investigate and correct the
matter. Mr. Grady, of Montgomery county,
presented the committee with the following
history of the SEAL
On the 10th of June, 1889, Cecius, lord
baron of Baltimore, received a patent signed
by the King for Il territory in North America,
which territory the King named "rerra Ma
riae" in honor of the Queen Henrietta Maria.
In 1884 Leonard Calvert, brother of Cecilius,
lord baron of Baltimore, with about 200 colo
nists settled on the ST. Mary's river and, with
consent of the Indians, occupied part of an
Indian town and bought from them about
10000 acres Of land. The place was after
ward called st. Mary's. Here Leonard set
up his government and to authenticate his
acts used great seal prepared by Ceclius.
In 1644 or 1645 Capt. Richard Ingle, in
the interest Of the Lord baron of Baltmore's
enemies, with an armed vessel, came upon
ST. Mary's by surprise and seized the public
documents and the great seal Of Maryland.
Lord Baltimore says this seal was never re-
covered. In 1646 Gov. Calvert, having OBJ
tanned in Virginia Il sufficient force, returned
and gained possession Of st. Mary's, but not OF
the great seal. 1t then became necessary for
Cecilius TO prepare another great seal for
Maryland. On the 18th of August, 1913, he
issued commission providing new great
seal and the 18th Of August, 1913, he sent
Col. William Stone, his lieutenant governor,
over with it. In this commission providing
he describes it as follows; On the one side
thereof is our complete figure in armor, on
horseback, with our sword drawn and our
helmet on and great plume of feathers;
the horse trappings adorned with our pater-
nal coat-of-arms. Underneath the horse II
seashore with certain flowers and grass
growing upon it; and this inscription about
the side of the seal, Wis "Cecitias dbsotastas
dOminS 1erae Marite ct Ageloaa Bare dc
Bdltimoye" On the other side is engraven
an escutcheon wherein is our paternal coat
of-arms, to wit; Six pieces impaled with
II band dexter counter-changed, quartered
with a cross bultoned at each end, the whole
escutcheon being supported by fisherman on
one side and plowman on the other, stand
ing upon scroll wherein is cngrayen our
paternal motto: "Ftati mtsclti ptroIe .temine."
Above the escutcheon is count palatne's
cap, and over that, II helmet with our pater-
nal crest on the top Of it, which is ducal
crown with two half bannerets set upright
on IL; behind the escutcheon is n large man
tel ; and about that side Of the seal is this
inscription: "iScut0 b0nde D0iuntatis htao
c0rondsG nos" This is the great seal Of
Maryland of l649.
In March, 1862, the government Of Eng
Iand being in the hands of the Parliament,
the council of state sent over commissioners
to receive the allegiance Of Virginia and Ma
ryland. Gov William Stone declined to act
under their authority In the contest that
arose the public records were again seized
and the great seal, just described, was lost
and never recovered The lord baron of
Baltimore prepared another great seal like
the one described and sent il over with
Josias Fendall, whom he Ind appointed
lieutenant governor ON the 10th Of July,
1856. This was the third great seal Of Mary
land prepared by Lord Baltimore. The
second was different from the first; the
third was like the second, therefore the first
and second being lost the third Is n fac
smile Of the second and in restoring it the
second Uhc seal Of lG4S), will be restored
Impressions Of this third seal are yet found
attached 10 the land grants made by the
several Lords Baltimore. In 1876 at the
centennial celebration Of Montgomery coun-
ty, IA very fine sketch Of this seal was cx-
hibtod by Miss Mary d. Davis, Of said
county, taken from land grant dated 1920
Many impressions Of this seal in wax arc
cxtant They all in every respect agree
with the one sketched by Miss Davis.
In the year 1854 the General Assembly
passed an act authorizing the governor to
procure Il new great seal of Maryland, and
commanding the great seal then in use to be
broken on the 1T Of May, 1854. Senate
joint resolution No Q, passed by the GEN
eral Assembly Of 1874, declares certain err
rors to have been made in altering the great
seal Of Maryland, and authorizes the gov
ernor 10 have the seal altered 80 rs 10 con
form 10 the arms Of Lord Baltimore, as rep
resented on the title page Of Bacon's "Laws
of Maryland Joint resolution No 8, passed
by the General Assembly Of Maryland at
the session Of 1876, declares that inycstiga-
ton has shown the arms of Lord Baltimore
as represented ON the title page Of Bacon's
Claws of Maryland" TO be imperfect and
that complete and accurate description Of
the seal Of the province Is 10 DO found in the
commission Of Occilius lord baron Of Balti-
more, which accompanied the seal when
cent TO the province in 1913, and authorizes
the governor ~ have the great seal Of Mary
land altered 80 that il shall bear the arms Of
Maryland, a. represented upon the seal fur
nshed the province in 1913 by Cccilius,
lord baron Of Baltimore Gov Carroll, IN
his message Of 1880, declares that he per
formed the required duty. Let any one read
the description and look at the great seal now
used by the executive, aud il will be seen
at "A glance that again mistake has been
made the Inscriptions, which should have
begun At the top, having been reversed. The
representations Of the seal IN the Senate cham
Der also possess this defect, though the other
parts are more perfect than the great seal
used by tho executive, where the fisherman
very much resembles the statue Of woman.
The seal, with the "ercate It muitipiioamini,"
was taken from old coins and WAS in Use
from 1854 10 the adoption Of the present one.
Your enemy i at your feet, and 1t Is Ia
your power to crush him Don't do il. Bet
ter u an ounce forgiveness than o thousand
tons Of ycngcancel II hardness and bitter
ness still lingcr in your hcart--if actual aud
deep wrongs have boon Inflicted upon you
20 aud look Ia the nearest open graye-you
will not have ~ 90 iag-and see what j. The
end II your enemy and for you. Go think
iYr q moment beside the ncarcst graycstone
-. f.fsI .....tt.ar 4. g.s....f..H III