The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1902-10-04
JohnSton'S History
Of Cecil County,
CHAPTER MI CONTINUED.

land Historical Society, but which has
no date upon it shows that +. \. Her
men, sought to obtain the Kings dis
sent to the act of the Legislature, of the
colony confirming his grandfathers will.
This will. to which reference has been
made before, was properly proved and
recorded. but some malicious person tore
out the leaves of the book upon which it
was written. y copy of the will being
afterwards produced. it was lcgalizcd by
an act of the colonial legislature and adj
mittcd to record. Ephraim's object prob
ably was to acquire Il fee simple title
TO the Manor. as he did to Little Bohc-
mia, as Middle Neck was then called. in
1924, by an act of the Legislature passed
at his solicitation, and which broke the
entail of that part of his grandfatherS
estate. There is reason To think that his
motive was Il mcrccnary one. but it prob
ably would have saved his family much
trouble had he succeeded in accomplish
ing his purpose, as the history of the dis
putcd succession to the Manor will show.
Mary, or Mary Augustine Hermen. as
she is sometimes called, because she as
Sumcd the Christian name of her great
grandfather. was of very weak mind: in
deed, if tradition is true, she was almost.
if not altogether an idiot. Now it 50
happened that Il cunning and designing
lawyer, one John Lawson. made the ac-
quaintancc of this idiotic girl and fell in
love, not with her, but with her fortune.
and resolved to marry her that he might
obtain it, III order to accomplish his
purpose he sought every opportunity to
be thrown in contact with the young
lady, and was in the habit of taking her
carrage-ridirg with him for long dist
anccS. Nor was this all. for upon these
occasions. in order to secure the success
of his wclI-laid scheme. he taught her to
repeat. much like Il parrot would have
done, the proper answers to such qucs-
tons rs he believed jury would ask her
when cmpanclcd to ascertain whether
or not she was compos mrntiS. 1t is
highly probable, indeed it is almost Ger
tain, that during this time she was under
the care of her Step-mothrr, Mrs. Alex
andcr, who probably was not cognZant
of Law$om'S n"fariouS scheme to untrap
her, and who. if She was. may have been
gratiiicd with the prospect of being re-
lcvcd of the responsibility of taking
care of her. Owing to the strenuous and
persistent efforts of the designing Law
son, tn" young lady was 50 we'll instruct
ed when the proper time arrived which
was probably when She reached matur-
ity ana WAS about To take possession of
her share of the Manor that she an
SWcrrd the questions propoundcd by the
jury 50 intclli%cntly that they pronounced
her to be of sound mind, and she was
legally Invested with onc-hulf of the
rents and profits of the Manor. Lawson
soon aft"rward sought another oppor-
tunity to take her ont Carrag"-rding
During this ride he and the hoir"Ss were
married. and the dccp-laid scheme that
put him in possession of onc-haf of The
prinrcly domain that Augustine Hcrmcn
obtained III order to prrpctuatr his name
was successfully accomplished.
This happened som" time previous to
the year 1IJ1 for the records of the
county show that in that year Peter Au-
GuStimc Bouchrll who was of an ancient
family that came 10 the Manor while
the l.abadiStS were in the hcyday of
their power and prosperity. and who
had married CHtharinc IIrrmrn. the sis
ter of the simp'r-mindcd woman. and
John Augustine Lawson. jointly leased
several plantations on the Manor
These two persons. the reader will OBJ
y
guStinr. in accordance with the will of
their wives gr"at-grandfathcr. Young
IIcmrn. the half-hrothor of these ladies.
being dead. they We're. or were supposed
to he. the sole and Iightful heirs of the
Manor. which then was divided into up-
wards of fifty plantations most of which
had been leased by former proprctors
for long terms of years for what now
Il l... 81, |
These rents Were generally made pay
able at the Manor House. srm-nnmally.
ut Christmas and Whitsuntidc. All or
large number of them were payable in
grain or tobacco. and frequently pair
OF good fat CapOnS or dung-hill fowls
wrr" added as part of the rent. 50 that
the table of the Lord of the Manor
might be well supplied with poultry.
The willow of Ephlaim \. Hclmcn
uhcn Mrs. Cato, was living at this time
and was in the enjoyment of her share
of the income derived from the Manor
During the life of Catharinc. her huS-
band, Peter Rouchcll. CAS- appears from
Il bill filed in the Court of Chanccry. by
Joseph Ensor in 1850, Il copy of which
is i'll possession Of the Maryland His
toiical Society. received the rents from
kept the accounts incident to the bust
ness transactions between himself and
the other heirs whose agent he seems to
have been, and the tenants
John Lawson and Peter Bouchcll and
their wives were in the enjoyment of the
Manor rs joint tenants for several years
and no doubt had fine time: but the
designing Lawson was ut length brought
face to face with an enemy, in combat
ing whom his legal knowledge and cum
ming awaited him nothing. He seems to
have done the best he could to secure the
property he so mcanly acquired to his
brother Peter Lawson. This Peter Law
son had received Il power of attorney
from his brother John and wife, in 115l g.
which empowered him to transact all
business appeltaining to their share of
the Manor, and it is probable that he
continued to be their attorney until the