Anthony Rawlings

of St. Mary's County, Maryland, 1638

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-Ship arriving at Maryland Shore-
(from MPT)

Anthony Rawlings
-After the Raids-
(1647- )

Maryland
-Historical Chronology-
1600 - 1699

The Enormous Offences Act of 1638

February 21, 1638/9. (Assembly) John Courtis, David Wickliff, Hutton Corbett, Thomas Hebden, Anthony Rawlins, Randell Rebell, Roger Moy, Henry Lee, John Hill, Richard Nevill, Andrew Chappel, Edward Parker, William Nausin, Isaac Edwards, Thomas Maurice, James Courtney, William Broughe, Richard Cole, John Prettiman, Ralph Beane chose for their Burgesses of the hundred of Saint George during this next Assembly David Wickliff to do and Conclude in their names as a Burgess may or ought to do. the mark of Anthony + Rawlins;

1639: Report of Thomas Gerard, Administrator of the Justinian Snow Estate:payment to Anthony Rawlings won in a judgement against the Justinian Snow estate: The Accompt of Thomas Gerard gent, of his Adm. of the estate of Justinian Snow late of St maries gent deceased. 21. march 1639. (Provincial Court Proceedings) It:  paid to Anthony Rawlins vpon a iudgemt 1 c. wt tob: 3. bbrels come; 1. axe 12. hoes, valued at 0300.

In these records you may find the key to the mysteries of the past

Anthony Rawlings had been a servant of Justinian Snow (LP Vol. ABH p.15- Bockmiller) up until this time. Justinian Snow died at sea on his return to Maryland from England, news of his death appearing in the records on March 9, 1638. He first appears in the Maryland records in 1637, so this is probably when Anthony Rawlings came to Maryland. It is believed that he took residence at his brother's patent, "Snow Hill Manor". He was a protestant and the Jesuits were hostile toward him, perhaps also because they were jealous of their relationship w/ the Indians, not only for evangelical reasons, but they plotted against Calvert to gain their lands. Proprietr v. Henry Ffleet (1637) reveals that Justinian Snow had been the Factor for a group of investors/"Adventurers" involved in trading w/ the Indians for Beaver skins that included the Proprieter as early as 1624. The inventory at his death indicates that he was still involved in trading w/ the indians for furs. (Anthony Rawlings is not listed among the servants in SnowÍs estate.)George Calvert had visited Virginia after his Newfoundland colony was found to be too cold, and Justinian Snow may have also been in Virginia at that time. It is unknown whether Anthony Rawlings was transported by Snow from England or Virginia.

Anthony Rawlings served in Maryland as servant to Justinian Snow, until 1638, appearing as a freeman of St. Georges Hundred, in 1638. Sometime after that, Anthony Rawlings entered service to Richard Coxe, ending that service in 1642, when he appears in the records as a freeman of St. Georges Hundred, with an unidentified John Rawlings, who resides with Anthony, and is taxed an identical amount. Rawlings must have left Maryland sometime after September 1642, but returned with a wife and child in 1645, because he gets credit for two transports of himself, the first and the second time, as well as transport of his wife and one child, presumably Joan Rawlings, and son John Rawlings. This would mean that he was married c. 1643-4, and son John’s birthday would likewise be between 1643 and 1645. The assignment to him of Capt. John Price’s 50 acre entitlement may indicate a relationship or a debt. Thomas Passmore assigned 100 acres to Anthony Rawlings, not mentioned in the 1648 record which is key to this extrapolation. (1645 seems like an odd time to return to Maryland, as it seems most were fleeing due to Ingles raids at that time.)

And the Jury returned, not guilty, but explaining themselves that they delivered that verdict because they vnderstood the last not to have beene committed agst his Lops peace or the kings, because the party was a pagan, & because they had no president in the neighbour colony of virginea, to make such facts murther &c. the Govr satisfied them that those Indians were in the peace of the king & his Lop & that they ought not to take notice of what other colonies did, but of the Law of England, &c. and therevpon dismissed them to consider better of it.

And then they returned, that they found him guilty of rnurther in his owne defence. and being told that this implied a contradiction they returned to consider better of it: and then they returned for their verdict, that they found that he killed the Indian in his owne defence.

And the Govr willed that the verdict be not entred as a verdict, but that another Jury be charged to enquire & try by the same evidence.

January, 1642: John Elkins, Planter, John Robinson, Barber, and Miles Riccards are charged with the Murder of the Indian King

January 23:  warrant to Tho: hebden to bring afore the Govr Jo: Robinson barbr, John Elkin, and miles Riccards to satisfie him of the reasons why they killed the Indian king of yowocomoco

February 1: Sedent Vt supr. The Sheriff returned for the grand Enquest, mr Gerard,     John Robinson carpr,    richard hills,  mr Greene     Simon Richardson,   Thomas yewell,   mr ffennick,   francis Posie,     Robt Smith,   mr hollis     henry Brooks     John nevill.   who were all sworne

Then the said Enquest was charged wth this Bill: Let it be enquired for Or Sovenaigne Lord the King and the  Lord Proprietary of this Province if on the two and twentieth day of this instant month of ffebruary, at an Indian quarter in  the woods neare St Georges creek in St George's hundred, vpon a certaine Indian commonly called the king of Yowocomoco, in the said quarter, in the peace of our said Lord the king, and his said Lopp then and there being, John Elkin planter, John Robinson barber and miles Ricards (servant of the said John Robinson) on the day aforesaid at the place aforesaid, not  having God before their eies, but seduced & moved by the instigation of the divell, of malice forethought, feloniously and wickedly, with force & armes, an assault did make, and the said John Elkin, one gonne, wch the said John Elkin did then & there hold in his hands, did shoote off and discharge at or vpon the said Indian, and therewith vnto the said Indian, one mortall wound, in the throat of the said Indian, did give, of wch said mortall wound, the said Indian king, at the said time & place, anon after died; and so the said Indian king at the time & place aforesaid, in manner and forme aforesaid, the said John Elkin feloniously did kill and murther, contrary to the peace of Or Soveraigne Lord the king, his crowne & dignity, and contrary to the peace of the Lord Proprietary, his domination, & dignity.

    And if the said John Robinson and miles Ricards, at the time aforesaid, at the place aforesaid, vnto the felony and murther aforesaid, in manner & forme aforesaid, were present, and aiding, abetting, comforting, or meinteining the said John Elkin, in and to the doing & committing of it.

    And they returned, Billa Vera.

    warrant to sheriff to warne 1 2. freemen, of St Georges hundred as many as he may, to be at Court on ffriday next at one clock after dinner to trie in such causes as shalbe given...

February 6, 1642: First Jury returns not-guilty verdict, despite CalvertÕs instructions regarding the law

called to the barre John Elkin, who held vp his hand, & was arraigned of the felony & murther wherof he was indicted, to his arraignmt he pleaded not guilty & for triall putt himselfe vpon God & his country.

Then the sheriff returned his writt, & were impanelled sworne (the prisoner making no challenge to any of them.)  david whitcliff, robert Kedger, Robt nicolls,  Joseph Edl, George Pye, William Asiter. william hardige, John half head, Arthur le hay, xpofer Carnoll, william hookins, Gerrard fford.

And his Lops Attorny gave in evidence the examination of John Elkin, signed wth his owne hand, wherin he confessed that he killed the Indian, & related the manner of it. and he confessed the said examinaon to be true, & that it was signed by his owne hand.

    And the Jury returned, not guilty,....(see above)...but that another Jury be charged to enquire & try by  the same evidence.

February 9: the Sheriff returned for his Jury, to trie by the former evidence

Nathaniel Pope  Anthony rawlins,    Robt wiseman,  John Cook    John price,     william Broughe
   Thomas Boys    Simon richardson   mr britton Thomas Todd    John wavill   John hatche
   who were sworne to give true verdict &c.

Then in the presence of the prisoner, the same evidence was given to the said Jury, as had beene given to the former; viz the Confessions of the prisoner, & of John Robinson & Miles  Ricards And the Jury returned for their verdict, that they found him guilty of manslaughter.

February 21, 1643:
William Broughe demandeth of Michael Peasely of york river in virginea 270 l tob, for a trespasse in transporting John Elkin out of the Province since the 2d of decemb 1642. agst  whom the plf had an action entred vpon record.    attachmt retorn 1st June next, wth citaon vpon pill of iudgmt

In 1642, most of the settlers were still located within a few miles of the original landing site and were divided into three administrative units known as "hundreds": St. Michaels, from Point Lookout to St. Inigoes Creek; St. Mary's, on the east bank of St. Mary's River, north of St. Michaels; and St. George's, on the west bank of St. Mary's River. Others had moved farther away, near the Patuxent and Wicomico rivers and were organized into St. Clement's Hundred, between St. Mary's Hundred and the Wicomico River and Mattapanie Hundred on the Patuxent River (Pogue 1983). Of the five "hundreds" in the county, St. Michaels, which included St. Inigoes Neck, was the most populous with 120 occupants; however, St. Mary's Hundred, which included the fledgling town of St. Mary's, was the most densely settled. By 1642, 13 tracts of land had been surveyed in the town and 12 households were settled in the general area (Menard and Carr 1982:193). Southern Maryland On Line