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 The Bar of Early Maryland.

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THE BAR OF EARLY MARYLAND. BY ELIHU S. RILEY OF THE MARYLAND BAR. JOHN LEWGER was the father of the companied by his wife and son. Mr. Lewger Maryland Bar. He it was who appeared imported with him three maid servants and first, with brief in hand, before the Pro three men servants and, during the year, vincial Court; he it was who stood first at brought seventeen persons into the Province. the bar of justice to demand the rights of an Of him, Mr. Bozman, one of Maryland's histo other; he it was who filed the first declara rians, says : " He was a man above the ordi tion that called on nary rank in society,

Maryland law to vin both as to fortune dicate the cause of and mental qualifi the aggrieved ac cations." cording to the very Mr. Lewger, right and equity of while he was Attor the matter. As At ney General of the torney of the Lord Lord Proprietary, ' Proprietary, John was one of the GovLewger, on the 3Oth e r n o r ' s Council, day of December, which ex officio was 1637, (old style), the Bench of the filed his narr, in the Provincial Court. first Provincial The Governor's Court that met in Council was also the Maryland, reciting Upper House of the Maryland Legisla that "Captain Henry Fleete, of St. ture. The attor neys of the day, from George's Hundred, planter, was indebt their education, be ed to the Lord Pro came the clerks of prietary in the sum all the public bodies, of one hundred "Clarkes," as they pounds of beaver were then called. In GEORGE CALVERT 1ST LORD BALTIMORE. was made Clerk of the House 1638, ofMr.Burgesses, Lewger furres that he had borrowed from him as a joint adventurer in the trade of beavers with the Indians, and and, in 1 644, was the Secretary of the Prov hath not yet paid, although he hath beene ince. During his incumbency of the office of often requested to pay the same by the Hon Secretary of the Province, and while Gov. Cal orable Leonard Calvert, Esq., Lieutenant vert was temporarily absent from the colony, General of this Province, on behalf of the and Mr. Giles Brent was acting Governor, Mr. Lewger, having heard that the Susquesaid Lord Proprietary." This Court was held at the old town of hannock Indians were expected at Piscataway, St. Mary's on the St. Mary's River, then the some sixty miles distant, to hold a conference, capital of Maryland. John Lewger arrived issued a commission to Captain Henry Fleete in the Province, November 28, 1637, ac- empowering him to treat with them for peace.