Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 12.pdf/622

 The Bar of Early Maryland. gave opinion that she was until some other representative was appointed. Mrs. Mar garet Brent, being the Governor's administra trix, became the legal representative of Lord Baltimore's estate in the Province, and right royally did she administer his affairs in every direction. Indeed, the new woman had early asserted herself in Maryland. Febru ary 22, 1647, Mrs. Brent appeared in Court with letters of attorney from both Mark Cordea and Thomas Stone. At this time, 1648, Mr. Brent alternately acted as his Lordship's attorney, special judge, advocate in civil suits and Governor of the Province. MRS. MARGARET BRENT.

Another interesting character had now flashed athwart the bright pages of Mary land history, Mrs. Margaret Brent, mistress by the gallantry of the men of Maryland, who thought when honorable age came to an unmarried maiden, then she should be dignified with the title of madam. So then this Mrs. Brent was Miss Margaret Brent, sister of Giles Brent, sometime Governor of Maryland. Her appearance in the Provin cial Court began in 1642, when she made frequent demand of the Court to assist her to collect her personal debts, but, later in its records, she is on the dockets as the attorney of the Lieutenant General, and, as such, was entered on the proceedings of the Courts, and was, therefore, the first woman lawyer in America, and, doubtless, of the world, if we except the lovely Portia who withstood, so successfully, the claim of bloody Shylock. The first case that Mrs. Brent conducted for a client was, when armed with a power of attorney from Fulke Brent, she demanded three thousand pounds of tobacco from Marmaduke Snow, and the same day had a war rant issued to attach that amount of tobacco in the hands of William Popes. A few clays later Mrs. Brent appeared with a power of attorney from Edward Packer, and demanded of Robert Kedger four hundred and sixty pounds of tobacco. It was, however, as the

583

administratrix of Governer Leonard Calvert, that the woman lawyer of early Maryland obtained her greatest historical prominence, and, in that capacity, she frequently appeared in the Courts, and later invaded the General Assembly and demanded the right to vote in that body, one vote for herself and one as the representative of Gov. Calvert's es tate. This claim was denied, but, in Court, her standing as attorney was never ques tioned, and she was one of the most active practitioners of her day, her name appearing over and over again in cases of interest and importance. In every respect Mrs. Brent discharged the duties of attorney in cases entrusted to her with that fidelity and punct uality that become the members of an ardu ous and responsible profession. Very early in the Province were set up almost every character of Courts to vindicate the rights of the Freemen of Maryland, and the Courts were as punctilious in adminis tering the law as the Freemen were in de manding it. The Courts were dignified bodies that permitted no infringements of their rights and required attorneys to proceed according to the well-settled rules of pleading. These Courts allowed no contempts to pass un noticed. An information was filed against George Pye, on February 13, 1643, charging that while the Court was " importunately pressing and charging the jury that were upon the triall of John Elkin, to proceed ac cording to their evidence and conscience, and arguing and pleading the crime against the prisoner at the bar, the said George Pye, in an insolent manner upbraided and re proached the whole court in these, or the like words, vis : that if an Englishman had been killed by the Indians, there would not have been so much words made of it, or to that effect, to the great contempt and scandall of the court, and the ill example of others." Pye declared that he did not speak the words alleged, but, upon the testimony of Mr. Thomas Green, he was found guilty, and fined one thousand pounds of tobacco. Wai