in having his orders delayed in proclaimimg William and Mary's accession led to his losing his power in Maryland at the instigation of the association for the "defense of the Protestant religion"-formed in 1689 and headed by John Coode. As a result, Lord Baltimore was deposed, and in the year 1692 the King sent out a royal governor, Sir Lionel Copley, and appointed a council, and even officers in minor places.

Sir Thomas Lawrence, secretary of the province for King William, claimed the right of controlling the land affairs-such as issuing warrants and collecting fees.

The Lord Baltimore submitted to the loss of his power, but fought for his rights in the soil-and his agent refused to issue patents without the same fees were paid to him.

It is interesting to know that a dispute occurred over the custody of the land records; the agent demanded them to be left in his personal possession, the Assembly declaring that they should remain in the secretary's office "for the inspection of the people who were interested in them."

CHAPTER LIV

THE FIRST LABOR-SAVING INVENTION IN MARYLAND

THE first labor-saving invention in Maryland was the water mill set up adjoining the town of St. Mary's for the grinding of the corn in less than six months after the settlement. The old way of crushing the grain between stones or by the use of the pestle and mortar were the only ones known to the natives, but with the white man came the easier methods of civilization. That Lord Baltimore took great pride in this evidence of enterprise is gathered from his comments regarding its erection, concluding: "And thus, without boasting, it may be said that this colony hath arrived to more in six months than Virginia did in as many years."

Later, with the coming of numerous Dutch from New Amsterdam the Holland windmill was introduced in such parts of the colony as had no streams of water with sufficient force to turn the mills. In Dorchester County, where the long stretches of lowlands were particularly adapted to the windmills, this early and crude though satisfactory importation still performs its original mission of grinding the corn of the farmers, despite the modern steam gristmills in the county town.

Surprising as it may seem to twentieth century readers, specimens of the original pestle and mortar used for crushing and pounding the grain have recently been found in Dorchester; also a handmill such as that described in the Scriptures in the reference to "two women grinding at the

mill." This is formed by two large stones, an upper and nether. In the upper one a stick with two handles rests in a socket in the stone. Two women do the turning.

These mills are still in use in the homes of some old colored folk and are valuable as survivals of our primitive civilization. The water mills in the colony did not increase in the ratio of the corn crop, and we find in the year 1699 an act for the encouragement of such persons as will undertake to build water mills, etc., was passed by the General Assembly, to the effect that "daily experience sheweth that the want of water mills is true cause that husbandry in tilling the ground and for sowing of wheat and barley is but coldly prosecuted, though the advantage thereby in raising the stock of neat cattle be great, etc.

"Be it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty and with the consent of the present General Assembly and the authority of the same, that any person after the publication hereof that shall desire to sett up a water mill upon any land next adjoining any Run of water within the Province, not being the proper possessor or freeholds of such person, nor leased to them.

that twenty acres of such land lying at such Run-ten acres on each side-should be granted to such persons by the purchase of a writ out of his Majesty's Court of Chancery."

In other words, any person desiring to put up and run a water mill for the convenience of the public was given the right to enter on and have granted to him twenty acres of another man's estate, "with free egress and regress, " and the privilege of cutting such timber as was necessary to build said mill.