18
Seventeenth Century published in 1931.
At pages
69 and 70 mention is made of the trial of Thomas
Smith in 1637 before the Assembly of Maryland.
Smith was one of the crew of a pinnace which had
come into conflict with two of Cornwallis's ships
off Kent Island. The pinnace had been beaten off
with the loss of three killed and one taken.
Smith was charged with piracy, found guilty and
executed, although nothing more than an attempt
to rob appears to have been committed. Miss
Crump's statement is not very authoritative, but
she appears to have got it from the "Archives
of Maryland Proceedings of the General Assembly
1637 to 1664". At the end of the book where
Miss Crump deals with Bibliography, she mentions
"Archives of Maryland" edited by W. H. Browne and
B.C. Steiner. Baltimore 1883-1922.
The "Archives of Maryland" comprising
21 volumes are in the Library of the Royal Colonial
Institute and I have had copied from Volume 1 the
material extracts relating to the trial of Thomas
Smith a copy of which I enclose for your information.
I am also sending a copy to Wilfrid Lewis.
CLC/PK.
H.G. Bushe, Esq.,
C.B., C.M.G., Colonial Office,
S.W.1.
Yours sincerely,
этаной