traded these ten years.”[4] Although his name is given an additional e and there are some few seeming discrepancies, the facts taken together point to the probability of his being Richard Ingle on his return voyage to England. Next year he was again in Maryland, and, as attorney for Mr. Penniston and partners, sued widow Cockshott for debts incurred by her husband. The next entry in the “Provincial Records” under this date, March 6th, 1642/3, is an attachment against William Hardige in case of Captain Cornwallis.[5] This William Hardige, who was afterward one of Ingle’s chief accusers, was very frequently involved in suits for debts to Cornwallis, and others. About the middle of the month of January, 1643/4, the boatswain of the “Reformation” brought against Hardige a suit for tobacco, returnable February 1st. Three days afterward a warrant was issued to William Hardige, a tailor, for the arrest of Ingle for high treason, and Captain Cornwallis was bidden to aid Hardige, and the matter was to be kept secret.[6] Ingle was arrested and given into the custody of Edward Parker, the sheriff, by the lieutenant general of the province, Giles Brent, who also seized Ingle’s goods and ship, until he should clear himself, and placed on board, under John Hampton, a guard ordered to allow no one to come on the ship without a warrant from the lieutenant general.[7] Then was published, and as the records seem to show, fixed on the vessel’s mainmast the following proclamation.[8]

“These are to publish & pclaym to all psons as well seamen as others, that Richard Ingle, m^r of his ship, is arrested upon highe treason to his Ma^ty; & therefore to require all psons to be aiding & assisting to his Lo^ps officers in the seizing of his ship, & not to offer any resistance or contempt hereunto, nor be any otherwaise aiding or assisting to the said Richard Ingle upon perl of highe treason to his Ma^ty.”

Notwithstanding this proclamation Ingle escaped in the following manner. Parker had no prison, and, consequently, had to keep personal guard over his prisoner. He supposed, “from certain words spoken by the Secretary,” that Brent and the council had agreed to let Ingle go on board his vessel, and when Captain Cornwallis and Mr. Neale came from the council meeting and carried Ingle to the ship, he accompanied them.[9] Arrived on board Cornwallis said “All is peace,” and persuaded the commanding officer to bid his men lay down their arms and disperse, and then Ingle and his crew regained possession of the ship. Under such circumstances the sheriff could not prevent his escape, especially when a member of the council and the most influential men in the province had assisted the deed by their acts or presence. Besides it was afterwards said that William Durford, John Durford, and Fred. Johnson, at the instigation of Ingle, beat and wounded some of the guard, though this charge does not appear to have been substantiated.[10]

On January 20th, 1643/4, the following warrant was issued to the sheriff.[11]

Ingle, however, was not again arrested, though he still remained in the neighborhood of St. Mary’s, for on January 30th his vessel was riding at anchor in St. George’s river, and mention is made of him in the records as being in the province. For nearly two months the Ingle question was agitated and for the sake of clearness an account will be given of the acts concerning him in the order of their occurrence.

The information given by Hardige to Lewger which had caused Ingle’s arrest was: that in March or April, 1642, he heard Ingle, who was then at Kent Island, and at other times in St. Mary’s, say, that he was “Captain of Gravesend for the Parliament against the King;” that he heard Ingle say that in February of that year he had been bidden in the King’s name to come ashore at Accomac, in Virginia, but he, in the parliament’s name had refused to do so, and had threatened to cut off the head of any one who should come on his ship.[12] On January 29th, Hardige and others were summoned to appear and to give evidence of—here the pirate enters—“pyratical & treasonable offences” of Ingle. On February 1st, the sheriff impannelled a jury of which Robert Vaughan was chosen foreman, and witnesses were sworn, among them Hardige who “being excepted at as infamous,” by Capt. Cornwallis, “was not found so.”[13] John Lewger, the attorney-general, having stated that the Court had power to take cognizance of treason out of the province in order to determine where the offender should be tried, presented three bills for the jury to consider. The first bill included the second charge brought by Hardige, the second ordered the jury to