Colonial Maryland Law

Submitted by HOST GFS Loni@aol.com
 

While doing research on an ancestor who was a member of the Legislature in MD in the 1600's, I came across a law that was on the books in 1699 regarding "Blaspheming God." This was a very serious offense in those days. There were several colorful paragraphs, doctrinal in nature, regarding just what was meant by "Blaspheming God." Then followed the punishments, which by today's standards are quite severe.

The first offense was punished by the offender being "bored through the Tongue and fined the Suffle of Twenty pounds Sterling to his Sacred Maty towards the defraying the County Charge where the said Offence shall be Comitted to be leavied upon his or her Goods and Chattells Lands and Tenements (if any they have) but if Such Offender or Offenders have not goods and Chattells Lands and Tenements to the Value aforesaid then Such Offender or Offenders shall Suffer Six months Imprisonment without Baile or Mainprize"

(Some folks today might like the tongue piercing part....)

The second offense was punishable in this way, "for every Second Offence whereof every such Offender or Offenders shall be Legally Convict he she or they so offending as aforesaid shall be stigmatized (ie. branded) in the forehead with the Letter B: and to be fined fourty Pounds Sterling to the uses aforesaid and in Case he she or they so Offending as aforesaid shall not have goods & Chattells Lands and Tenements to the Value aforesaid every such Offendr or Offenders shall Suffer Imprisonment for the Space of one whole Year without Baile or Mainprize as aforesaid"

The third offense was punishable as follows, "he she or they so Offending shall Suffer Death with Confiscation of all his her or their Goods & Chattells to his Maty his heires and Successors".

Sounds like in Colonial Maryland you had better watch your language! To peruse more interesting laws and governmental proceedings of the time visit this website: http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us

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