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From: "Linda Reno" <>
Subject: Re: [MDSTMARY-L] What is the right of Plantacon
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 13:29:56 -0500
References: <41BBF27D.9050109@infostrat.net>


Hi,

My guess would be that they were referring to the "Conditions of
Plantation." This is the earliest one on record, but there was one before
this and there were several aftwards.

Source: Kilty's Land-Holder's Assistant, and Land-Office Guide (Archives of
Maryland, Vol. 73, p. 29-31).


CONDITIONS OF PLANTATION, PROCLAMATIONS,

ORDERS, &c.



HAVING thus traced the origin and early history of The Province of Maryland;
having noticed the most important articles of the Charter, and endeavoured
to explain the tenure under which it was granted, and the immunities which
it conferred; having also given some account of the measures adopted by the
Proprietary for realizing the intention of his grant, by obtaining the
possession or the uncontested ownership of Lands for the purpose of
settlement, we are next to consider the method pursued, and the inducements
held out, for procuring the emigration of Adventurers, as the early settlers
were appropriately called. This was by proposals made and published under
the hand and seal of the Proprietary in England by the title of Conditions
of Plantation, for which the settlement of the elder Colonies had
undoubtedly furnished precedents both in form and substance. The first of
these appears by various references to have been published in the year 1633,
and the terms therein " propounded" and promised are to be inferred from the
grants subsequently directed to be made to those persons who had become
entitled to Land under those first conditions; but the document itself is
not found on record, and probably never was recorded or published in this
country. The oldest
conditions of Plantation on record are dated at Portsmouth in England, the
8th day of August 1636, and are here
inserted at large.

" Whereas the Adventurers to plant that our Province of Maryland have made
suit unto us that we would be pleased to grant unto them under our Great
Seal of our said Province such proportions and quantities of land there upon
such considerations and agreements as we have heretofore propounded and
promised to Grant the same unto all such adventurers forasmuch as we are
bound in honour really to perform the same in all points, These are
therefore to will and authorize you that presently upon receipt hereof you
make or cause to be made under Our Great Seal of that our said Province unto
every first Adventurer for every five men aged between sixteen and fifty
years which such Adventurer did bring into our said Province to inhabitt and
plant there in the year of our Lord 1633 and unto his heires
forever, a grant of two thousand acres of Land of English measure for the
yearly rent of 400 lb. of good wheat and to every Adventurer which in that
year did bring a less number than five men into that our said Province of
the ages aforesaid to inhabitt and plant there and unto his heires forever a
grant of one hundred acres of Land of like measure for himself and one
hundred acres more for his wife (if he brought any) and for and in respect
to every servant, and fifty acres for every child under the age of sixteen
years for the rent of 10 lb. of wheat yearly for every fifty acres and every
other adventurer which hath adventured to transport men into our said
Province of the age aforesaid in the years of our Lord 1634 and 1635 for
every ten men which such Adventurer did bring into our said Province in
either of the
said years and to his heires forever a grant of two thousand acres of Land
of the like measure for the yearly rent of 600 lb. weight of good wheat and
to every other adventurer which in either of the said years did bring a less
numher than ten men as aforesaid and to his heires forever a grant of one
hundred acres of land (of like measure) for himself and one hundred acres
for his wife (if he brought any) and for and in respect of every such
servant one hundred acres and for every child under the age of sixteen years
fifty acres for the yearly rent of 10 lb. weight of wheat for every fifty
acres and to every other adventurer which hath adventured to plant and
transport any men into our said Province, since the year of our Lord 1635 or
which at any time hereafter shall transport any men of the age aforesaid to
inhabitt and plant there untill some other or further conditions of
plantation shall by us be propounded and published to adventurers and an
authentic copy of such conditions by us signed and transmitted into our said
Province for every five men which he or they shall so transport thither and
to his or her heires forever a grant of one thousand acres of English
measure for the yearly rent of twenty shillings to be paid in the
commodities of the country for every such thousand acres and to every other
Adventurer which within the time next aforementioned hath or shall transport
any number of persons less than five a grant of one hundred acres of land
for him or herself and one hundred more for and in respect of his wife (if
he brought any) and as much for and in respect of every man servant and
fifty acres more for and in respect of every child under the age of sixteen
years and for and in respect of every maid servant under the age of fourty
years which he or she hath or shall so transport thither and to his or her
heires forever for the yearly rent of twelve pence for every fifty acres.

And We do further Will and authorize you that every two thousand acres, and
every three thousand acres, and every one thousand acres of land so to be
passed or granted as aforesaid unto any Adventurer or Adventurers, be
erected and created into a mannor to be called by such name as the
Adventurer or Adventurers shall desire.

And We do hereby further authorize you that you cause to be granted unto
every of the said Adventurers within every of their said mannors
respectively, and to his or their heires a Court Barron and Court Leet, to
be from time to time held within every such mannor respectively. And to the
end you may the better be informed in what manner to pass every such grant,
Court and Courts as aforesaid, according to our intention Wee have sent unto
you, under our hand and seal a
draught of a grant of a Mannor Court Leet and Court Barron, and a grant of a
Freehold, which presidents you are to follow, changeing only the Adventurers
names, the rents and Conditions of Plantation as the case shall require; for
doing whereof this shall be your Sufficient Warrant, So we bid you heartily
farewell. Given at Portsmouth, the eighth of August, 1636.

Signed C. BALTIMORE.
To our dear Brother Leonard Calvert, Esq.
and our Lieutenant Generall of the
Province of Maryland, or to any other our
Lieut. Generall there for the time being."
LIB. A. B. and H. folio 61, &c.

Linda Reno

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----- Original Message -----
From: "gene mclaughlin" <>
To: <>
Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2004 2:25 AM
Subject: [MDSTMARY-L] What is the right of Plantacon


> In reading early land records of St Mary's county (ca 1650) land is
> granted individuals by right of "plantacon." What does this mean? Can
> some one explain this? Thank you in advance.
>
> Gene McLaughlin
>

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