PA-MD land dispute
Robert Withers of Cecil County, MD, lodged a complaint before a Justice of the Peace, stating that "on the 29th day of October last past [1729] a certain David Wherry, Wm. Rask & James Rask, and another p'son unknown to the Compt., being Evil doers & Disturbers of the Peace of the said Ld. Proprietor, Did in a Riotous unlawfull and inhuman manner, with force & Arms, to wit, with fists Staves Clubs axes and other unlawfull Weapons, Enter in upon a certain Messuage & Tract of Land lying in ye County aforesd., called Mount Hope, partly belonging to the Complainint, and then & there did threaten to take and imprison a certain Robert Holy, possessing part of the same Land, and much other harm did commit, to the great Disturbance of the Peace of ye sd. Ld. Proprietor, & Terrour of his sd. Ldships. Good People of the County aforesaid."
David Wherry was ordered to jail by Judge Stephen Hollingsworth, who happened to be the brother-in-law of the plaintiff Robert Withers. He was apparently released on payment of bail.
The circumstances are somewhat vague, but it appears that the real issue was over the ownership of the land that Wherry had occupied for several years, which was in East Nottingham, Chester County, PA, very near the Maryland-Pennsylvania border. Withers and Holy (or Holly) lived just over the line in Cecil County, MD. I believe the surveying stones were located, proving that the land belonged to Wherry. I don't know what the nature of the Rask's involvement was.
Does anyone have any information on William and James Rask, probably of East Nottingham, Chester Co., PA?