Old Virginia and her neighbours

248 OLD VIRGINIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS.recluse, who kept a smallschool in a retired placein Calvert County, Maryland." Much teachingwas also done by private tutors. In the Masonhousehold these were three Scotchmen in succession,of whom "the two last were especially engaged[in Scotland] to come to America (as wasthe practice in those times with families who hadmeans) by my father to live in his house and educatethe children. . . . The tutoress of my sisterswas a Mrs. Newman. She remained in the familyfor some time." ^Sometimes the schoolmaster or private tutor wasan indented white servant who had come out as aredemptioner, or even as a convict. Among theConvicts astutors.Criminals there might be persons of rank,g^g gjj. Qiiarles Burton, a Lincolnshirebaronet, who was transported to America in 1722;for " stealing a cornelian ring set in gold " orscholars, like Henry Justice, Esq., of the MiddleTemple, Barrister, who in 1736 was convicted ofstealing from the library of Trinity College, Cambridge," a Field's Bible with cuts, and Commonprayer,value X25, Newcastle's Horsemanship,value XIO, several other books of great value,several Tracts cut out of books, etc." For thislarceny, although Mr. Justice begged hard toallowed to stay in England for the sake of hisclients, " with several of whom he had great concerns,"he was nevertheless sent to America forseven years, under penalty of death if he were to returnwithin that time.^ From such examples we see1 Mis9 Rowland's Life of George Mason, i. 97.^ Butler's ' ' British Convicts Shipped to American Colonies,"American Historical Review, ii. 27.be