o nine shillings, and the Company voted
to dispose of any sum not exceeding L5 "when less than 2/3 of the
members are met." Besides funds in cash, the Company had 1,000 pounds of
tobacco on hand. The following July the Company ordered the tobacco
sold.

On Monday, October 27, 1783, nine years after the founding of the
Company, the succeeding clerk is ordered to give notice that at the next
meeting a proposal will be made to dispose of the money in stock in the
purchase of an engine. Two months later, undaunted by the recent
unpleasantness, the treasurer was requested to "Import from London on
account of this Company a fire engine value from seventy to eighty
pounds sterling." It took two years for the engine to arrive.
Preparatory to its reception, officers were appointed for its direction.
Nine stalwart members were chosen, and they were ordered to serve nine
months. Six shillings each was collected from the members to help make
up the deficiency, and a committee was appointed to wait upon the county
court with a petition requesting ground sufficient for building an
enginehouse upon the courthouse lot. This was granted and the
enginehouse was built on Fairfax Street "adjoining the school House."
The members were called on for a dollar each for this purpose and it was
later necessary to borrow another dollar. Two keys were ordered labeled
"Sun Fire Company."

The April minutes in 1786 contain the invoice for the engine:

To a Fire Engine Imported from London with 2 dozen buckets
Amt p. invoice L 72.14
Commission on shipping D^o--5% 3.12. 8
Insurance on L76 @ 2-1/2pc 1.18
Freight from London 6. 6
----------
L 84.10. 8
Exchange 40 pc^1 33.16. 2
----------
118. 6.10
Freight from Baltimore 1. 4
----------
L119.10.10.

It was incorporated into the articles that the engine was to be