Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. V, Part 22

Author:
Publication date: 1838
Publisher: [Harrisburg] : By the State
Number of Pages: 808

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Christopher Robbins, William Coats, 2d do., Benjamin Davis, Roger North, Peter Knight.

Bucks County.

Alexander Graydon, Mathew Hughes, Lieut. John Denormandie, Colº.,

Col°., Majr.,

Simon Butler,

James Meredith, Benjamin Butler,

James Huston,

Archibald Finley, William Walker,

Henry Croson,

Isaiah Vanzant, Joseph Hart, William Williams,

Thomas Kelly,

James Martin, John Miller,

Griffith Owen, Alexander Hunter, William Craig, George Hughes,

George Gray, James Bogart,

Thomas Armstrong, Barnet Vanhorne,

William Ramsey, VOL. V .- 14.

Hugh Miller.

James Adams,

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MINUTES OF THE

CAPTAINS.

LIEUTENANTS. Chester County.

ENSIGNS.

Andrew McDowell, Colo.

John Frew, Lieut. Col'.John Miller, Major,

Joseph Smith, James Dysart,

Job Ruston,

Robert McMullen,

Rowland Parry,

William Bell,

James Cochran,

Joseph Parke,

Joseph Wilson,

Robert Allison,

John Emmit,

Henry Glassford,

John Culbertson,

John Donald,

William Boyd,

Thomas Hope,

Thomas Clarke,

William Reed,

Robert Macky,

John Smith,

William Porter,

George Bently.

Thomas Brown,

John Miller,

Lancr. Co.

James Gillaspy,

James Gilcrease, Samuel Jemmison,

Gabriel Davis,

Robert Ellis, Edward Davis, jan.,

Samuel Crawford.

Willikm Rowland.

Richard M'Donald.

The following Officers were chosen for that part of Lancaster County which lies between the River Sasquehanna & the Lines of this Province, viz. :

Benjamin Chambers, Robert Dunning, Lieut. Wm. Maxwell, Maj .. Colo. Col.

Richard O'Cain,

William Smith,

Robert Chambers,

Andrew Finla,

John Lesan,

James Carnaghan,

James Jack,

John Thompson,

John Chambers,

Jonathan Holmes,

James Silver,

Tobias Hendricks,

Walter Davis, Joseph Irwin,

Charles Morow,

James Dyssart,

John Anderson, John Randals,

James Woods,

John McCormick,

James McTeer, Mathew Dill,

William Trindle, Andrew Miller,

Samuel Fisher, Moses Star, George Brenan,

Benjamin Chambers, Charles McGill,

Robert Muk,

William Maxwell,

James Wilkey,

Robert Dunning,

John Winton, John Mitchel,

Adam Hayes.

New Castle County.

William Patterson,

John Read, Thomas Montgomery,

William Danford,

Henry Colesberry, Peter Jacquet,

David Witherspoon, Alexander Armstrong, Anthony Golden,

James McMechen, Abel Armstrong, Thomas Ogle,

William Armstrong,

James Morris, Thomas Philips,

Jacob Gooding,

Jacob Vanbebber, David Howell.

The Council having repriev'd William Ward, was pleas'd on his Inlisting to serve His Majesty as a Soldier in the Garrison of Cape

George Brown,

John Potter,

John Mitchel,

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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Breton, to grant him a Pardon, which was Sign'd by the President & four Members & Order'd to be enter'd.

" George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c., To all Persons to whom these Presents shall come Greeting :

" Whereas William Ward, late of the City of Philadelphia, in the County of Philadelphia, within our Province of Pennsylvania, at a Court of Oyer & Terminer & General Goal Delivery held at Phila- delphia in and for the said County, the 17th, 18th, & 19th Days of November last past, has been Indicted, Tried, & Convicted of & for Felony and Burglary, in breaking & entering in the Night time of the 28th Day of September last the Mansion House of a certain Ann Cox, at the Township of Moyamensing in the said County, with Intent the Goods & Chattles of the said Ann in the House then being then and there feloniously & burglariously to steal, take, and bear away; for which he the said William Ward hath received Sentence accordingly, that he should be hang'd by the Neck till he be dead, as by the Record of the said Conviction and Judgment thereon more at large appears. Now Know Ye that We being gra- ciously pleas'd to extend our Royal Mercy & Compassion to the said William Ward, have remitted, pardon'd, abolish'd, & released, And Do by these Presents remit, pardon, abolish, & release, unto the said William Ward, All that part of the said Sentence before speci- fied, so that he shall not suffer Death, as by the said Judgment of the said Court he is Sentenced to suffer ; And hereof we command all our Officers and our Liege Subjects whom it doth or may con- cern, to have a due regard & observance ; And our Will & Pleasure is that the said William Ward stand right in our Courts, if any against him wou'd speak of the Premisses. In Testimony whereof We have caused the Great Seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. Witness, Anthony Palmer, Esq., President, Thomas Law- rence, Samuel Hasell, Abraham Taylor, & Robert Strettell, Esqrs., in Council Assembled at Philadelphia, the Thirty-first Day of March in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred & forty-eight, and in the Twenty-first Year of our Reign.

" ANTHONY PALMER,

"THOMAS LAWRENCE, "SAMUEL HASELL,

" ABRAHAM TAYLOR,

"ROBERT STRETTELL."

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MINUTES OF THE

At a Council held at Philadelphia, 31st March, 1748.

PRESENT :

The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., Presidt-

Thomas Lawrence, Samuel Hasell,

Abraham Taylor, Robert Strettell, Esqrs.

Thomas Hopkinson, William Logan,

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approv'd.

The following Letter from Mr. Weiser, sent by Express, was read :

" TULPYHOCKIN, March 28th, 1748.

" Sir :

"I let You know by these Lines that our old Friend Shikalamy, with his Eldest Son, came down from Shamokin at my request; they arrived this afternoon; I wanted to consult with him about the Journey to Ohio, and to hear what passes among the Indians on Sasquehanna River and elsewhere. Shickalamy informs me he had certain Intelligence that some of the Chiefs of the Six Nations will be down early this Spring to pay a Visit to their Brethren in Phila- delphia, and to transact an affair at Shamokin concerning the Del- aware Indians and their deceas'd King Olumpies. This was agreed upon at the Council at Onontago last Fall. Shikalamy had this account from an Onontager Indian, and also from a Kayucker In- dian. He further informs me that two of the Indians that were at Philadelphia last Fall from Ohio, stayed all Winter at Juniata, one is there still, the other in his way homewards was detain'd at Sha- mokin by the high Waters, and lodg'd several Nights at Shikala- my's House; his Name is Hodeecherich, of whom Shikalamy Learn'd ' that the Indians on Ohio had not proclaimed War against the French; that they wou'd do nothing against the French before the Six Nations had declared War; that they were altogether sub- ject to the Six Nations; that upon the first Notice they shou'd receive from the Six Nations they wou'd Act against the French, & not before; that it was the Zisagechroanus that had commited Hostilities against the French, & had desir'd the Indians between Lake Erie & Ohio to join them ; that the Indians on Ohio sent them (or their Belt of Wampum) to the Six Nations; that the In- dians about Ohio were all inclin'd to keep a good Correspondency with the English and protect their Traders, and that they expect nothing else but to have a War with the French; ' so far Hodeeche- rich. Shikalamy for his own part tells me ' that he was well as- sured the Information of the said Hodeecherich was true, and that the Journey to Ohio wou'd avail but little ; that he has no Inclina- tion to go, yet if I insisted upon it he wou'd accompany me.' This, Sir, is the substance of what Shikalamy told me, and I have thought fit to send my son with it by Express to Philada., & I hope

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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

You will lay it before the President & Council, & let my Son be Dispatch'd with their Result. If the Journey shou'd be delay'd or given over, What must be said to the Indians by George Croghan ? His own Cargo is already gone, & he must follow it in a few Days. I will undertake a ride to George Croghan's, let things go as they will, before he goes to the Woods; I reckon he will be greatly dis- appointed, he having kept about Twenty Horses in readiness to carry the Goods. I am ready to do whatever the President & Coun- cil will be pleas'd to signifie to me, and so conclude & remain,

" Your humble Servant,

" CONRAD WEISER.

" To RICHARD PETERS, Esqr., Secretary of Pennsylvania."

Mr. Weiser's former Letters on this Subject were then call'd for, and on their being read there appear'd to be an inconsistency between them and this present Letter; & no light at all being given from whence to form a Judgment of the Truth, the Members were unani- mously of opinion that Mr. Weiser & Shickalamy shou'd be sent for, and thereupon the following Letters were wrote by the Secre- tary :

" PHILADA., 31st March, 1748. " Sir :

" I received Yours of the 28th Instant about Six a'Clock yester- day in the afternoon, and at ten this morning the Council met, when I laid it before them, and on considering it they think the contents thereof are of the highest Importance, & that they cannot come to any resolves without consulting with You & Shickalamy, and there- fore desire you will immediately on receipt hereof set out and pre- vail on Shickalamy to come along with You. It is expected that neither of You will make any excuses nor the least delay, since not to come, or not to come forthwith, as the matters under Consider- ation affect this Province, and indeed all the Indian Nations in a very sensible manner, would be equally dangerous ; and if I knew either of You, you will not suffer it to be said that any harm shall happen to The Public weal thro' Your or either of Your faults.

" Their Honours have further order'd me to write to Mr. Croghan, if his Affairs cannot possibly admit of his stay till Your return from Philadelphia, that he may proceed to Ohio; For as the Southern Provinces have now under their Consideration the Application made by the Ohio Indians to them in their Treaty with this Government, & which, at their Instance, was sent with their String of Wampum, and have not yet, thro' the Severity of the Winter Season, commu- nicated their final Resolves, This Government is thereby oblig'd to delay their Messenger with a view of sending the Result of their Councils & their own together.

." I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant,

" RICHARD PETERS.

" To CONRAD WEISER, Esq."

e e

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MINUTES OF THE

" P. S .- I have left Mr. Croghan's Letter open that You may pe- ruse it, and that You may in Your Letter to him say what You shall think necessary, for I am sensible more may be said to him, & it will come better from You. The Council order You to send Mr. Croghan's Letter by Express to him immediately on the Receipt of Your's, for he waits impatiently for the answer of the Council, especially as two Waggon Loads of Goods are order'd to Thomas Harris' & there remain till further order."

" PHILADA., 31st March, 1748.

" Sir :

"I am favour'd with Your Letter which I communicated to the Members of the Council, and I have their Orders to thank You for your Care of providing everything in time for the Ohio Journey, & to inform You that as the Southern Provinces have now under ye Con- sideration the application made to them by the Ohio Indians at their Treaty with this Government, and shew favourable Dispositions to- wards those Indians, but have not, thro' the Severity of the Winter Season, been able to send their final Resolves, their Honours, for this & other weighty Considerations, are oblig'd to delay their Mes- senger, & to send for him to come to them at Philadelphia in order to consult with him on Indian Affairs, and particularly on an Intel- ligence they have received by Shickalamy that some of the Chiefs of the Council at Onondago will come to this City early in the Spring to transact some business of Consequence. You will be pleas'd in the best manner to apprize the Indians of the reasons of this Delay, and if, on seeing the Interpreter & talking with him, his presence here should be thought necessary in this case, it is not possible to say what time Mr. Weiser can be expected to arrive at Ohio, though they hope it will not be long; however, that the In- dians may not be kept long in suspence, either Mr. Weiser or an Express will be dispatch'd whenever the answer comes from the Southern Provinces.

" The Council is sensible You have been at an Expence & that Your detainment at home must be a considerable inconvenience to You, and therefore desire You will make a Charge of every thing, that You may be paid to Your Satisfaction. It will be very agree- able to them if, as you have staid so long, your Business wou'd per- mit you to stay a little longer, that Mr. Weiser might go along with You, in case the Council after conferring with him shou'd be at Liberty to send him to Ohio. I conclude with repeating the President's & Council's acknowledgements to You for your Care & Services in this troublesome Affair, & am,

" Sir, Your humble Servant,

" RICHARD PETERS.

"Mr. GEORGE CROGAN."

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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

The President having received a Letter from Governor Clinton, the same was read & order'd to be enter'd :

"NEW YORK, March, 1747.

" Sir :

" I would have done myself the pleasure of answering the favour of Your Letter, which I received by the Gentleman that came hither to assist Your sollicitation for the loan of some Cannon for the Ser- vice and Defence of Pennsylvania Province, but that the Gentleman went away in a hurry; and I am glad I had it in my power to oblige You and them on that Occasion. As I suppose they are by this time return'd to Philadelphia, I shall refer you to their Report how far I have been able to comply with your Request ; & I per- suade myself, if the Cannon which I have spared get safe to Your Province, they will contribute greatly to the Defence and Satisfac- tion of His Majestie's Subjects there, and I heartily wish You Suc- cess in the use of them till You can be better Supplied elsewhere.

" I am, with great Regard, Sir, " Your most humble Servant, " GEORGE CLINTON.

"P. S .- I am inform'd that Don Pedro is upon the Coast with one or two Vessels, which makes me think the sending the Cannon by Water will be hazardous, therefore wou'd much rather chuse to have them sent by Land, as first propos'd.

" The Honourable ANTHONY PALMER, Esq"."

At a Council held at Philadelphia 5th April, 1748.

PRESENT :

The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.

Thomas Lawrence, Samuel Hasell,

Abraham Taylor, Benjamin Shoemaker, - Esqrs.

Thomas Hopkinson, William Logan,

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd.

The following Letter in answer to Governor Clinton's was Sign'd by the President :

" PHILADA., 5th April, 1748.

" Sir :

" I have the honour to acknowledge the Receipt of Yours by last Post. The Gentlemen employ'd to sollicit the Loan of the Cannon had given in their Report before your obliging favour came to hand, and had made the Board so sensible of the readiness with which Your Excellency & the Council acceded to their Application, that I

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MINUTES OF THE

find it difficult to make their acknowledgements in Terms that will sufficiently express their Gratitude.

"The People of this Province saw themselves in imminent Dan- ger, and as they had been disappointed in every scheme they had form'd for the procuring of Cannon, if Your Excellency had not enter'd with so much zeal into the Consideration of their Calamitous Circumstances, we shou'd have had reason to dread the Conse- quences in case of an Attack.

" The Council have these reasons, in common with their fellow- Citizens, for their grateful sense of Your Excellency's kindness, but they find even these heightened by the personal Regard You have been pleas'd to shew to them, & by the obliging manner in which you have always express'd yourself towards them. This they desire me to say they will ever remember with the utmost affection. After having endeavour'd to do Justice to my fellow- Counsellors, be pleas'd to believe I am imspir'd with the same Sentiments & the some Gratitude, & that no one can be with truer Esteem,

" Your Excellency's most obedient Servant, " ANTHONY PALMER.

" His Excellency GEORGE CLINTON, Esqr."

A Letter from the honoble. the Proprietaries was read : " LONDON, October, 16th, 1747.

" Gentlemen :

"We have received the Duplicate of Your Letter of the 29th of July, the Original of which was sent by Captain Mesnard, who was taken, & also duplicate of the Minutes of Council to the 22d of the same Month, by which we bave the satisfaction to see you have taken the most proper Measures that the Circumstances of the several Affairs that came before You required, & with a dispatch that shews your attachment to the Service of your Country. This is what we expected from the knowledge we had of the former Gen- tlemen of your Board ; and we are much pleas'd with your late wor- thy Governor's having fill'd up the number of Council with Gen- tlemen so capable of Assisting the Public Service, & which must make the attendance less burthensome by increasing the number.

" We are very sensible that the sending Flags of Truce from our Enemies to a place situated as Philadelphia is, so far within Land, and at so great a distance from the Countrys they came from, when they might in much less time have gone to other Settlements, must be chiefly with a view to make themselves Masters of the Naviga- tion of the Bay in order to come in another manner, & shou'd be prevented by all methods in your power. The regulations drawn up by Your Committee are very good ones, and we shall hope to hear the President will procure the same to be obser'd in the Lower

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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Government ; this we recommend to You to inforce the Execution of, and to prevent as much as possible any communication between our People and those with whom we are engaged in War, which perhaps an Inclination to advantageous Trade may tempt some People to.

" The daring attack made by the Crew of the Privateer, as well on the Plantations at Bombay Hook as the Ship in the Bay, are fully sufficient to increase the uneasiness of the People, & if Acts of Assembly cou'd put a stop to it they would very soon have those in their Power, as it can depend on us; but former Experience fully shew us, and your own Minute of your conference with the Members of Assembly as fully confirms, that Your Assembly will not pass any Act, or be active in any thing tending to Your Defence ; they may give a little Money, just as they shall see proper, after other Gentlemen shall have advanced their Money for the Public Service. What appears to us the only thing that can be done for Your Secu- rity is to procure a Ship or Sloop to be Station'd at Lewis; this we shall immediately apply for and sollicit in the strongest manner, and we hope we shall meet with Success.

" We are well pleased to find by your Minutes that some consid- erable Nations of Indians on the Lakes are come over to the Eng- lish Interest, & into confederacy with the Six Nations. We recom- mend it to you to encourage such Inclinations in them, and as You have given that You will continue to give the necessary orders for keeping up a good Correspondence with the several Tribes with whom we are allied, & who, having ever been faithful to Us, are justly entitled to our Regard, as well as that in point of Pollicy their further Friendship may be of great use. We observe Com- plaints have been made of the injustice of the Indian Traders towards some of that poor People, and desire You will cause the most speedy & effectual enquiry to be made into that Business, that Justice may be done to them, the most exact performance of which is the only Basis on which a firm Union can be establish'd.

"It is needless for Us to say anything further to a Board so well acquainted with their Duty; we have a firm Confidence in your acting such a part as will be most for the honour & safety of Your Country; this is all we have to desire, and with which we should rest satisfied under your administration ; but as You have not the power of joining with the Assembly to make Laws, you may be assured if the Affairs of our Family will not one of us to leave this Country the next Summer, we shall make an apointment that the Province may not want that most necessary part of Govern- ment.

" We had some expectation the Governor wou'd have continued another Year with You, on account of the late melancholly altera- tion in our Family, but find his state of health would not permit,

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MINUTES OF THE

or perhaps we might have been more determined in this affair. We are,

" Gentlemen, Your very affectionate Friends.

"THO. PENN, " RICHª. PENN.

" LONDON, Oct". 16, 1747.

" The Honoble the President & Council of the Province of Penn- sylvania."

Nicholas Perie & Captain Charles Higginbotham attending the Council in pursuance of their Order of the 22d of January last, were called in. Nicholas Perie desir'd that as he was a German & did not understand the English Language, that he might be permitted to speak by an Interpreter, & having leave from the Council to do so, Mr. Christian Grasshold, who is usually employed in this Service by the Germans, deliver'd in a Paper, & desir'd it might be received as the Defence of the said Perie ; the Paper was read in these words :

"May it please the President & Council :

"I have receiv'd Your Honour's Orders to wait on You this Day to answer some Complaints of one Higginbotham, who gives out that he is to have my Land under a pretence of a Maryland Patent.

"I am one of those Foreigners who Petition'd nine or ten Years ago against the proceedings of Captain Cresap & this very Higgin- botham, and His Majesty was pleas'd to make an Order that I, as well as others who were at that time in possession of the Lands contested between the Proprietors of Maryland & Pennsylvania, should remain in possession till the final determination of the Cause between the said Proprietaries.

" I have been guilty of no breach of the Peace ; I have liv'd within the Government of Pennsylvania quietly & like a good Subject, and have paid my Taxes regularly for the Support thereof, & in return I expect the protection of this Government of Pennsylvania if my property be attempted to be wrested out of my Hands by violence, and if You will not grant it to me, I will immediately apply to His Majesty that he wou'd graciously enforce obedience to his own Royal Order, and His Majesty on such application will, I doubt not, let fall the Severity of his Displeasure on any one who will presume to disturb his Subjects after such terrible harrassments as they have undergone, and this in opposition to His Gracious Order, obtain'd after a full hearing of both Proprietaries to quiet us in our Possessions.

" With all humility I beg Leave to say, that in as much as I have been in possession before the Royal Order at the time the same was made, & ever since, I will not give up possession, neither at the Instance of Pennsylvania nor Maryland, till there be a final Settlement between the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania & Maryland,

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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

& this ratified by His Majesty, or at least till I have the joint Orders of the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania & Maryland served upon me in a legal manner. I in the humblest manner beg leave to say the President & Council have no Power, so long as I behave peace- ably & like a good Subject, to make any Orders respecting the pos- session & Title of my Land. It is true that I hold this very Land by a grant from the Proprietors of Pennsylvania, which I have ready to produce. In all other matters, that only excepted which respects the Title & Possession of my Land, I owe suit & service to the Government of Pennsylvania.

" Higginbotham's Patent is nothing to me, he may have Twenty Patents, but they cannot operate against his Majestie's Royal Order, since I have been in possession of the Land these twelve Years.

" NICHOLAS PERIE.

" April 5th, 1748."

The Board taking notice of the incivility of the Language, ask'd Mr. Grasshold if he knew who penn'd the Paper. He said Nicholas Perie dictated the substance of it first in Dutch, & when that was Settled he translated it into English; That neither Perie nor him- self intended any Incivility, and if there was any thing of this sort that cou'd give offence, it was owing to his Ignorance of the Eng- lish Language, & begged it might be seen in that Light, as the Man had his sole dependence on the Justice of this honourable Board.

" Mr. Grasshold further for Nicholas Perie offer'd to the Board another Paper, which he said wou'd shew that Nicholas Perie had possession of the said Land by a Grant from Proprietor Thomas Penn in the Year 1736, desiring it might be taken notice of that the Date of this Grant was prior to Higginbotham's Patent or Right. This Paper the Secretary read in these words, viz. :

"Pennsylvania ss.

" Whereas, sundry Germans and others formerly seated themselves by our Leave on Lands Lying on the West side of Sasquehanna River within our County of Lancaster, & within the bounds of a Tract of Land Survey'd the Nineteenth and Twentieth Days of June, Anno Domini, 1722, containing about Seventy thousand Acres, commonly called the Manor of Springetsbury ;

" And Whereas A Confirmation to the Persons seated on the same for their several Tracts has hitherto been delayed by reason of the Claim made to the said Lands by the Indians of the Five Na- tions, which Claim the said Indians have now effectually released to Us by their Deed bearing date the Eleventh Day of this Instant, October ;

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Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. V, Part 22

Author: Publication date: 1838 Publisher: [Harrisburg] : By the State Number of Pages: 808

Author:
Publication date: 1838
Publisher: [Harrisburg] : By the State
Number of Pages: 808