Petition of Edward Bendall and Samuel Scarlet to the Commissioners at Boston

To the Right Worshipful Thomas Dudley, Esq., and President with the Rest of the Commissioners of this Honored Court at Boston

The humble petition1 of Edward Bendall and Samuel Scarlet humbly shew unto Your Worships that about two years since it happened, Mr. Champernowne, being at the Bermudas, an Indian squaw,2 a servant to a poor man there, came aboard his ship and hid herself, which he not knowing of it, brought her from thence hither, contrary to his bond of one thousand pounds given to the governor of the island, when he came here he tendered this squaw to Our Honored Magistrates to the end she might be sent back, who were pleased accordingly to accept her at his hand and to release him of his aforesaid bond.  This squaw, being committed to a keeper, made an escape and could not be obtained in convenient time so as to be sent again to the Bermudas, notwithstanding divers and sundry means hath been used both by Our Honored Magistrates and also by your petitioners with some considerable charges for the obtaining of her, the Bermudian whose Indian she is, petitioning the court of Bermuda for relief, about such time as the abovesaid Samuel Scarlet was there (with sundry goods of his own particular) that court, upon his complaint, gave him power to make seizure upon those said goods to the value of twenty pounds, which they accordingly took in goods commodity for the satisfaction of the plaintiff, at least in part, and whereas your poor petitioners have made man addressed to our honored courts for relief, and they could not see well effect it but referring the cause to this Honored Court of Commissioners, we humbly beseech and entreat Your Worships.  You will be pleased to take the case into your serious consideration that, if possible, the damage of so much stock and the improvement thereof (which already hath been twelve months thus detained) may not rest upon us but be returned, as also that the country may not suffer reproach by them in a matter no ways conducing to their proffer but principally intended as mater of courtesy, which we doubt not, Your Worships will be pleased rightly to weigh and vouchsafe us your favor, and helpfulness to your power herein, and for which we shall ever thankfully acknowledge ourselves to be,

• 1. On May 7, 1649, Massachusetts authorities referred Bendall’s petition to the next meeting of the Commissions of the United Colonies. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, ed., Records of the Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay in New England, Vol. 3, 1644-1657 (Boston: The Press of William White, 1854), 157.
• 2. This woman remains unidentified.