Petition of Rhoda Charles to the Connecticut General Assembly Requesting Leave to Sell Land (1807)

To the Honorable General Assembly of the State of Connecticut to Be Holden at New Haven on the Second Thursday of October 18071

The petition of Rhoda Charles of Lyme in the County of New London, widow, humbly sheweth that her father Joseph Occuish, one of the Niantic Tribe of Indians in said Lyme, on the 30^th day of November 1782 purchased a certain piece of land lying the west part of the Town of New London and took a deed of the same from one Nathan Daniels, the proprietor and lawful owner of the same, said tract of land contains about fifteen acres, and said land was not any of the land sequestered or given to the said Niantic Tribe of Indians, and your petitioner says that her said father died about fifteen years ago and left only one son named Abraham and your petitioner, and he left no wife or any other children except said Abraham and your petitioner, and your petitioner further says that said Abraham is lately dead and has left neither wife or children by which means your petitioner is heir to said tract of land, and she needs the same for the support of herself and children.  Wherefore your petitioner prays that Your Honours would be pleased to take the case into consideration and grant your petitioner leave to sell and convey said land by a deed to some person2 who may be ready to purchase the same, the sale to be under the care and direction of some proper person to be named by Your Honours, |as the said land is of no profit at present to your petitioner. She hopes that Your Honours will take her case into consideration and grant her relief in the premises as prayed for|.

And your petitioner as in duty bound shall ever pray,

• 1. The second Thursday in October in 1807 was the 8th.
• 2. Crossed Out: or other