Petition of Elizabeth Samson and Others to the Massachusetts General Court

To the Great and General Assembly of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Consisting of their Honours the Council and Honorable House of Representatives in General Court Assembled1

The petition of your humble petitioners humbly sheweth that the All-wise Disposer of All Events has seen fit of late to visit our families with sore and distressing sickness and the distress was much augmented by our not being able to purchase proper necessaries for persons under such circumstances as ours were in the time of their sickness, which was brought on us, at least in part, by the delay of the trustees (of Indian affairs in Grafton),2 praying us our ratable part of the interest money due in may last past.  We, therefore, pray this Honorable Court that such measures may be pointed out as may be effectual in your great wisdom and goodness for the speedy collecting and paying us our proportions of said interest money respectively not only for our present relief but for the future all which is humbly submitted to Your Honors' wisdom and candor by us.

In behalf of ourselves and of the other Indian proprietors,

• 1. From Edward Rawson's signature in the Petition of Joseph Aaron to the Massachusetts General Court, 1782 06 03.00, his characteristic large "s" suggests that he is the person who wrote Elisabeth's petition.
• 2. The Indian Trustees at this time were Artemas Ward, Timothy Paine, and Ezra Taylor.
• 3. Deleted Text: Mr. Crane