Petition of Simon, Nathaniel, and William Mayhew, Overseers of the Gayhead Indians, to the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

To the Honorable the Senate and the Honorable the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General Court Assembled

The subscribers, Overseers and Guardians, of the Indian, Mulatto and Negro Proprietors of Gay Head on Martha's Vineyard, humbly represent that this improvement of land belonging to said Proprietors, being under our care and direction, and are made accountable for the same.  It frequently happens that we find it necessary to assign in pasturage or other improvement, lands to the Proprietors more than their individual proportion, and to all, if they desire it, their proportion, but their rights are filled up, in many instances, by cattle from people, who have demands against the proprietors, and when the rent becomes due for the land, the stock is withdrawn, and we left to obtain it, from any property the Proprietor may have, which often is no more than his labour, by which the Proprietary suffers and their profits, which are a fund, out of which the poor are to be supported fails.  We, therefore, pray the Honorable Court that the law appointing Guardians may be so far altered or that the Overseers and Guardians may have a lien on the stock actually depastured, for the payment of rent, and that the sum may be held liable for the same, or that the Overseers and Guardians may have  all the powers of collectors of taxes to distrain the  stock actually depastured for rent in arrears.

And as in duty bound will ever pray,

Overseers of Gay Head Proprietors