Petition of Samuel and Jean James to the Massachusetts General Court
To His Excellency Jonathan Belcher, Esq., Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over His Majesty’s Said Province, to the Honorable His Majesty’s Council and House of Representatives in General Court Assembled
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The humble petition of Samuel James of Bridgewater, Indian man, and Jean, his wife, late Jean Fairweather, humbly sheweth that your petitioners are owners of one-quarter part of one forty-acre lot of land lying in the town of Little Compton in the County of Bristol and lies joining to the land of Mr. Charles Dyer, which land was the land of your petitioners’ mother Sarah Fairweather and now if your petitioners’ own right, which land lyeth so far distant from your petitioners’ inheritance that they cannot have the profit of it as they would be glad to have. Your petitioners would therefore humbly pray that Your Excellency and Honors would take these things into your wise consideration and grant your petitioner liberty to sell the abovesaid lands that they may be able to purchase lands near home which will be far more profitable.
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And your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray,
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Samuel James
Jean James
May 28, 1740
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Legislative Action: |
In the House of Representatives, June 10, 1740. Read and ordered that the prayer of the petition be granted and the petitioner is hereby allowed and empowered to make sale of the land mentioned in the petition for the most the same will fetch. In proceeding herein to observe the rules and direction in the Act of the Province of the 6th year of the Reign of His Late Majesty King George Chapter 3rd Relating to Real Estates[1] and William Hall, Esq., with such as shall be joined by the Honorable Board are hereby desired and impowered to be aiding and assisting the petitioner and see justice done him in the premises. The proceeds thereof to be applied towards purchasing land in Bridgewater more convenient for him. They to render an account of their proceedings herein to the Court. Sent up for concurrence, Josiah Quincy, Speaker |
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Endorsement: |
X / A petition of Samuel James, June 12, 1740 |
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Cataloguing: |
285 |
[1] An Act in Further Addition to, And Supplement of, An Act Entituled “An Act for Making Lands and Tenements Liable to the Payment of Debts,” Made and Passed in the Eighth Year of King William,” Chap. 9, Acts and Resolves (Massachusetts, 1719-1720), 150.