Memorial of the Tunxis Requesting the Sale of Their Lands
To the Honorable the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut Now
Sitting at Hartford within and for said State
The memorial of James Wawowos and others, American Natives of the Tunxis Tribe, humbly sheweth that they have a common and undivided interest in certain tracts of land lying in the Town of Farmington granted and confirmed to their ancestors for valuable consideration, that industry in the cultivation and improvement of said lands for the support of themselves and families is greatly impeded by their lying in common, as none of the proprietors can be ascertained of his [ torn ] own particular propriety, that some of the Tribe have and others are determined to remove into the Mohawks Country, and stand in the greatest need of the whole benefit of their respective interests in said lands, the sale of which, by the committee appointed for that purpose, is greatly embarrassed in its present situation, that the expenses paid by some of the proprietors in the location of part of said lands, can never be reimbursed them, while the lands are undivided by those who have been deficient in their proportion of such expenses.
We, therefore, Your Honors' memorialists, beg Your Honors' interposition in their case, and that a Committee be appointed to make a division of said lands to the several proprietors in a reasonable and equitable manner according to the nature of the grants having respect to expenses paid by individuals which ought to have been defrayed by the Tribe at large, that thereby the sale of said lands by the Committee already appointed for that purpose might be facilitated, or in some other other way grant relief to your memorialists.
And they as in duty bound shall ever pray,
James Wawowos
Dated at Hartford, May 12, 1777
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Legislative Action:
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In the Lower House, the prayer of the above memorial is granted and liberty of a bill, etc. Attest, Benjamin Huntington, Clerk. Concurred in the Upper House. Test, George Wyllys, Secretary
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Sarah's Visit
Sarah Towsey, Tunxis Woman, and Her People