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2,053. Petition of Randall Holden and John Green, on behalf of the town of Warwick, Rhode Island, to the King. We have lived in Warwick five-and-thirty years, but before we were settled misunderstandings arose between us and Massachusetts in matters of religion, for though this land is outside their patent line, yet one day we were suddenly seized by soldiers and tried for our lives without jury or accusers, saving our lives by a majority of two only. We were then imprisoned for half a year with our legs in irons, and forced to work for our subsistence, then we were banished, and all our goods and cattle, to the value of 4,000l., seized and sold for their benefit. And all this because, although outside their jurisdiction, we stuck to the doctrines taught us in our youth by the Church of England. In 1644 we came to England to complain to King Charles the First, but the troubles prevented our obtaining
any help. Then in 1664 you sent out your Commissioners to settle the boundaries, to whom we submitted all our complaints, but, owing to the perversity of Massachusetts and an unfortunate accident, nothing came of it. In 1673 came the Indian war, which came heavy upon us, and led to the burning of Warwick. This danger ended, there arose new internal dissensions, owing to the claims of Connecticut to the Narragansett country. In 1674 William Harris of Patuxet also preferred claims. The case was heard by Commissioners from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Plymouth, all of whom were hostile to us, and who gave damages against us, and took away much of our best land. We then appealed to you for reversal of the Commissioners' sentence, but none was granted, which has occasioned us to come over in our old age to ask for justice and settlement of these distractions. Signed. 2 pp. Endorsed. [Col. Papers, Vol. LXIV., No. 92.] |
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2,054. I. Table of grievances. 1. Extortion of the farmers of the four and a half per cent. duty, by wrongful gauging of cask. An Act has been passed to regulate the gauge, which the King is begged to confirm. 2. Dearth and dearness of negroes, owing to the monopoly of the African Company. 3. The burden of the Navigation Acts in ordering all sugar to be brought to England and in English ships. 2 pp. Undated. [Col. Papers, Vol. LXIV., No. 93.] |
