Mary Durley

v4:105

Wednesday, January 3, 1776.

Walter Jones, Esq˙, having been re-elected a Delegate for the County of Richmond, in the room of Francis Lightfoot Lee, Esq˙, took his seat in Convention, as a Delegate for the said County.

A Petition of Mary Durley, of the County of Isle-of-Wight, was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that, some time in the month of October last, in order to support herself and family, she employed a certain Joseph Wren to navigate a small Vessel belonging to her, which was employed in carrying oysters, shells, and other things, up James River; that, upon his return from up the said river, when opposite to Burwell' s Ferry, he was fired on by the Kingfisher man-of-war, and was obliged to go on board her; upon which, some Riflemen, part of our Troops stationed at Burwell' s Ferry, seized the Vessel, which in the late bad weather was driven on shore, and rendered useless to your Petitioner; and praying that this Convention will make her some compensation for the loss of the said Vessel, upon which her subsistence chiefly depended.

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to Mr˙ Parker, Mr˙ Norvell, Mr˙ Westwood, Mr˙ Langhorne, and Mr˙ Wills; and that they report the same, together with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.