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To the honourable the Council for the State of the MASSACHUSETTS-BAY, now setting at WATERTOWN:
The Petition of JOHN HARVEY humbly shows:
That your petitioner was late master of the ship called the Easter, bound from Jamaica to London,and was, on the second day of October last, taken by the Continental brigantine of war called the Cabbot, and sent into the port of Dartmouth; and that your petitioner had on board his ship at the time he was captured, his wife and family, which consists of four orphan children, under the care of your petitioner, the eldest of which is between six and seven years of age, and five servants — four whites and one black — all which are now at said Dartmouth. This being the situation of your petitioner and his family, he prays the indulgence of the honourable Court that they, in their great goodness and humanity, would grant leave to their unfortunate petitioner to purchase some small vessel, such as he may be able, and also to grant him a permit to depart with his said family, in said vessel, from Dartmouth, back again to Jamaica. And if this petitioner should be so happy as to obtain leave to purchase a vessel for the purpose aforesaid, he will want persons to man said vessel; therefore would further pray the indulgence of the honourable Court that they would grant permits to four of the men who belonged to your petitioner' s ship before she was captured, for the purpose aforesaid, viz˙, Anthony Dickerson, John Taylor, Edward Harvey, Wiliam Dodge, and John Murro. The situation of your petitioner' s family being so peculiarly unhappy, by reason of his having his wife with him, who is now pregnant and very near her time, and so many small children and servants, induces him to believe the honourable Court will indulge him in his requests, or otherwise grant him relief such as they, in their great wisdom, shall think proper and best. And their petitioner, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c.
JNO˙ HARVEY.
November 1st, 1776.
BRISTOL, ss: November 1st, 1776:
Then personally appeared Thomas Wever, who is now prize-master of the ship mentioned in the aforegoing Petition, and made oath that the facts set forth therein are true and just in every part.
Sworn to before me, ED' D POPE, Just˙ Pacis.
IN COUNCIL, November 15, 1776. — On reading the Petition of Captain John Harvey, late Commander of the ship Easter,
Ordered, That the prayer thereof be granted, and that he have liberty to purchase a vessel not exceeding seventy
Petition of John Harvey
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tons, in order to transport himself and his family, consisting of his wife, four children, and five servants, to Jamaica, taking with him nothing more than necessary provisions for the voyage. And in order to enable him to navigate his vessel, he is also hereby permitted to take with him Anthony Dickerson, John Taylor, Edward Harvey, William Dodge, and John Munroe, as Mariners to enable him to navigate his vessel. And ' tis hereby recommended to all American cruisers to suffer the said Captain Harvey to pass with his vessel, company, and passengers, unmolested.