Petition of Jonathan Roland and others to the Lancaster Committee

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Earl Township, Lancaster County, July 23, 1776.

Whereas the Committee of Safety, Philadelphia, July 15, 1776, making a recital in the Gazette, No˙ 2,482, that the Assembly of this Province did, in a former session, resolve, that if any Associator called into actual service should leave a family not of ability to maintain themselves in his absence, the Overseers of the Poor, with the concurrence of one Justice of the Peace of the City or County where such Associator did reside, shall immediately make provision by way of out pension for the maintenance of such family; and said Committee considering that the funds of said Overseers will prove greatly insufficient whenever a considerable number of Associators are drawn into actual service, the said Committee have resolved, that out of the funds of which they have the disposition, they will make such provision as they shall think necessary to answer the said purposes, and that it is recommended by said Committee to the Committees of Inspection and Observation for the City of Philadelphia, and

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Whereas we the petitioners, in behalf of ourselves, in this time of emergency, do make our address to you, gentlemen, who are the Committee of Inspection and Observation for the County of Lancaster, as we are to set out under Colonel Peter Grub in a few days for the Flying Camp now in the Jerseys, and finding that several families belonging to such Associators as are obliged to march away will in a short time be in a suffering condition, in consideration whereof we the petitioners, request, gentlemen, you would nominate such persons as you may think proper to take the charge of such as may be found not of ability to maintain themselves in our district.

Gentlemen, if it might not be thought impertinent in your petitioners to mention a person for the above purpose, we would be satisfied you would nominate Gabriel Davis, as he is a person we confide in to give us satisfaction in our absence; and your petitioners are in duty bound to pray.

JONATHAN ROLAND,
GEORGE LIGHTNER,
VALENTINE BAUER,
AMOS SCHNEIDER,
PETER BAKER,
HENRY PETTERS,
PETER SCHaeFFER,
HENRY MARKLE,
JOHN LIGHTNER,
MICHAEL BRUBAKER,
VALENTINE REINTZER.