1791 Petition to Lt. Gov. Fanning
from the residents of Prince Town
The following petition was published in the 10 March 1792 issue of the Royal Gazette, and Miscellany of the Island of Saint John. Although historically important, it is not the circumstances surrounding the petition that is of interest to genealogists but the list of names of the residents affixed to it.
A total of three petitions appeared in the Royal Gazette of that date, all of which have been reproduced on my website. Because of the similarity of both the petitions and the subsequent responses from Lieutenant Governor Fanning, I have elected NOT to reproduce all three of Lt. Gov. Fanning's responses. A copy of one of the responses (as well as the source reference for these petitions) can be found with the Cherry Valley-Vernon River petition.
The Petition:
To his Excellency Edmund Fanning, LL.D. Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief in and over his Majesty's Island of Saint John, and the Territories adjacent thereunto, in America, Chancellor of the same, &c. &c. &c.
May it please your Excellency,
We, his Majesty's dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Inhabitants of Prince Town and County, having been informed that certain Charges, of a criminal Import, have been exhibited by Mr. John Hill and Mess. Cambridge and Bowley, Merchants of this Island, against your Excellency, and others his Majesty's Officers of this Government, and particularly setting forth, that the Administration of Justice, since the Restoration of the Chief Justice, has been partial and violent, by Means of which the Prosperity and Settlement of the Island have been greatly retarded, and his Majesty's Government sunk into popular Contempt.
On receiving this Information, we think it our Duty and a Piece of Justice we owe your Excellency to embrace this Opportunity of assuring you, in this public Manner, of our hearty and sincere Approbation of your Excellency's Administration, the Administration of Justice, and the general Tenour of the Conduct of the Officers of this Government.
We desire Leave further to observe, that since your Excellency took upon you the Administration of this Government, we have experienced no Grievance but what has proceeded from the Failure of the Proprietors in Settling their Lands, by which Means the greatest Part of the Island is kept in a waste and unpeopled State. This is a Grievance severely felt , and, we hope, when the Affairs of the Island come under the Consideration of his Majesty's Ministers, they will apply some Remedy to so great an Evil.
We particularly desire to thank your Excellency for the Method, adopted since your Arrival here, of chusing our Representatives, whereby we have been relieved from the Necessity either of Travelling from our Homes to a great Distance at inclement Seasons, or be deprived of the Privilege of giving our Suffrages to those we would wish to represent us in General Assembly.
| William Hunter | Nathaniel Poulden |
| Neil Ramsay | George Thompson |
| Andrew Gray | Daniel McKenzie |
| John McLeod | Donald Taylor |
| Arch. Mathews | James McNutt |
| Donald Taylor | John Mathews |
| John McGugan | Murdock Campbell |
| John McLean | Charles Stewart |
| John Lawler | Arch. Taylor |
| John Sinclair | Patrick Mulloy |
| John Taylor | Laughl. McDonald |
| Joseph McLean | Niel McGugan |
| Angus McAulay | Donald McKinnon |
| John Thompson | James Adams |
| Duncan McDugald | John McGugan |
| John McDugald | Jas. Woodside, jun. |
| Robert Woodside | John Cook |
| John McLellan | Angus Cameron |
| Malcolm McNeil | Alex. McLellan |
| Benj. Warren, sen. | John Dowling |
| James Woodside, sen. | Daniel Campbell |
| Arch. Ramsay | Hugh Montgomery, jr. |
| Hugh Montgomery, s. | Patrick Niel |
| Peter McDugald | Mich. McIntosh |
| Hugh McEachran | Malcolm Ramsay, jr. |
| George Atkinson | John Ramsay, jun. |
| Wm. Bearsto Warren | George B. Warren |
| William Bearsto | John Power |
| Thomas Felton | David Griffin |
| Peter Stavert | Tho. Coughlin, sen. |
| John Coughlin | Daniel Wall |
| Tho. Coughlin, jun. | John Henry |
| Dugald Henry | John Power, Sen. |
| Malcolm McArthur | Michael Waller |
| Edward Ramsay | Hugh Carr |
| Donald Carr | Kenneth McKenzie |
| Donald McKenzie | Malcolm McKinnon |
| Donald McDonald | Daniel Woods |
| John McMillan | John Marchland |
| James Brander | Alexander Brander |
| Thomas Martin | Charles McNiel |
| John Ramsay | Archibald Ramsay |
| Archibald McKay | Alexander McKay |
| Angus McLellan | John McLellan |
| Dugald Stewart | Archibald Ramsay |
| Alex. McKay, jun. | John Ramsay |
| Dugald Stewart | Patrick McGinnis |
| Morrice Welch | Alexander Cameron |
With many others that could not be conveniently inserted in this Sheet.
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