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of their body should write on their behalf in their more private character. This information I tho't it necessary to give you, that you might not expect to hear from the society in their capacity as such. I am, with all due respect, Your obedient humble Servant,1

CHARLES CHAUNCY.

ANDREW ELIOT TO JASPER MAUDUIT

BOSTON, N. E., June 1, 1763.

SIR, According to the Direction of the Overseers of Harvard College I transmit to you the enclosed Vote of Thanks.

I am glad the Performances of the College have met with so favorable a Reception. I hope it will stimulate our Youth to excel in valuable Learning.

The Readiness with which you have espoused the Interests of the College and your Generosity to it are an Addition to the many Obligations you have laid us under. I take the Liberty to entreat the Continuance of your kind Offices to this rising Seminary.

We find by your Letter to Mr. Bowdoin that the Act incorporating a Number of Persons into a Society for propagating the Gospel among the Indians is not like to have the Royal Approbation. We have a grateful Sense of your Care in managing that Affair, but it gives us the greatest Concern that the Act has met with such Opposition. It is strange that Gentlemen who profess Christianity will not send the Gospel to the Heathen themselves nor permit it to be sent by others. We hope the Design will not fail. The Commissioners from London and Scotland are hearty in the Cause and we doubt not will receive considerable Assistance from well-disposed Persons among ourselves.

1 An account of a meeting of the colony agents in London, May 19, 1763, is in Penn. Col. Rec., IX. 47.

It gives peculiar Satisfaction to those who wish well to our Churches that we have an Agent who has a natural Care for them, and by whom we can so easily apply to the Body of our dissenting Brethren in England. I trust, Sir, your Services to this People will always meet with a grateful Acceptance.

The Committee of the associated Pastors in Boston lately sent a Letter to the Committee of Deputies in London to sollicit their Assistance in the Affair of the Charter. I suppose any application will now be too late. But you will see by that Letter some of the Reasons for our desiring to be incorporated into a distinct Society. We hope the Deputation will allow us to apply to them as Occasions present. Such a Correspondence we apprehend quite necessary for us, who find by the Fate of our Charter, that our Enemies are more and greater than we were aware of. We shall endeavor to give you as little Trouble as possible. You will excuse the Freedom with which I write and believe me to be, with the greatest Respect, Your obedient humble Servant, ANDREW ELIOT.

PETITION OF SAMUEL HARNDEN

Province of the

Massachusetts Bay.

To his Excellency Francis Bernard, Esqr., his Majesty's Captain General and Governor in chief in and over the Province aforesaid and vice Admiral of the same; The Hon'ble his Majestys Council, and the house of Representatives of the said Province in General Court assembled at Boston, May 25, 1763. The humble petition of Samuel Harnden of Woolwich in the County of Lincoln Gentleman Shews:

That in the year 1758 your pet'rs Son in Law Ebenezer Preble and Mary his wife (Inhabitants at the Eastern parts of this Province) were both killed by a Number of Indians, and their family of Six Children, the Eldest then eleven years old, were at the same time taken Captives, the youngest whereof being a boy of about three Months old, they killed. The other five Children they carried away with them into Canada, and in the year 1759 two of the said Children were providentially recovered and brought back to their home.1

That after the Reduction of Canada in the year 1761, your Excellency and the then General Assembly sitting, and taking into Consideration your pet'rs address, praying that he himself in person might proceed to Canada to recover the other three remaining Captive Children (having certain knowledge of them from their Birth) were pleased of their paternal goodness and compassion to enable your pet'r to proceed to that Country, and there enquire for and seek out the said three Captive Children, which Service your pet'r cheerfully undertook, and with great dificulty, trouble and expence he happily recovered two more of said Captive Children, and brought them to their Native Land. But so it is But so it is may it please your Excellency and this Hon'ble Court, that Mehitabel Preble a girl about thirteen years of age (one of the aforesaid Five Captive Children), before your pet'rs arrival in Canada, was sent from thence to Rochelle in old France to wait on a French Lady in her passage thither, And as your pet'r is well informed the said Mehettable now is in Servitude with and Claimed as a purchased Captive by one Mouns'r

1 Rebecca, Samuel, Mehitabel, Ebenezer, Mary and William are named as taken at Georgetown, June 9, 1758. N. E. Hist. Gen. Register, XIV. 273. See Preble, Genealogical Sketch, 16.

T: M: Mounier, Merchant and a resident of that City. That during the Continuance of the War, your pet'r could hope for no means of relief, from your Excellency and the General Court in the recovering of the Captive Mehettable, and as the blessings of peace are restored, and the said Mehettable still remains, in a Foreign Land (at Rochelle as aforementioned) under age, Subject to the principals and practice of a Religion foreign from that of the Land she is a native of, and of her predecessors, and your pet'r being the only Surviving, eldest natural parent of the absent Captive Girl-In humble duty he presents this matter of Captivity, and detention to your Excellency and this Hon'ble Courts consideration for her Recovery. And your pet'r thereupon prays your Excellency and this Hon'ble Court to take the same into your Compassionate consideration, and to make such order, or to grant such aid and assistance in the premisses for the recovering and returning of the said Mehettable to her native Land; as in your justice wisdom and compassion Shall seem met.

And your pet'r as in duty bound Shall ever pray, etc.
SAMUEL HARNDEN.

The foregoing petition having been referred to a Committee of the two Houses they made report according to orders, and thereupon the following vote passed vizt.

In Council, June 8, 1763. Read and accepted and ordered that the Secretary transmit to the agent a Copy of the petition of Mr. Samuel Harnden for his information in the matter therein referred to, or any other information which the petitioner may furnish him with. And that he acquaint the agent that it is the desire of this Court that he use his best endeavours to obtain the discharge of the Child therein mentioned. Sent down for Concurrence. A. OLIVER, Secy.

In the house of Representatives, June 8 1763. Read

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SIR, I have received your much esteem'd Favors of the 6th Jan'y and 12 March last. Am much oblidged to your Brother for the news relative to Publick and Parliamentary Affairs. Such intelligence will always be acceptable. I wish it were in my power to make some suitable return. I wrote you fully in November last with respect to the joining your Brother with you in the Agency, by Capt. Churchwood and Capt. Callo, both of whom, I since hear, are taken and consequently my letter never reach'd you. I therein assured you I should use my Endeavors that your request shoud be granted and at the same time mentioned the objections, which I apprehended, woud be made to such a junction. I find by your letters to the Court this spring you have been fully apprized of every step that was taken by the Court relative to this affair at their sessions in the winter past. I think you have fully answer'd the Objection as to any additional expence that might accrue from a compliance with your request. Had there been time, it's probable something might have been done this spring, but the Session was short and so crouded with Business, that your Friends apprehended there would not be opportunity to remove any difficulties that might remain upon the minds of some of the Court respecting

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