Petition of Jared Betts, 9 February 1821, Northumberland County. Transcription.

That it appears by the
Minutes of Council, that in the year of our
Lord One thousand Eight hundred and Ten
a Petition was preferred to Your Excellency and
Honors, by the late M ^r Edward Simonds thenof
Miramichi, for a Grant of an Island lying -
and being in the South West Branch of the
River Miramichi Commonly Called Barnaby's
Island.
That the Answer given by Your Excellency
and Honors to the said Petition of the said -
Edward Simonds (as appears by the Minutes of
Council) was, that the Island in question
being claimd by the Descendants of Lewis -
Barnaby, a Native Indian "The Applicant "might have a Lease for twenty one years upon
"Such Terms as he might agree upon with the
"Claimants"
That in Consequence of such Answers
of The Governor and Council to his aforesaid
Petition the said Edward Simonds purchased
of the Descendants of the said Lewis Barnaby
all their Right and Interest in the said Island
and obtained from the said Descendants a
Quit Claim Deed thereof, as your Petitioner has
been Informed and verily believes - which
as the Claim of the said Descendants of the
Said Lewis Barnaby was recognized by Your
Excellency and Honors, the said Edward -
Simonds Seems to have considered as the best
mode he could resort to for Securing to himself
a Title to the said Island.
That the said Edward Simonds having
made the arrangement aforesaid gave a
Lease of the said Island for Ten Years to one
William NeSmith for the yearly rent of Twelve
Pounds and therein Covenanted to pay to
the said William Nesmith or his Assigns -
at the expiration of the said Lease for all
the Buildings and Improvements he might
make on the said Island or to grant him
or his assigns a New Lease for a further Term
in the same.

That Your Petitioner after the said William
Nesmith had entered upon the said Island
and Erected Buildings and made Considerable
other Improvements thereon, purchased
the Same with the said Lease of the said
William NeSmith for the Sum of Seven
Hundred Pounds which Your Petitioner paid
him for the same and an assignment of the
Lease was accordingly made To Your Petitioner
That the said Lease has now about
three Years to come and unexpired and
Your Petitioner has now resided upon the
Said Island for five Years last past during
which time he has made great additions to
the Buildings and Improvements thereon
at a very heavy expence to himself on
the Security he conceived the Lease -
afforded him supposing that he either should
be paid for the improvements before he -
could be turned out of possession or get a
renewed Lease for a further Term. -
That the Buildings and Improvements
now on the said Island so Erected and made
as aforesaid are in the opinion of Your
Petitioner worth the Sum of Two thousand
Pounds or thereabouts. &c
That the said Edward Simonds is now
Dead, and this Deponent is informed that the application of His Heirs to Your Excellency
and Honors for a Grant of the said Island
has been refused upon the Ground that the
Same is intended for the Endowment of a
Church, Your Excellency and Honors not
recognizing the Claim of the said Edward
Simonds or his Heirs under the Arrangement
so made as aforesaid. &c
That Your Petitioner Humbly conceives
that under the Circumstances above stated
and after the great expence he has been at
in the Buildings erected and the other improve
improvements made upon the said Island
that if the same is Considered Vacant by
Your Excellency and Honors, Your Petitioner
has the best Claim to a Grant of the same
But as Your Petitioner does not wish to
interfere either with the Heirs of M^r Simonds
or with the intended disposition of the said
Island for the benefit of a Church he is only
anxious to be so protected in the disposition
of the said Island so as to avoid losing the
Money he has laid out thereon &c
Your Petitioner therefore most
humbly prays Your Excellency
and Honors to take his Case
into Consideration and to secure
to him in such a way as to your Excellency and Honors shall appear
just and Equitable a fair remuneration
for the Large Sum he has expended
in Buildings and Improvements on
the said Island or a renewal of his
Term therein as conditioned by the
Said Lease before any Grant is
allowed to pass for the same or in
such other mode as in your Wisdom
shall be deemed proper to protect
and Secure Your Petitioner from
Sustaining so heavy a Loss without
any the smallest Trespass or offence
on his part to the ruin of a Valuable
Establishment for himself and
family and of all his future
prospects arising therefrom &c

Personally appeared before me Henry
Smith Esq one of his Majesty's Justices of the
Peace for the County of York this 9 ^th day of
February one thousand Eight hundred and Twenty
one the above mentioned Jared Betts and made
Oath that all the Matters in the above mentioned
petition set forth are true -

Petition of Jared
Betts to be Secured
for his improvements
on Barnaby's Island

10 ^th Feb^y 1821
p ^d