Petition of Charles Surat, 23 August 1820, Westmorland County. Transcription.
Digital facsimile of "Petition of Charles Surat, 23 August 1820, Westmorland County," Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, RS108, reel F4188, Fredericton, New Brunswick. In "," &acva;, &unbf;.
This version published online 25 March 2010.
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To his Excellency, Major General George Stracey Smyth
Lieutenant Governor, And Commander In Chief, of the
Province of new Brunswick & c & c & c
Lieutenant Governor, And Commander In Chief, of the
Province of new Brunswick & c & c & c
The Memorial of Charles Surat, John Surat, and Joseph
Broe,
Humbly Sheweth,
that your Petitoners are all British
Subjects, natives of the Province of Nova Scotia, from whence
they Emigrated to New Brunswick, ni the Year 1805. & have
Resided ni Cockaine Ever Since, that they are all Married, & your first
Petitioner is 58 years of age & has Eight children, your Second
Petitioner is 38 years of age & has [unclear: two?] children, & your third Petitioner
is 52 years of age & has 7 children, & when your Petitioners arrived
ni Cockaine, Having No Land, your two first Petitioners Paid Francis
Hebert, £ sd 5.10.0 for his Claim to a Lot of Land Situate on the North Side of
the Harbour, and your third Petitioner, paid Joseph Synette £ sd 5.0.0 for Claim to
a Lot Near the Same, they Having Made application for Said Lots Before
your Petitioners arrived, that your Petitioners there Settled, on Said Lots
& Obtained Grants for 200 acres Each in their own Names - & Being
Destitute of Tonnage, (they Jointly cleared off & Burnt, a piece of
Sandy Beach Situate on the North End of Cockaine Island, & that Had
Never Been Mowed, the Grass Being Very thin & Poor, & the first year they
only Mowed a Ton & half of Hay & By Improveing in two years they Mowed
About three tons of Hay - they was then Drove off By Joseph [unclear: Griegnenas?]
he Said it Belonged to Some Resident Indians, that owed Him & he was
to Possess it Six years, And In consequence Your Petitioner was Reduced
to Mow it & Make the Hay on the Half - for Joseph [unclear: Gregven?] - That all
the Old Resident Indians are Now Dead, or Have left this Part of the
Country, and No Person pretends any Claim, that the Said Beach & a part
of the North End of Cockaine Island, Containing ni the Whole not More than
Two Hundred Acres - is Vacant & Not Located to any Person, & your
Petitioners at Present Do Not Mow More than two tons Each of Hay
And which is Not Sufficient to Support their familes, And Prays
That Your Excellency would be Pleased to Grant them in Common
the Said North End of Cockaine Island & Sand Beach Adjoining, And
Further Beg Leave to State that they are of Ability, and Intend
Forthwith, To improve the Same according to the Royall Instructions
And Also, that they Have Not Directly or Indirectly, Bargained
or agreed for the Sale or Transfer of Said Lands to any
Person or persons whatsoever,
Subjects, natives of the Province of Nova Scotia, from whence
they Emigrated to New Brunswick, ni the Year 1805. & have
Resided ni Cockaine Ever Since, that they are all Married, & your first
Petitioner is 58 years of age & has Eight children, your Second
Petitioner is 38 years of age & has [unclear: two?] children, & your third Petitioner
is 52 years of age & has 7 children, & when your Petitioners arrived
ni Cockaine, Having No Land, your two first Petitioners Paid Francis
Hebert, £ sd 5.10.0 for his Claim to a Lot of Land Situate on the North Side of
the Harbour, and your third Petitioner, paid Joseph Synette £ sd 5.0.0 for Claim to
a Lot Near the Same, they Having Made application for Said Lots Before
your Petitioners arrived, that your Petitioners there Settled, on Said Lots
& Obtained Grants for 200 acres Each in their own Names - & Being
Destitute of Tonnage, (they Jointly cleared off & Burnt, a piece of
Sandy Beach Situate on the North End of Cockaine Island, & that Had
Never Been Mowed, the Grass Being Very thin & Poor, & the first year they
only Mowed a Ton & half of Hay & By Improveing in two years they Mowed
About three tons of Hay - they was then Drove off By Joseph [unclear: Griegnenas?]
he Said it Belonged to Some Resident Indians, that owed Him & he was
to Possess it Six years, And In consequence Your Petitioner was Reduced
to Mow it & Make the Hay on the Half - for Joseph [unclear: Gregven?] - That all
the Old Resident Indians are Now Dead, or Have left this Part of the
Country, and No Person pretends any Claim, that the Said Beach & a part
of the North End of Cockaine Island, Containing ni the Whole not More than
Two Hundred Acres - is Vacant & Not Located to any Person, & your
Petitioners at Present Do Not Mow More than two tons Each of Hay
And which is Not Sufficient to Support their familes, And Prays
That Your Excellency would be Pleased to Grant them in Common
the Said North End of Cockaine Island & Sand Beach Adjoining, And
Further Beg Leave to State that they are of Ability, and Intend
Forthwith, To improve the Same according to the Royall Instructions
And Also, that they Have Not Directly or Indirectly, Bargained
or agreed for the Sale or Transfer of Said Lands to any
Person or persons whatsoever,
And your Petitioners as in Duty
— 2 —
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Bound, will Ever pray -
Charles Surat
his x mark
John Surat his x mark
Joseph Broe his x mark
John Surat his x mark
Joseph Broe his x mark
On the 23
rd
Day of August 1820 Before Mr. W
m
Hanington
Esquire one of His Majestys Justices of the Peace in and for
The County of Westmorland, Personally appeared the within
Named Charles Surat, John Surat, & Joseph Broe, &
Made oaths that all the Several Matters & things Set
forth, in the Before Written Petition are Just and
True -
Esquire one of His Majestys Justices of the Peace in and for
The County of Westmorland, Personally appeared the within
Named Charles Surat, John Surat, & Joseph Broe, &
Made oaths that all the Several Matters & things Set
forth, in the Before Written Petition are Just and
True -
Wm Hanington J.P. -
The Situation herein described
was Reserved for the use of the Indians
Noel John an Industrious Man with
a family, a descendant of the Tribe
who formerly held it: now holds
possession,
was Reserved for the use of the Indians
Noel John an Industrious Man with
a family, a descendant of the Tribe
who formerly held it: now holds
possession,
S. Lockwood
Sur Gen l
Sur Gen l
August 29.. 1820.