Petition of James Ledden, October 1841, Northumberland County. Transcription.
Digital facsimile of "Petition of James Ledden, October 1841, Northumberland County," Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, RS108, reel F4255, Fredericton, New Brunswick. In "Contested Terrain: Aboriginal Land Petitions in New Brunswick, 1786-1878," Atlantic Canada Virtual Archives, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick.
This version published online 25 March 2010.
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To His Excellency Lieutenant Colonel Sir
William McBean George Colebrooke K H
Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of the
province of New Brunswick &c &c &c
William McBean George Colebrooke K H
Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of the
province of New Brunswick &c &c &c
The petition of James Ledden of the
parish of New Castle in the County of
Northumberland Merchant
parish of New Castle in the County of
Northumberland Merchant
Respectfully Sheweth
That your petitioner who is a
British Subject A native of this County and now fifty four
years of Age has a Wife and three children And in the
Course of his business which has hitherto been Trading
Farming and Lumbering has received in payment of debts
from the persons hereinafter mentioned the following assignments
and transfers of Indian lands as follows Viz from James
Kelly of the tract of Indian land described and demised to
him the said James Kelly by Barnaby Julian by lease
bearing date the tenth day of December 1833 and by the
Said James Kelly assigned over to your petitioner by
Indorsement on said lease bearing date the thirteenth day of
January 1835 of which lease and assignment the document
Marked A hereto annexed is a true Copy
From Samuel Tingley of the tract of Indian
land described and demised to him the Said Samuel Tingley
by Andrew Julian Dennis Julian Nichola Julian and
Noel Julian by Indendure of lease bearing date the
Seventeenth day of July 1834 and by the Said Samuel
Tingley
British Subject A native of this County and now fifty four
years of Age has a Wife and three children And in the
Course of his business which has hitherto been Trading
Farming and Lumbering has received in payment of debts
from the persons hereinafter mentioned the following assignments
and transfers of Indian lands as follows Viz from James
Kelly of the tract of Indian land described and demised to
him the said James Kelly by Barnaby Julian by lease
bearing date the tenth day of December 1833 and by the
Said James Kelly assigned over to your petitioner by
Indorsement on said lease bearing date the thirteenth day of
January 1835 of which lease and assignment the document
Marked A hereto annexed is a true Copy
From Samuel Tingley of the tract of Indian
land described and demised to him the Said Samuel Tingley
by Andrew Julian Dennis Julian Nichola Julian and
Noel Julian by Indendure of lease bearing date the
Seventeenth day of July 1834 and by the Said Samuel
Tingley
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Tingley by Indorsement of the Said Indenture bearing date
the Seventeenth day of July 1834 assigned to your petitioner for
Valuable Consideration as by reference to the Said Indenture of
Lease and Assignment of which the document marked B
hereto annexed is a true Copy will more fully and at large appear
From Barnaby Julian Francis Julian Noel
Julian and Peter Julian of the tract of Indian Land
described and demised by them to your petitioner by Indenture
bearing date twenty seventh September 1837 of which the
document hereto annexed marked C is a true Copy and to
which your petitioner craves reference
From Murdoch Sutherland of the tract of
Indian land described and demised to him the said Murdoch
Sutherland by Andrew Julian Dennis Julian and Noel
Julian by Indenture of lease bearing date the ninth day of
November 1835 And by the said Murdoch Sutherland assigned
over to your petitioner by Indenture bearing date the Seventh
day of August 1838 as by reference to the said last mentioned
lease and assignment of which the documents marked
D and E hereto annexed are true Copies will more
fully and at large appear
That your petitioner is desirous of obtaining
a grant of the respective tracts of land so described and leased
as aforesaid And in Case Government Should determine to
break up the Indian reserves and Sell the lands hopes his
Claims will be taken into Consideration and his rights duly
Considered
the Seventeenth day of July 1834 assigned to your petitioner for
Valuable Consideration as by reference to the Said Indenture of
Lease and Assignment of which the document marked B
hereto annexed is a true Copy will more fully and at large appear
From Barnaby Julian Francis Julian Noel
Julian and Peter Julian of the tract of Indian Land
described and demised by them to your petitioner by Indenture
bearing date twenty seventh September 1837 of which the
document hereto annexed marked C is a true Copy and to
which your petitioner craves reference
From Murdoch Sutherland of the tract of
Indian land described and demised to him the said Murdoch
Sutherland by Andrew Julian Dennis Julian and Noel
Julian by Indenture of lease bearing date the ninth day of
November 1835 And by the said Murdoch Sutherland assigned
over to your petitioner by Indenture bearing date the Seventh
day of August 1838 as by reference to the said last mentioned
lease and assignment of which the documents marked
D and E hereto annexed are true Copies will more
fully and at large appear
That your petitioner is desirous of obtaining
a grant of the respective tracts of land so described and leased
as aforesaid And in Case Government Should determine to
break up the Indian reserves and Sell the lands hopes his
Claims will be taken into Consideration and his rights duly
Considered
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That your petitioner is informed that
Samuel Tingley the person who assigned to your petitioner
the lease of which the instrument letter B hereto annexed
is a true Copy has lately applied to your Excellency for a
grant of the same tract of land thereby endeavouring to defraud
your petitioner And also that Dominicus Hanson has
applied for the tract of land described in the lease of which the
annexed document marked letter C is a true Copy That your
petitioner obtained this last mentioned lease through the instru
mentality of the Said Dominicus Hanson who being indebted
to your petitioner and at the time holding in the name of
his the said Dominicus Hanson' Son an Infant a lease of the
Said last mentioned tract of land from the Indians for the
purpose of in part securing your petitioner in the payment of
his said debt procured from the Indians direct to your
petitioner the said lease of which the document marked C
is a true Copy and now without any intimation to your
petitioner has applied for the land in his own name
That Murdoch Sutherland notwithstanding
his assignment to your petitioner of his interest in the land
described in the lease of which the instrument letter D hereto
annexed is a true Copy as above stated has also as your
petitioner is informed and believes applied to your Excellency
for a grant of the said last mentioned tract of land in
his own name thereby endeavouring to oust your petitioner
of that which he had previously Sold him
That in addition to the above tracts of
Samuel Tingley the person who assigned to your petitioner
the lease of which the instrument letter B hereto annexed
is a true Copy has lately applied to your Excellency for a
grant of the same tract of land thereby endeavouring to defraud
your petitioner And also that Dominicus Hanson has
applied for the tract of land described in the lease of which the
annexed document marked letter C is a true Copy That your
petitioner obtained this last mentioned lease through the instru
mentality of the Said Dominicus Hanson who being indebted
to your petitioner and at the time holding in the name of
his the said Dominicus Hanson' Son an Infant a lease of the
Said last mentioned tract of land from the Indians for the
purpose of in part securing your petitioner in the payment of
his said debt procured from the Indians direct to your
petitioner the said lease of which the document marked C
is a true Copy and now without any intimation to your
petitioner has applied for the land in his own name
That Murdoch Sutherland notwithstanding
his assignment to your petitioner of his interest in the land
described in the lease of which the instrument letter D hereto
annexed is a true Copy as above stated has also as your
petitioner is informed and believes applied to your Excellency
for a grant of the said last mentioned tract of land in
his own name thereby endeavouring to oust your petitioner
of that which he had previously Sold him
That in addition to the above tracts of
land
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land your petitioner holds two other leases from the
Indians of the tracts of land demised and described in the lease
of which the documents marked F and G hereto annexed are
true Copies
That your petitioner has paid a good and
Valuable consideration for the whole of the said tracts of land
and unless he be allowed to retain the same must lose all that
he has paid and be a considerable loser in addition by means thereof
Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays that
in case the said reserve lands be opened and Sold or other
wise disposed of his claims may receive Your Excellencys
best Consideration And that your petitioner may be
allowed to purchase the Same upon such times as Shall
be deemed fair and equitable
Indians of the tracts of land demised and described in the lease
of which the documents marked F and G hereto annexed are
true Copies
That your petitioner has paid a good and
Valuable consideration for the whole of the said tracts of land
and unless he be allowed to retain the same must lose all that
he has paid and be a considerable loser in addition by means thereof
Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays that
in case the said reserve lands be opened and Sold or other
wise disposed of his claims may receive Your Excellencys
best Consideration And that your petitioner may be
allowed to purchase the Same upon such times as Shall
be deemed fair and equitable
And your petitioner as in duty bound will ever pray &c
Miramichi
{left blank} day of October 1841
James Ledden