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Title: Petition of John Caldwell Senior to Lord Cornwallis
ID433
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileCaldwell, John Sr/19
Year1798
SenderCaldwell, John Sr.
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationlinen merchant
Sender Religionunknown
OriginCo. Antrim, N.Ireland
DestinationIreland?
RecipientCharles Marquis Cornwallis
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipnot acquainted
SourceT 3541/6/2: Deposited by R.V.T. Edie
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, Northern Ireland.
Doc. No.9309357
Date09/06/1798
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogAction By Date Document added by C. R., 30:09:1993
Word Count657
Genre
Note
Transcript[Typescript]
[(typed from the ms. [manuscript?]) PETITION of John Caldwell Sr. [Senior?] to
Cornwallis]
[single sheet both sides written on.]

To his excellency Charles Marquis Cornwallis Lieutent [Lieutenant?] General
and Governor General of Ireland -

The Humble Petition of John Caldwell of Harmony Hill in the County of Antrim
Linen Merchant -

Sheweth
That your petn. [petitioner?] approaches your Excellency with the warmest
feelings of Veneration and Gratitude for your Excellencys humane attention to
his former petition on behalf of his deluded son Richd [Richard?] Caldwell who
was then under sentence, but has since through your Excellencys mercy been
allowed to sail for America-

That your petr. [petitioner?] has reached the age of three score years,
during which time he has lived as a Loyal Subject, and on many occasions has
given the most decisive proofs of his attachment to the Illustrious House of
Brunswick-

That when the punishment of his Infatuated Son was changed to Transportation,
your petr. [petitioner?] in order to atone for the offense [offence?] of his
Son by banishing from their Country the Innocent Family of one who has injured
it, proposed to Genl. [General?] Nugent that if the young Man should be
permitted to Transport himself to America, your petr. [petitioner?] and the
remainder of his Family Except one son, wou'd [would?] in three months for ever
retire from this Kingdom, This being agreed to, you [your?] petr. [petitioner?]
with two Securities entered into a Recognizance for that purpose, before Hugh
Lyle Esq. by appointment of Lord Henry Murray Commandg. [commanding?] in
Coleraine, and the term specified in Ls recognizance will expire on the 18th
Nov. [November?] next -

That your petr.'s [petitioner's?] Sons have all gone to America, save, one a
student in Trinity College, who has excepted in consequence of a wish to
prosecute his studies, who together with four Daughters two of them Children,
still remain in this Kingdom with their unhappy Father-

That on Saturday the 9th day of June last, in Consequence, as the petr.
[petitioner?] supposes, of his Son's Misconduct, your petrs. [petitioner's?]
Dwelling House and offices were set on Fire and Consumed, by a party of his
Majesty Yeomanry Forces, his large family and Infant GrandChild were deprived
of a Dwelling, and many Articles of property were destroyed to a Considerable
Amount-
#PAGE 2
That yr. [your?] petr. [petitioner?] has advertized [advertised?] all his
remaining property for sale in the publick [public?] papers, and has been
using every effort for the disposal of it but from the destruction of his
Books of accounts, from the loss of several Deeds Leases and papers, and from
the difficulty of procuring proper releases from persons not resident in this
kingdom, it is not in your petrs. [petitioner's?] power to dispose of his
property to fulfill [fulfil?] his Commercial Engagements, or to answer the
demands of his Creditors before the 18th day of Nov. [November?] next-

That your petr. [petitioner?] even tho' [though?] he shou'd [should?] be
enabled to arrange his affairs previously to that time, most Humbly Submits to
your Excellency the Impossibility of procuring a Passage to America at so late
a season, when no Merchantman will Encounter the dangers of the Seas for so
long a Voyage -

That Genl. [General?] Nugent being removed from Belfast, and Lord Henry
Murray being absent from Coleraine, your petr. [petitioner?] with all Humility
begs leave to address the benevolent Representative of the Father of his
People, and in behalf of himself and his Daughters, Most Humbly to Implore
your Excellency, that you wou'd [would?] be graciously pleased to take the
foregoing Circumstances into your Consideration and as his sons have removed
themselves to America for ever, you will be pleased to Extend the term of your
Petrs. [petitioner's?] Stay and that of his four Daughters in this Kingdom
from the 18th day of Novr. [November?] to the 1st day of May next on his
Entering into a new Recognizence [Recognizance?] with sufficient Surities
[Sureties?] for his removal at that period -

And your petitioner Will for ever pray- etc.