- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Partial legal statement concerning Great Britain's treaties with the Creek Indians and Thomas Bosomworth's purchase of Creek lands]
- Date of Original:
- 1730/1842
- Subject:
- Creek Indians--Treaties
Indian land transfers
Creek Indians--Legal status, laws, etc.
Musgrove, Mary, 1700-1765
Bosomworth, Thomas - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Chatham County, Ossabaw Island, 31.80105, -81.09455
United States, Georgia, Liberty County, Saint Catherines Island, 31.65689, -81.15149
United States, Georgia, McIntosh County, Sapelo Island, 31.39745, -81.27871 - Medium:
- legal documents
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This incomplete undated document pertains to the treaties between Great Britain, made on behalf of the Crown by General James Oglethorpe, and the Creek Indians during the 1730s (namely the 1739 Treaty of Coweta), as well as the subsequent acquisition of the Creek islands of St. Catherine's, Ossabaw, and Sapelo by Thomas and Mary Bosomworth (a.k.a. Mary Musgrove or Coosaponakeesa). Also discussed is the Indians' right to bequeath such lands to Mary Bosomworth. The document refers to the three islands as particularly valuable to the Crown, since they are considered arable and are ideally situated for use as secure ports of trade between the mainland colonies and the West Indies.
Digital image and encoded transcription of an original manuscript, scanned, transcribed and encoded by the Digital Library of Georgia in 2001, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- krc050
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc050
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc050#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc050/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Keith Read, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 2 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Keith Read, box 02, folder 77, document 01.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
[document damaged] that the Party, concernd [concerned] [document damaged] treating [document damaged] and Mary Bosomworth for the reserved Indian Land [document damaged] the Colony of Georgia, may be the better enabled to form a clearer Judgment of the Nature of the Matter, it will be necessary [unclear text: previously ] to observe.
That long before the Settlement of any of His Majesty's Subjects in America, great Part of that large Continent [document damaged] and Inhabited by different Tribes of Indians, Who by the Laws of Nature and Nations were ever, by the English, justly esteem'd [esteemed] the Natural Born Heirs, sole Owners and Proprietors thereof either by heriditary [hereditary] Right, or by Purchase, at the Expence [Expense] and Hazard of their Blood.
That the several Treaties of Peace and Commerce entered into with [document damaged: Creek ] Indians by Persons from time to time, properly authorized and Impowered [Empowered] by the Kings and Queens of England most clearly [document damaged] this Observation.
That from Several Conveyances in [unclear text: Form ] under the [unclear text: Hands ] [document damaged] the Indians, The Records of which as well, [illegible text] modern are Solemnly kept and at the Day to be seen in several if not all of His Majestys Northern Provinces by which Records it will manifestly appear that such Lands were originally Purchased from the Indians [unclear text: for valuable ] Consideration, or by them resigned under Treaties equally [document damaged] as the Natural Estates of themselves and their [illegible text] [document damaged]
And whereas the Indians [document damaged: are ] looked upon as [document damaged: Lawful ] and Natural Proprietors, and still remain so, of all Lands they have not by Cession, Compact, or otherwise yielded up or Parted with. No Charter therefore from the Crown of Great Britain could be supposed to Operate upon, or extend to other Lands, (tho' [though] within its Limits) than [document damaged: those ] by Treaty resigned or by Purchase acquired from the Antient [Ancient] Possessors without a Violation of the most Sacred Law of Nature, and an Infringement [document damaged: upon ] the Common Rights of Mankind.
Page: [2]
[document damaged] His Majesty King George the Second by His [document damaged] bearing Date
9th. June 1732 Did institute a [document damaged] Name of the Trustees for Establishing the Colony of Georgia in [document damaged] with Capacity to Purchase and take up Lands from the [document damaged: Natural ] Heirs The Indians for the Enlargement of His Majesty's [document damaged: Dominion ] and in the year
1733 James Oglethorpe Esqr. [Esquire] did enter into a [document damaged: Contract ] Treaty with the Creek Nations of Indians in Georgia in Behalf of [document damaged: His ] Majesty which was afterwards [document damaged: received ] and [document damaged] by [document damaged] Treaty in the year
1739 concluded by the said General James [document damaged: Oglethorpe ] in Behalf of The Trustees by Virtue of Providence from His most [document damaged] Majesty in a most Solemn Treaty with The Assembled Estates of [document damaged] Creeke Nations, wherein and whereby The Lands resigned by the [document damaged: Indians ] to the King for the use of the Trustees are expressly Limited and [document damaged] Particular and Express a Reservation made by the Creek Nation [document damaged] three Islands upon the Sea Coast known by the Names of St. [document damaged: Catherine's ] Sappola and Usseba, and a Tract of Land upon the [document damaged: Continent ] adjoining to the Town of Savannah. --
These Reserved Islands so commodiously Situated for Carrying [document damaged] a Beneficial Trade to the West Indies and Spanish Main [document damaged: are ] not less than 50000 Acres of Prime valuable Land, capable of [document damaged: raising ] Stock, Rice Indigo &ca. [et cetera] or any other of the Produce of that Country, are [document damaged] blessd [blessed] with the most Convenient and Secure Harbours [Harbors] for any [document damaged: Ship ] so exceeding forty [document damaged] and by their [document damaged] [unclear text: configures ] to the Main are properly the Keys of the most [document damaged] Part of that Province.
That the Property of the said Islands now become vested in the [document damaged] Thomas Bosomworth as well by Right of Purchase from the Creek [document damaged: Nation ] of Indians as in the said Mary His Wife by Heriditary [Hereditary] [document damaged: Right ] being descended by the Maternal Line from the Emperor of the [document damaged] Nations and by their Laws and Voice of the said Nation [missing pages]