- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- Sketch of second memorial of Isaac Levy to the Lords of Trade and Plantation, 1768
- Date of Original:
- 1768
- Subject:
- Indian land transfers
Bosomworth, Thomas
Levy, Isaac--Claims - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- claims
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This document, dated 1768, is a sketch of Isaac Levy's second memorial to the British Lords of Trade and Plantation. Levy notes that his second petition to the King regarding his right to the Islands of Ossabaw, Sapelo, and St. Catherine's, which he reportedly bought from Thomas and Mary Bosomworth and which were later sold by Bosomworth to the Crown, was denied. Levy says that he was surprised since he had been advised by their Lordships, through Mr. Pownal, that they would help him secure some kind of compensation for the loss of these islands if he would request such in a second petition to the King. According to Levy, Bosomworth's later sale of those same islands to the Crown was illegal. Levy also proclaims his right to a jury trial in Georgia. He ends by requesting that their Lordships make a report of his case, as they had offered to do months before.
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:
- krc054
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc054
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc054#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc054/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:
- 4 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Keith Read, box 02, folder 90, document 01.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
To the Right Honble. [Honorable] and Honble. [Honorable] ~ The Lords of Trade and Plantation
The Memorial of Isaac Levy --
Sheweth -- That your memorialist having been denied by Your Lorps [Lordships], on the
22d. Janry [January] last, to attend Your Lorp's [Lordships'] Board on the
28th, that day being appointed to take his second Petition into consideration referred to Your Lorps [Lordships] for Your Opinion to be reported thereon consonant to the order of Council dated
9th. October last, on which day your memorialist accordingly attended; when Your memorialist was told that Your Lorps [Lordships] could give him no relief; which was very amazing and a great disappointment to him, [deleted text: and how could it be otherwise ] for Your memort. [memorialist] was, previously to this informed on the
10th July last by Mr. Pownal, by Your Lorps [Lordships] direction, That his former Petition to His Majesty had been taken into consideration, and that Your Lorps [Lordships] opinion was, That no representation on Your Memorts. [Memorialist's] [added text: [unclear text: former ] ] Petition could be made that would admit of Bosomworths title to the Lands -- That Your Memorts. [Memorialist's] remedy must be some other way. -- however Mr. -- Pownal added that Your Lorps [Lordships] had agreed that as your memort. [memorialist] was a great Sufferer, & being a good subject; that as he could not ask any compensation from the Crown upon [unclear text: amount ] of the Lands, If he would ask the Crown for any Grant of Lands, or for any thing else, Your Lorps [Lordships] would assist him in obtaining it upon which assurances your Memort. [Memorialist] presented his second Petition to the Crown [deleted text: in Augt. [August] last ] praying for a
Page: [2]
Grant of Land in the ceded Islands, or the Coal mine on Cape Breton
That after your Lorps. [Lordships] had told [deleted text: him ] [added text: [unclear text: ye ] memorialist ] on the
28th. Janry [January] last that Your honble. [honorable] Board could give him no relief your memort. [memorialist] prayed to be heard by Council, but that was denied him. -- and then your Lorps [Lordships] asked him if he desired a report should be made, and which your Memort. [Memorialist] very chearfully [cheerfully] agreed to and beggd. [begged] of Your Lorps [Lordships] so to do, and which your Lorps [Lordships] promised you would, and your Memort. [Memorialist] has ever since been in hopes a report would be made, as he has nothing else that detains him in England.
That had your Memort. [Memorialist] been so fortunate to have been heard by Council, he would have undertaken to shew [show] and prove to Your Lorps. [Lordships] & That
the Indians had an undoubted right to give or sell their Lands -- That --
Bosomworth had an undoubted right to accept or purchase the Lands of the Indians. -- That
Bosomworths purchase was just and right, but that if it had been otherwise (and as it was said in the report of
6th. decemr [december] 1758) that he had obtaind [obtained] these Lands by fraud from the Indians (the illegality is not cognisable in any Court in England unless the Indians themselves had instituted the Suit. -- [added text: Here) ] That
The Governor had actually purchased two of those Islands of Bosomworth and who had no right to sell any part of them, having sold & mortgaged the whole to Your Memorialist some years before -- That --
Your Memort. [Memorialist] had a right to petition His Majesty to be relieved from an oppression of this Nature. -- That
In the case of [unclear text: Waldo ] in
1732, similar to Your memorialists case, the Lords of Trade made a report and gave relief -- That
Page: [3]
On Mrs Bosomworths memorial in
1755, to his late Majesty, praying for a pretended Ballance [Balance] of £400. -- from Government, [illegible text] a report was made, in
1758, but not one word was said in the report relating to her pretended Ballance [Balance], but the bare recitation, the whole [unclear text: tendancy ] of the report was as a representation that Bosomworth had fraudulently obtained the Lands of the Indians, that to prove which many arguments are offered, and many inconveniences are said to arise from admitting his claim, but tho' [though] it is admitted in the said report that " the means which should be most proper & effectual for bringing a matter of this nature to a decision would be by a Court of Law. " (which was never attempted but, on the contrary obstructed), yet the Crown had -- got possession of these Lands [added text: by illegal measures of the Governor ] [added text: & ] by purchase from a person that had no right to Convey them [document damaged] means only your Memort [Memorialist] is a great Sufferer. And that Your Memorts. [Memorialist's] case is attended with uncommon hardships, [deleted text: being ] [added text: having had it ] not in his power, hitherto, to have the matter brought to a trial at Law in Georgia, for Your Memort. [Memorialist] has ever since
1761 made many attempts to have his right litigated there, but without success, his correspondents all alledging [alleging] that the affair was long ago determined by Government, which pretence Your Memort. [Memorialist] has under the hand of Mr. Clifton, who notwithstanding some years before gave it as his opinion (when he was attorney Generall [General] of Georgia) that Bosomworth's title was a matter of property to be tried by a Jury, and not by the then Governor and Council. --
Your Memorialist therefore intreats [entreats] Your
Page: [4]
Lordships that a Report may be made on Your Memorialists [added text: second ] Petition or [added text: on ] his said first petition to your Lordships
1768
Mr Levys Sketch of a 2d. Meml. [Memorial] to the Board of Trade.
1768
[unclear text: Copied ]