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To the Kings Most Excellent Majesty.
The Humble Petition of Coll: Wm: Claiborne a Poor
Old servant of your Majesty's father & Grandfather.
Most Humbly Showeth
That your Petitioner being one of the Councell of State to
your Majesties Grandfather: & after also secretary of state to
your father of Glorious Memory: by there speciall Commands
under the broad seale of England unto the Governour of Vir-
ginia By whome he was sent out to discover & gaine a great
trade of Beavers & Furrs which the Duch Nation then usurped
to themselves: And accordingly the Petitioner att his owne
charge and in his owne person performed & to that purpose
discovered & planted the Ile of Kent: & the Bay of Chese-
peack which then well succeeding: The Old Lord Baltimore
takeing notice thereof: Provided a Patent for the same ... Pre-
tending it was unplanted and since by force of armes in a
Hostile maner though forbiden by the then King: expelled
the Petitioner and takeing away his Estate to the value of
above Ten thousand pounds sterling in Goods Catle Servants
& many Plantations thereon which the Grand Assembly of
Virginia hath lately instanced and presented to your Majestie
as a great greivance of the Country: and hath been neare the
utter undoeing of your Petitioner & family now in his old age:
His younger yeares being most spent in his Discoveries &
warrs against the Indians as Chiefe Comander.
Wherefore your Petitioner Humbly prostrates himself at
your Majesties feet for speedy justice in so Lamentable a case
and he shall ever Pray.
W. Claiborne Senr.
This Petition of William Claiborne Senior being presented
to us for a Grievance to be laid before his Majesties Royall
Consideration, wee have accordingly here given in the same
seperately and by itself, as an affaire which concernes a whole
peculiar Province, and which has heretofore beene before his
Majesties Royal Father (of blessed memory) and most honor-
able Councill; without any decision being made therein, is now
again most humbly tendered to his Majestie to determine
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