of them called "Camden Place," containing 330 as. and allowance aforesaid; One other of them called “Financier," containing 318 acres and allowance aforesaid; One other of them called "Relief from Tyranny," containing 304 acres and allowance aforesaid; One other of them called "Royal Lewis," containing 319 acres and allowance aforesaid; One other of them called “Walpole Farm,” containing 3203 as. and allowance aforesaid; Which Lands your Memorialists believe & are apprized, fall within the purview and description of the Act of Assembly under which you are empowered to act. That on the 19th day of August, 1796, your memorialists sold and conveyed the said Lands to the said Joseph Wharton in fee, taking from him a Mortgage to your Memorialists, dated the 19th day of August, 1796, for securing the payment £8,127, current money of Pennsylvania, being the amount of the purchase money, at the following periods, viz: £4,063. 10 thereof on the 19th day of August, 1798, and £4,063. 10 thereof on the 19th day of August, 1799. That your Memorialists are informed that the said Joseph Wharton hath filed his claim, for the value of the said Lands, according to the provisions of the said Act, without the said mortgage due thereon. Your Memorialists therefore respectfully request that a due consideration may be had of the premises, and unless they shall be otherwise satisfied, by the said Joseph Wharton, for the principal and interest due on the said mortgage, as aforesaid, that the Certificate which may be ultimately awarded in pursuance of the said Act of Assembly, may, to the Extent of the said Mortgage monies, be issued to and in the names of your Memorialists in trust, as aforesaid. SAM HOWELL, 13th, 7 Mo., 1800. Letter of Owen Foulke. Philadelphia, August 1, 1800. Gentlemen: Enclosed is a memorial signed by the acting Assignees of Joseph Wharton, which they have requested me to forward to you. As those Lands have represented as of the first Quality, the Assignees would be glad to find that your opinion corresponds therewith. Yours, &c., OWEN FOULKE. W. Irwine, Esq., one of the Comm'rs, &c. Gentlemen: Letter of William Bingham. Philadelphia, Sept. 24, 1800. I had just purchased of Mr. Willing twenty-two tracts of Land, for which Warrants were taken out in the year 1774, in the County of Northumberland, now Luzerne; 12 of them were regularly returned into the Surveyor Gen1. Mr. Lukens, Deputy Surveyor, was killed whilst in the discharge of his duty in compleating the remainder. I have enclosed the copies of these 10 warrants to Mr. Sanbourne, Deputy Surveyor of the District, & have requested him, as soon as the Lands are surveyed, to furnish you with copies of the Returns, in order that you may have the means of forming an Estimation of the value of this property, which according to the State---This arrangement has been pointed out & recommended to me by the Secretary of the Land Office. I shall deem myself essentially obliged to you, if you will pay attention to this object. If you should think proper to view these Lands in the course of the present Season, Mr. Sanbourne will procure a person who will accompany you and point them out. I beg leave to mention that I only wish to be indulged in this request as far as may be consistent with the other arrangements you may have made, as well as duties you may have to perform. I have the honor to be with respectful Consid", Gent., Your obedt. Hble Servant, WILLIAM BINGHAM. Gents Boude, Irvine and Porter, Commissioners of Pennsylvania, &c., &c. Gentlemen: Letter from Daniel Montgomery. Danville, August 16, 1800. Being entitled in three tracts of land in Huntingd" township, Luzerne County, warranted in the name of John Pryor, Conrad Appleman and George Dudley, and conveyed to the State by Elias Boudinot, of the City of Philadelphia, and not knowing weather any steps farther would be necessary on my part to enable you to ascertain the ground or not, Therefore would be very much oblidged to you for a line of information by Mr. Hall or Mr. Levi. I remain with due respect, Your most obedient and verry humble Servant, Gen Irwine & Porter. Gentlemen: Letter from William Y. Burroughs. Hudson, State New York, 30 Aug., 1800. I herewith send you the numbers of several lots of land lying in the town of Athens, County Luzerne, which I hold under the Connecticut title, and which I submit to you, agreeable to the late Law of Pennsylvania. I am not certain that I send you the numbers of all the lots I have in Athens, if not, it is my intention to do it. You will please to acknowledge the receipt of this, and let me know what more is required of me; if my presence is necessary, I will attend. John Shephard can point out to you all the Lands I claim in Athens. Lot No. 23, 4th Division, contains 100 acres, conveyed by J. Jenkins; Lots No. 21 and 22, 4th Division, also` the 31 Division, lot laid out to Colonel Nathan Denison, containing 100 acres. The three last mentioned lots were conveyed by Colonel John Franklin to Colonel McKinstry. Lot No. 40, adjoining Northerly on the above lots, cont'g 100 acres; all the above lots lay adjoining Easterly on the Susquehanna river, Westerly on the road from Tioga point to Shephard's mills; the S. line being about a mile from the settlement at the point. Lots No. 2 and 3, in the 4th Division, containing about 340 acres. One 4th Division lot drawn in the right of Zera Beach & Justus Gaylord. J. Shephard knows the number. Also lot No. 13, in the 4th Division, estimated at 190 acres. Lot No. 1 being 100 acres on the South line of the Farm now or late in the possession of Loomis, Drawn in the right of Daniel McDowle. Also the 4th Division, lot drawn by McDowl, And generally all the land that I am entitled to in the town of Athens is submitted by Your Obedt. Servant, Wm. Y. BURROUGHS. To Generals Irvine, Porter and Boude, Commissioners at Luzerne. W. Irvine, Esq., Letter from John Buyers. Sunbury, Sep 10, 1800. Sir: Mr. Charles Hall of this place informed me that a title paper of mine for a tract of Land lying in the 17 townships, about 3 or 6 miles above Nescopeck, on the West side of the river, in the name of Joseph Wetheral, was got into your hands; for that place I am a second hand purchaser; and was I to get all the Law alows for the 1st rate Land, it would not indemnify me; however, that can have no weight with you. I have not seen the Land this 20 Years, but is told that it is valuable and may be considered as belonging to the 1" class. Should you, and the other Gentlemen conserned with you, think as some of the neighbours to said Land does, viz: that it is worth 12 or 15 Dollars per acre, then I should have the highest price for it that the Law will warrant you in allowing. Even then it would turn out a poor speculation to me, for at the time I bought it I could had Land for the same price that I might get 16 Dollars per acre for before this time; it has a handsome front on the river of 208 perches, which makes it very valuable; to your Wisdom and integrity I rest the matter, not doubting but you will consider all Sircumstances and do substantial justice, as far as the law warrants you, which in my humble opinion is too limited; with all due respect, I am, Sir, Your very humble Servant, JN°. BUYERS. P. S.-Should my attendance be deemed absolutely necessary, I wd beg a line at the time you wa please to request. Letter from Col. Thomas Hartley. J. B. Gentlemen: York, Pennsylvania, Sep 17, 1800. The following is a copy of a letter sent by me to Mr. John Hall, when Secretary of the Land Office, on the subject of my claims in Luzerne County, which will explain the matter to the Commissioners: "Dear Sir: Yorktown, Pennsylvania, Aug 26, 1799. "I sent you two Deeds for granting and releasing to the Commonwealth and State of Pennsylvania all my right, Estate, Interest, & of and in and to 4 tracts, and a part of a tract of Land, situate on the waters of the N. East Branch of Susquehanna; the two first held under Warrants in the names of Thomas Smith and Peter Dehaven, which were conveyed by them to me and in which Deed there was a Caveat against granting a Certificate to M'. Wharton & Co., or any other person but me, without 1st having a hearing before the Board of Property. The other Deed for two tracts, held under warrants in the names of James Thompson and Thomas Walker, and part of the tract held under an order to Benjamin Luce, which were regularly transferred to me, and for which Patents were granted to me; to neither of these Deeds of Grant and release is there an affidavit annexed, and the last tho' executed before respectable witnesses, has not been acknowledged, because we had no associate Judge here. President Henry will be here at our Court next week. I must beg you to deliver those two Deeds or releases to Mr. Ralph Bowie; he will bring them over. I will have the necessary done, and will send them safe back to you immediately after the Court. The Submissions and other papers (except the two Conveyances or releases) may remain in your office. I beg again that the Conveyances may be sent by Mr. Bowie; they shall be most certainly returned to you. A note may be taken on this letter of the time of Delivery to Mr. Bowie. Excuse the trouble I give, as the business is of serious importance to me, and I am, with respect, your obedient Servant, "THOMAS HARTLEY. "John Hall, Esq., Secretary of the Land office of Pennsylvania." As to Eight hundred and Eighty acres, in the names of James Thompson and Thomas Walker, and part of the tract in the name of Benjamin Luce, there can be no kind of dispute, and there are no doubt first quality lands. As to those in the names of Smith and Dehaven, my warrants are pointed; if you think proper to value them and return them in my favour, it is well, if not, I have Caveated in the office against my compensation being given to Mr. Wharton and Co., until the right is determined. I have the strongest reliance on and Confidence in the Commissioners, and am, with great respect, their humble Servant, THOS. HARTLEY. To Gen' Thomas Boude, W". Irvine and Whelen, Esq'. Information from James Rose, Attorney of Patterson. In answer to the queries put by the Commissioners for offering Compensation to the Pennsylvania Claimants of Lands within the 17 townships, the Administrators of Galbreath Patterson return the following Documents in support of their Claim: |