To His Excellency Josiah Martin Esq. Captain General, Governor and Commander in Chief in and over the Province of North Carolina, and to the Honble the Council and Representatives in the House of Assembly.
The Petition of the Inhabitants of Wachovia or Dobbs Parish humbly sheweth, That in Consequence of an act of Parliament of the Twenty Second of His late Majesty's Reign, entitled an Act for encouraging the People known by the Name of the Unitas Fratrum or United Brethren to settle in His Majesty's Colonies in America (in which they were acknowledged to be an ancient protestant Episcopal Church, and that it would be beneficial to the Colonies, to encourage their moving thither in greater Numbers) the District of Wachovia was first settled by them, and their Improvements meeting with the Approbation of this Government in the year 1755 they were further favored with an Act of Assembly of this Province, intituled, “An Act for erecting that Part of Rowan County called Wachovia, into a distinct Parish, in which several Surveys of Land adjoining thereto were included under the Name of Dobbs Parish,”
And that in Consequence of this Act, the town of Bethabara, Bethany, and of late Years also that of Salem, together with other Settlements in the said Parish, have been begun, whereof they are in Hopes, that they will be of Benefit to the Country adjacent to encourage Trade and Industry.But a late Act of Assembly made and passed at Newbern the 15th Day of January in the year of our Lord 1771, for dividing the county of Rowan, fixing the Boundary in such a Manner that the Partition Line cuts the said Parish into two Parts, whereof one is in Rowan, and the other in Surry County, which Division would bind them to different Courts and Magistrates and with many Inconveniencies to the said Settlements.
And whereas the County of Surry in general, as well as the Northern Part of Rowan County, finding themselves equally distressed by the Smallness of the County of Surry, have petitioned for an Addition to be made thereto, Therefore the Inhabitants of Wachovia hoping that it will be of public Benefit to the County, as well as their own Interest humbly pray, that in fixing the Boundaries of Surry County their whole Parish may be included.
That the Premisses may pass into a Law and that their Parish Act of the Year 1755 be confirmed is the Prayer of your humble Petitioners who as in Duty bound shall ever pray
Bethabara the 9th Novbr 1771.