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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Petition from pilots of Ocracoke Inlet concerning illegal pilotage
Williams, John; Et Al.
1773
Volume 09, Pages 803-804

[From MS. Records in Office of Secretary of State.]

To His Excellency Josiah Martin Esquire, Captain General, Governor and Commander in Chief in and over the Province of North Carolina,

The Petition of Legal Pilots of Oacock Bar Humbly Sheweth that your Petitioners under the Sanction of an Act of Assembly of this Province have Settled at Oacock Bar in order to attend and

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Carry on the Business of their Calling at Great Costs and Expence as well for the Benefits Resulting thereby as for the advantage of Mariners and Traders of the Province in General

Notwithstanding which Sundry Negroes as well free men as Slaves to a Considerable Number by unjust and unlawfull means take upon themselves to pilot Vessels from Oacock Bar up the several Rivers to Bath, Edenton and New Bern and Back again to the Said Bar to the Great prejudice and Injury of your Petitioners Contrary to Law and against the Policy of this Country and to Trade in General

Your Petitioners therefore humbly begg Leave to Observe to your Excellency that the Pilotage at the said Barr at present no ways answer the salitary Ends Intended by Law as Great Confusion and Irregularity daily Insue from the Insolent and Turbilent disposition and behaviour of such Free negroes and Slaves

Under those Circumstances Your Petitioners humbly pray Your Excellency would please take this matter into Consideration And prevent the Like for the Future by denying License or Branch to any such Free negro or Slave Whatsoever

And Your Petitioners as in Duty Bound will Ever pray &c

JOHN WILLIAMS
GEO. BELL
JOHN BRAGG
WILLIAM BRAGG
ADAM GASKINS
RICHARD WADE
WILLIAM STYERIN
SIMON HALL.