Resource Date: 1783
Number: 34
Record Office: The Library of the Religious Society of Friends
Record Office Location Number:
Description:
Petition from London Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends, presented to Parliament on 16 June 1783
The petition that the Yearly Meeting sent to Parliament is transcribed in both the Yearly Meeting minutes (Volume 17/298 - 307) and Meeting for Sufferings minutes (Volume 36/ 408 - 413). This transcript is from the Yearly Meeting minutes.
This was the first petition made to Parliament and was signed by 273 Quaker members.
Transcription from the Yearly Meeting minutes (Volume 17/298 - 307)
To the Commons of Great Britain, in Parliament assembled.
The Petition of the People called Quakers,
Sheweth -
That your Petitioners met in this their annual assembly, having solemnly considered the state of the enslaved negroes, conceive themselves engaged in religious duty, to lay the suffering situation of that unhappy people before you, as a subject loudly calling for the humane interposition of the Legislature.
Your Petitioners regret, that a nation professing the Christian Faith, should so far counteract the principles of humanity and justice as by a cruel treatment of this oppressed race, to fill their minds with prejudices against the mild and beneficent doctrines of the Gospel.
Under the countenance of the laws of this country, many thousands of these our fellow-creatures, entitled to natural rights of mankind, are held, as personal property, in cruel bondage; and your Petitioners being informed, that a Bill for the regulation of the African trade is now before the House, containing a clause which restrains the officers of the African Company from exporting Negroes. Your Petitioners, deeply affected with a consideration of the rapine, oppression, and bloodshed attending this traffic, humbly request that this restriction may be extended to all persons whatsoever, or that the House would grant such other relief in the premises, as in its wisdom may seem meet.
Signed in and on behalf of our yearly meeting, held in London, the 16th day of 6th month, 1783.
[Page 300]
Joseph Docwra | Isaac Wilson |
John Coakley Lettsom | Thomas Corbyn |
John Pryor | Jacob Hagen |
John Beaumont | George Boone |
John Warder | Robert Walker |
Thomas Bradshaw | William Rathbone |
[Page 301]
Jacob Hagen Junr. | John Foote |
Samuel Marsh | William Heath |
John Eliot | Mark Batt |
John Pim Junior | Elijah Salthouse |
Joseph Savory | Herbert Camm |
George Keen | David Barclay |
Robert Maddock | William Belch |
Richard Shackleton | John Barton |
William Hayhurst | William Sewell |
William Pryor | Benjamin Webb |
John Goldsbury | Joseph Smith |
Robert Lambert | Robert Davis |
Joseph Hatton | John Hippsley |
Joseph Williams | Thomas Cruttenden |
John Page | John Rittson |
Thomas Shillitoe | James Lewis |
John Brown Junior | Thomas Hull |
Thomas West | Robert Eeles |
James Backhouse | Thomas Hayman |
William Heald | John [Messer]? |
James Alexander | Thomas Soundy |
David Hodgson | Stephen Miller |
Henry Melhuish | Thomas H.Strangman |
[page 302]
Samuel Burns | John Crowley |
William Bryan | Rich. Bush |
John Moline | John Townsend Junior |
Sam Driver | John Stead |
John Corbyn | John Grubb |
Henry Rice | John Chalk |
Robert Howard | Thomas Nichols or Nichalls |
Joseph Greenwood | Richard Lowe |
Henry Knight | Sam West Junior |
John Gurney | Joseph Atkinson |
Edm.d Peckover | John Russell |
Henry Sterry | Joseph Freeth |
Joseph Storrs | William Strangman |
Edward May | Saml. Baker |
John Hill | Joseph Fry |
John Dollin | John Plant Fry |
Benj. Marshman | John Abbott |
Robert Lovell | William Platt |
Isaac Brightwen | John Townsend |
John Lury | John Stordy |
Morris Birkbeck | Moses Neave |
Thomas Willis | Joseph King |
Benj. Angell | John Mayott |
[ page 303]
Willm. Elgar | James Maddock Junr. |
Thos. Day | Richard Harris |
Henry Hawkes | John Evans |
Joseph Row | Benjn. Hughes |
Owen Weston | Joseph Taylor |
John Kaye | Thomas Goad |
John Wright | John Rice |
Zach. Clark | John Masterman |
Wm. Simons Junr. | Henry Wilkins |
Jereh. Waring | John Hustler |
Joseph Naish | John Routh |
Willm. Crotch | Thos. Knowles |
Danl. Burns | John Storer |
Sparkes Moline | Richd. Leaver |
Joseph Eglin | James Healey |
Thos. Phelps | Thomas Crewdson |
Thos. Green | Willm. Gunn |
John Row | Robr. Coleman |
Edwd. Hubbard | Simon Bailey |
Willm. West | Saml. Hoare Junr. |
Morris Birbeck Junr. | Joseph Ball |
Richard Reynolds | John Post |
Benjn. Birkbeck | Dunn Weedon |
[page 304]
Thos. Crowley | Wm. Pattison |
Joseph Taylor | Rich. Sterry |
Thos. Wagstaffe | John Burgess Junr. |
Thos. Priestman | Danl. Mildred |
Thos. Gilkes | Jonan. Hopkins |
Benjn. Cookworthy | John Bevans |
Jacob Woodward | Thos. Bennet Smith |
Henry Taylor | Adey Bellamy |
Willm. Spriggs | Willm. Barnes |
William Tuke | Sampson Lloyd |
Richard Pike | Thos. Melhuish |
Michl. Phillips | Benjn. Evens |
Benjn. Simkin | James Hack |
James Pollard | Josiah [M or H-----] |
Isaac Selfe | Isaac Sargeant |
Thomas Ball | Wm. Fairbank |
Ellington Wright | Henry Millard |
Jacob Agar | John Whitehead |
Jonathan Binns | Wm. Hunt |
Willm. Speakman | Thomas Cox |
Thos. Thompson | Robr. Trickett |
Solomon Chapman | Jno. Wallis Junr. |
Warner Ellkington | Geo. Harrison |
[page 305]
Robr.Charleton | Jas. Townsend |
Benjamin Sterry | Abm. Sutcliffe |
Willm. Smee Junr. | Samuel Brady |
John Ady | James Phillips |
Edmd. Barker Allen | Edwd. Shewell |
Wilson Birkbeck | John Lister |
George Vaux | John Gawthorne |
Richard Chester | John Chorley |
Edmund Gurney | Willm. Dilliwyn |
John Townsend | Thomas Brown |
William Bleckley | Willm. Hack |
Robr. Dudley | Joseph Garratt |
Joseph Elgar | Jas. Jenkins |
Richd. Lowe | John Alexander |
Benj Middleton | James Fell |
George Gibson | Thos. Scantlebury |
Matthew Boyle | Josh. Brook |
Willm. Littell | Thomas Cash |
Thos. Greer | Willm. Phillips |
[Caled or Obid] Cook | Saml. Alexander |
Hagger Allis | Richd. Routh |
John Goad | Jno. Richardson |
John Lloyd | Jeffery Beavington |
[page 306]
James Waring | John Barlow |
William Dew | Robert Grubb |
William Topper | Thomas Smith |
Joseph Burtt | Robert Harris Junr. |
Anthony Horne | John Fry Junr. |
James Beesley | Edward Johnson |
Thomas Howard | Thomas Pace |
John Holmes | William Squire |
James Blakes Junr. | Abr. De Horne |
Matthew Johnson | Ellis Chandlee |
Benjamin Kaye | Willm. Freeth |
William Forster | John Blakes |
Thomas Martin | James Cooper |
John Ashby Junr. | Danl. Mildred Junr. |
James Webb | Thos. Brookbank |
William Markes | Total 273 |
