Area History: Proclamation of Gov. Thomas Against Settlers on Lands in Lancaster, 1742: Lancaster Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Linnea Miller ltmiller@postoffice.ptd.net USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. ____________________________________________________________ PA Archives, Series 1, Volume 1. PROCLAMATION OF GOV. THOMAS AG'ST SETTLERS ON LANDS IN LANCASTER, 1742. By The Honourable George Thomas, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, and the Counties of New-Castle, Kent, and Sussex upon Delaware. A PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, by the express orders of the Hon. the Proprietaries, no Warrant or License has issued out of the Land-Office for taking up or settling any Lands in the County of Lancaster, to the Westward of the Kittochtinny-Hills, otherwise called the Endless or Blue Mountains, so that all such as have presum'd to possess themselves of any Lands there, are manifest Intruders; and, as such, liable by the Laws to be removed, and, in Case of refusal, to be committed to Prison and severely fined. AND WHEREAS the Indians at the Treaty made with them in the Month of July last, did complain that they were greatly disturbed and injured by the Peoples settling at Juniata and in other parts of the County of Lancaster to the Westward of those Hills, and became earnest Petitioners that all such persons might be made to remove from thence. I, favouring the request of the said Indians, and to the End that all persons concerned may have sufficient Notice of the Dangers they incur from their resentment, and to the Violation of the Laws, Have thought fit to issue this my Proclamation, hereby strictly requiring all persons who have presumed to possess themselves of any Lands situate in the placed aforesaid, or in any part of the county of Lancaster to the westward of the aforesaid Ridge of Mountains, or those who have seated themselves on any tracts appropriated to the use of the Indians on this side of those Hills, forthwith to leave their possessions and remove off them with their Families and Effects, as they will answer the contrary at their highest Peril. And as by reason of the approaching Winter, some may not be able to provide themselves with fit Habitations or with the Necessaries of Life, if they should be compell'd immediately to leave their Houses and Plantations, the Removal of such as are in these Circumstances is respited to the first Day of May next, the longest time that will be allowed any one to continue in the possession of any lands so situate as aforesaid. AND I DO hereby require the Sheriff of Lancaster county to publish this Proclamation at the Court-House of the said county, and to cause Copy's thereof to be affixed at the most publick places, and particularly at Juniata, and from thence all along on the Banks of the River Susquehanna to Wyomen, and at Licking-Creek Hills near the River Patowmeck, that none may pretend Ignorance thereof. Given at Philadelphia under my Hand and the Great Seal of the said Province, the Fifth Day of October, 1742, in the Sixteenth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second, by the Grace of God of Great-Britain France, and Ireland, King Defender of the Faith, &c. George Thomas. God Save the King. Indorsed. Proclamation, 5 8ber, 1742. Settling on Indn lands in Lancaster county. -----------------------------------