Petition to Levy General Assessment for Ministers, 1779 - Amherst Co. VA (Submitter note: Transcription of October 27, 1779, Petition to the Virginia General Assembly in Favor of a Bill to Levy General Assessment for Ministers signed by 126 residents of Amherst County. The original petition is in the Library of Virginian, and it and thirteen others from Amherst County can be found on-line at the Library of Congress Web-Page, Early Virginia Religious. The petitions are interesting as they contain original signatures of many citizens. Many of the signatures are difficult to read and I have transcribed them as best I can. Iit would be wise to check the image at the Library of Congress Web-Page.) To the hon'able the Speaker and house of Delegates of Virginia The Petition of the Protestant freeholders and inhabitants of Amherst County hereby and herewith That your Petitioners have with grief heard of a bill brought into last session your hon'ble house / subordinate in their opinion of Religion & morality, introducing to licentiousness & immorality and in the end distructive to our civil liberties; that your petitioners are of Opinion that a sinc- ere cultivation of the worship of our Creator will produce peace to our minds, will dispose men to mutual acts of benevolence and render them dutiful subjects to the State, we your Petitioners therefore humbly that a law may be enacted obliging all Protestants to contribute to the support of the ministers of their several professions to be collected and paid in such manner as to the wisdom of your hon'ble house shall seem proper: and your Petitioners further pray that altho they are willing that Toleration should be granted to the members of the Church of Rome yet knowing their intolerant and persecuting spirt, their aspiring and domineering genises, such toleration should be guarded & limitted and we particularly pray that no Roman Catholic, Jew, Turk or Infi- del be entitled to hold any post civil or military within this common- wealth. And your Petitioners .... duty bound shall ever pray. Robert Wright John Gregany Joseph Cabell William Alford William A Nutone Reuban Coleman John Alford Randolph Bibby Charles Cready Joseph hollings Worth Mirajah Bishnell James Nevil Thomas Beard Henry Martin John Johnston Benjamin Rogers George Rays [Lays] John Bibb Wm Hansbrough John Layn William Loving Edward Harding, Jr. Fitzpatrick Wm Basknoble [sp] James Worwick John Edmonds Groves Harding James Ward William Bibb Abraham Worwick Goe. Stonakaus William Crisp John Cabell Joseph Burnitt William Key E-lqiah Bailey Jesse Mays William Pritchard Gab'l Penn John Mays Joseph Mays William Hollonworth James Matthews John Gilmoer Alexander Edmonds Joel Welch Wm Peasley Charles Mays ----[Page 2]----- Dan Gai------- John Staples William Spencer Amborse Rucker Thomas ------- William Harris Will'm Walton Isaac Rucker William Powell John Christian Ez Gilberth John Christian (B( illegible George Christian Ths Hawkins Dan'l Perrow Jas Barnett George Hilton Lindsey Coleman Isaac M-gh-- Charles Rof Robert Horsleye William Horsley Henry Christian James Morrison Danny Christian James Franklin James C Spencer George Penn Richard Tallaferro John Diggs Benj Rucker Abner Wilf... Claudius Bastow [sp] Thomas Su....... Rich .............ay Robert Christian ....... Tucker James Burton [sp] Charles Burnes Sam'l Camp Wiatt Powell Lynn Banchs Edm'd Powell Rueben Harrison Daniel Tucker James Higgenbotham Philip Thurmond Richard Oglsby Edmond Powell William Ward David Woodrode John Higgenbotham Richard Allcok Richard Parke [sp] ..illegible.. Nathan Crawford Abraham Seay Frank' New [sp] Jo.. Penn Roger Cavey ..illegible... Ch's Tate Jesse Higgenbotham Morgan Harold Reuban Higgenbotham Senior Charles Pr... Claudius Higgenbotham Senior James Pamplin Thomas Landoeo.r -----[Page 3]----- John Jacob A... Martin John Loving Jr. William Harris David Shelton Jesse Allen John Dawson David Crawford Amherst County October the 27th 1779 I do hereby certify that at General Muster of the County and on the Day Aforesaid that the within Petition was read at the head of the Militia for this County, then under Arms, and that they approved of it, and Desired that I should certify their approbation thereof to the General Assembly of this Commonwealth now sitting. Jos. Cabell Cty. Li.... Submited by James H. Maloney **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************