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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Petition from Samuel Strudwick concerning land taxes
Strudwick, Samuel, d. 1797
Volume 15, Page 212

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PETITION OF SAMUEL STRUDWICK.

To the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina.

The petition of Samuel Strudwick,

Humbly Sheweth,

That your petitioner some years ago purchased the Interest of a Certain Governor Burrington, supposed to include a large Body of Land situated in the Haw fields. The location of those lands has been much disputed, and all attempts to ascertain it, though authorized by repeated orders from the superior Court of the district, have been frustrated by the violent opposition of sundry persons who have seated themselves thereon, and since the Revolution in Government have enter'd and patented all that were of any value, not Excepting my House and the plantation whereon I live. In giving in the List of my Taxable property I was much Embarrassed; to Charge myself with the Imposition on Lands others enjoyed and had, prima facie, acquired a Title to, seemed imprudent and injurious to myself. On the other hand, if I neglected to give it in, my adversaries might construe it and it might operate as a disclaimer; I therefore chose a middle way, which was to mention in my list that I had a claim to 24,000 acres of Land, but had not one hundred acres in my possession, Upon which I thought the assessors would never subject me to a Tax for what others enjoyed and paid Taxes for to the State; But in this I found myself grievously mistaken, for they have valued me for the whole Body as highly as they have assessed the Best lands in the County, tho' it is notorious that a Third part of it had not in old times been worth paying the Quit rent for. Application was made to the Court of Orange for redress, who directed the Collector to postpone the Collection till the Assembly would signify their pleasure thereon. Your petitioner, therefore, Prays that you will take the above into your serious consideration, and Grant him such relief as you in your wisdom will think fit, and your petitioner, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

SAM. STRUDWICK.