To his Excellency Thomas Burke, Esqr., Captain General, Governor, Commander?in-Chief in and over the State of North Carolina, &c.
The Petition of John Crouse humbly sheweth that your Petitioner of the Society of Dunkards, Haven bought a piece of Land in Rowan County Lying on the Waters of Bear Creek, and by a man a Near Nabor, Thomas Maxwell, who has Entered the Sd. Land and has forewarned your humble Petitioner and forewarned him from tiling the land, and is Determined to Drive him from the Sd. Land. And your Humble Petitioner being a Poor, Harmless and inoffensive man, having bought sd. land at a very dear rate; whereas, aforetime said Thomas Maxwell pretended no right nor Claim to said land, your humble Petitioner being a poor Dunkard and past Common Slow, both in words and axtions, but more especially he was he acknowledges was too slow, for when the land office was first opened the aforesaid Thomas Maxwell being of a cruel and Coveting disposition goes amedately and enters aforesd. land, and your humble Petitioner what through Ignorance and what through being too slow he neglected either entering his land or entering a Cavit against the man that had entered it, till the first three months wer out that was alowd for every one to Cavit in, that had any Ocation; therefore your humble Petitioner does humbly beg that your Excellency might be pleased to point out some way wherein he might be redrest and come to the right of his land again and he will ever think himself in duty bound to be thankfull to your Excellency for the Same.
We the subscribers hereof, do know asshuredly the right of the said land belongs to the above named John Crouse and we have
known sd. Crouse a long time and we are satisfied that he is but a simple and very honest man.