The Humble Petition of the Queen's Maties most distressed Subjects Inhabiting near Pamplico River in the County of Bath, within her Maties Dominions of North Carolina:
Sheweth
That your Petitioners depending upon the Royal assurance which was given for their encouraging the Exercise of the Protestant Religion, and the benefit of the Laws of England, and the encouragements which were published for planting in the said parts, settled themselves and their families upon the said River, and going through incredible difficulties from the Indians, a vast labour and expense recovered and improved divers great quantities of land thereabouts, they made all due applications to the Governors and Council of the Lords Proprietors of those lands for being admitted into the privileges published as aforesaid. But instead thereof they have been treated by the said Governors and Council with very great hardships, neither could your Petitioners obtain your [ye] favour of having a minister appointed them, though they offered with cheerfulness to be at the Charge of maintaining him, and by reason thereof your Petitioners have been deprived of the means of grace which their souls earnestly longed after, and near two hundred of their children have not been admitted to the Sacrament of Baptism.