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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from the North Carolina Governor's Council to the [Board of Trade of Great Britain]
North Carolina. Council
1711
Volume 01, Pages 806-807

[B. P. R. O. Am: & W. Ind: Vol. 22. P. 1.]

May it please your Lordships,

Whereas Coll: Thomas Cary Levy Truwhit, Challingwood Ward, George Lumley and Edmond Porter are at the earnest request of us the president and Council of North Carolina apprehended in her Majesty's Collony of Virginia by order of the Honble Alexander Spotswood Esqre Lieutenant Governor thereof and by him comitted to a hearing.

Wee in most humble manner pray leave to informe your Lordship that at a Generall Assembly holden for this Collony in March last the said Coll: Thomas Cary and John Porter Esqre were impeathed of high crimes and misdemeanours and were thereupon committed to the Custody of the Provost Marshall from whom they made their escape and to protect themselves from Justice did confederate with the abovenamed Levy Truwhit, Challingwood Ward, George Lumley, Edmond Porter and with one Richard Roath and severall other desperate and evil minded persons as also with Emanuel Low, Gabriel Newby and many others of the people called Quakers and raised an insurrection against the lawfull Authority of the Lords Proprietors of North Carolina and against the peace and soveraign Dominion of our Soveraign Lady the Queen and to carry on their rebellious purposes have endeavoured by promises of reward to draw into their conspiracy the neighbouring Indians by them to cut off all such of her majesty's subjects as should oppose their lawless proceedings, and did man and fit out with great Guns and small Arms and other warlike Stores two vessels and in them did sail in warlike manner with a flag on the main mast head to the great Terrour of the Inhabitants and severall Robberys and other Injurys did commit and in one of the said

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vessels did make an assault upon us the president and Council at the house of Coll : Thomas Pollock (of the said Council) in the Precint of Chowan who there endeavoured to keep the Peace of our Soveraign Lady the Queen and maintain the authority of the his Excellency the Pallatine and Lords Proprietors from whence being by Gods assistance repelled they fled till they were apprehended as above said, wherefore we humbly crave leave in such time and manner as your Lordships shall think fit most necessary to produce our evidence against the said Coll : Thomas Cary, Levy Truwhit, Challingwood Ward Geo : Lumley and Edmund Porter who were committed and sent prisoners to England before we had this last notice of it, by which we were deprived of sending our evidence at the same time with him, for the making good our charge against the said Coll : Thomas Cary and the rest committed with him for which wee humbly hope considering the nature of their offences we may have sufficient time allowed us for the doing of it wherein we do not doubt but to make out full proofs of whatever we shall accuse them with.

We are not out of hope of your Lordships great candour in this affair by which we may fully expect to see Law and Justice once more restored to her Majesty's subjects and this poor country that for near three years last past has by those rebellions been dispossessed of all. And considering this Country is entirely impoverished by those unhappy commotions wee should look upon it an Act of the greatest compassion towards us, if a commission could be obtained to be sent into Virginia, to try the Criminals as well those sent to England as those that remain in Custody here to prevent that charge which would near complete the ruin of our Colony.

Wee are in all obedience
your Lordships most Dutifull
and most obedient humble servants
EDWARD HYDE
THO: POLLOCK
GRAFFENRIED
THO: BOYD
N. CHEVIN
W. GLOVER.

Wee beg leave if John Porter
be fled to England (as tis by
all here concluded) that your
Lordship would please to give
orders that he may be apprehended.