1767 Petition to Move Pitt County Courthouse to plantation of Edmond Tyson

This petition was published previously on this site from a transcription by Roger Kammerer, but it was identified as a 1769 petition and some of the names were missing.

I found this in Session of December, 1767-January, 1768: Lower House Papers, Petitions Rejected or not Acted on at the NCDCR website.

The petition was definitely rejected because the courthouse did NOT move to the plantation of Edmond Tyson. In fact, just few years later in the early 1770s, a different planter (and politician) named John Simpson successfully pushed a bill through the General Assembly to establish a town on the lands of Richard Evans instead. That town became Martinsborough (which we now all know as Greenville), and it is where the courthouse eventually landed.

There were two pages for this petition since this was the most efficient away to get it around the county quickly and signed. There are only the slightest differences in the petition text, but none of it substantial in any way that changes its meaning.

The first petition page is here and the text says:

To His Excellency William Tryon Esqr his Majesties Captn Generall Governor and Commander in Chief In and Over the Province of North Carolina and Vice Admirall of the Same. And to his Majesties Honourable Councill and the Gentn of the Assembly Now Setting

The Petition of the inhabitants of Pitt County Humbly Sheweth that the Plantation whereon Edmund Tison now Liveth is Conveniently and Advantageously Situated for Trade and Likewise near the Center of this County We the Petitioners therefore are of Opinion that it will be Greatly to the Advantage of the inhabitants of this County to have a Town Errected On the Said plantation and Likewise to Remove the Court House into Said Town As the place whare the Court House now stands is a Considerable distance from the River it Renders the Attendance of the Inhabitants In the Opposite side of the River very inconvenient to them Which Disadvantages will be removed by the removal of the Said Court House to the place we petition for it being Situated On the River Side On High Land and at the uppermost Landing On Tar River that is Navigable for Large Boats (Except in the Time of freshes) and a Convenient Place for a ferry We therefore pray your Excellency that a Town may be Establisht by Act of Assembly and that the Court House may be by the Same Authority Removed into ye Town and that the Inferior Court of Common Pleas may be there & Held: and that the Removal of the Said Court House may not be Attended with any burthen or Tax on the poor inhabitants of this County We the Petitioners do purpose and intend to Defray the Cost thereof by Subscriptions and We further Pray that your Excellency would Approve of Our Request and that you will Name the Said intended Town

and as in duty bound we your Petitioners Shall Ever Pray

The signers on the page above are:

The second petition page is here and the text says:

To His Excellency William Tryon Esqr. his Majestys Captn. Generall Governor and Commander in Chieff in and Over the Province of Northcarolina and Vice Admirall of the Same — And to his Majesties Honourable Council and the Gentlemen of the Assembly now Setting —

The Petition of the Inhabitants of pitt County Humbly Sheweth That the Plantation whereon Edmond Tyson Now liveth is Conveniently and Advantageously Situated for Trade and likewise near the Center of this County We the Petitioners therefore are of Opinion that it will be Greatly to the Advantage of the Inhabitants of this County to have a Town Errected On the Said Plantation and likewise to Remove the Court House into the said Town as the place whare the Court House now stands is a Considerable distance from the River it Renders the Attendance of the Inhabitants on the Opposite Side of the River Very inconvenient to them which disadvantage will be Removed by the removal of the Said Court House to the place we Petition for it being Situated on the River Side On High Land and at the Uppermost Landing On Tar River that is Navigable for Large Boats (Except in the Times of freshes) and a Convenient place for a Ferry We therefore pray your Excellency that a Town may be Establisht by Act of Assembly and that the Court House may be by the Same Authority removed into the town and that the inferior Court of Common Pleas may be there Held: And that the Removal of the said Court House may not be Attended with any burthen or Tax on the poor Inhabitants of the County We the Petitioners do Purpose and intend to defray the Cost thereof by Subscription and we further pray that your Excellency would Approve of Our Request and that you will name the Said Town —

And as in Duty bound we your Petitioners Shall Ever Pray

The signers on the page above are: