1757 Letter to the Governor [William Denny] from the Brethren Residing in the Forks of the Delaware
May it Please your Honour,
We His Majesty’s most loyal & most dutiful subjects, the Brethren residing in the Forks of Delaware, humbly beg leave to lay before your Honour
That tho’ We conscientiously scruple to be engaged in Wars as Soldiers, to follow after Enemies, to take away their Lives etc. adhering to the very same sentiments We have proffes’d before the British Parliament, where we obtained an Act securing us against being forced to bear arms or to go to War etc.
Yet in the last troublesome time, when We were in danger of being fallen upon by the murdering Indians We have kept strict Watch, and have secured several of our Settlements with Stockades etc. wch. Has been hitherto so successful for us and our Neighbours that took Shelter amongst us, as to prevent a surprise and blood-shedding on both sides.
And now We think it might be good not only for ourselves but also for the inhabitants round about us to continue the said Watch, and to prevent thereby many Evil Designs of such unmerciful Creatures, tho’ they should agree to peace, as now they seem to have mind to do.
But being sensible, that this cannot be done regularly, without the Governors special Leave or rather his Orders. We hereby request your Honour to authorize the said Watch under your Hand & Seal and to appoint George Klein, Johann Ortlieb in Bethlehem, Gottfried Schwarz in Christiansbrunn Plantation[,] Abraham Hester in Gnadenthal Plantation, and Philip Fransou in Friedensthal Plantation Overseers of the said Watch, and Henry Frey to be Chief Overseer of the Watches in the four last above mention’d Plantatations
And your Petitioners will pray etc.
Signed in the Mane & in
Behalf of the Brethren
residing in the Forks
of Delaware
Bethlehem
Northampton County
March 14th, 1757
Updated: 14 September 2005
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