Memorial of Selectmen of Middletown
To the Honorable General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut held at Hartford the Second Thursday of May 1756
The humble memorial of Seth Wetmore, Matthew Talcott, Phillip Mortimer, Samuel Willis, and Nathaniel Chauncey, all of and Selectmen of Middletown in Hartford, humbly sheweth that one Cushoy, an Indian man of above seventy years of age, has through the infirmity of old age and sickness and lameness ever since the beginning of July last past been unable to support himself and would have perished for hunger and want of clothing had he not been relieved by the selectmen of said town, he not having any relation to help him, as his children, all being dead, his grandchildren young. The selectmen provided for him necessaries of victuals and clothes to the amounts of fifty seven pounds two shillings and four pence old tenor bills for him and his son, Tom, in his last sickness, and whereas the said Cushoy not having any estate to pay said charges except a tract of unimproved land that is valuable that lays near the meeting house in the Third Society in Middletown, which might be sold to good profit for the said Indian. Your memorialist would humbly request that1 this Assembly grant liberty that the said Cushoy may have liberty with the selectmen of Middletown sell so much of his said Land as to pay said money expended for him as aforesaid and such other parts as shall be needful for him to the value of ten pounds lawful money, if he live to need it2 or some other way grant relief as Your Honors in your great wisdom shall think proper, and your memorialist, as in duty bound, shall ever pray,
Selectmen,
Seth Wetmore
Philip Mortimer
Nathaniel Chauncey
Matthew Talcott
Samuel Willis
Dated in Middletown, May 15, 1756
Notation: No. 35 / Memorial of Selectmen of Middletown
Legislative Action: In the Lower House, the above memorial and matters therein contained is referred (to be considered) to the General Assembly to be holden at New Haven in October next. Test, Thomas Chandler, Clerk pro tem. Concurred in the Upper House. Test, George Wyllys, Secretary.
May 1756 / In the Lower House continued / Continued Lower House / Upper House, June 10 p.m.
In the Upper House, the question was put whether the prayer of this memorial should be granted and resolved in the negative. Test, George Wyllys, Secretary. In the Lower House, concurred with the Honorable Upper House in negativing the within memorial. Test, Elihu Chauncey, Clerk / General Assembly / October 1756
October 1756 / Negatived Upper House / October 29 p.m. / Negatived Lower House
Cataloguing: 120a, 120b, 145