Applications for Passes, 1776-1790, Pennsylvania's Revolutionary Governments

APPLICATIONS FOR PASSES, 1776-1790 PENNSYLVANIA’S REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENTS (CONTINUED FROM 44:37S)1 28 November 1778. Geo. Gillespie arrived on this Continent about the begining of the present troubles betwixt Gt. Brittain and America, from the Island of Jamaica where he had resided many years; that previous to his leaving that Island, he had disposed of his property, for which he had Receiv’d Bills of Exchange on Merchants in London, payable at different and then distant periods of time, all which will now soon become due. The Merchants had stopt payment— he there¬ fore prays leave to go to New York in order to take his passage to Gt. Brittain to secure his property. [No indication if granted.] 21 December 1778, Philadelphia. Mrs. Mary Ginn, an inhabitant of the City of Philadelphia, whose husband is master of a marchant vessel belonging to New Yorke and who has a Brother that is prisnor with the Enimy on Long Island and she being very disireous seeing both husband & brother, she being disirous to containue still a good subject of this sate [i/c] as hir parants and all hir other frends are, requests pass to go and return. [No indication if granted.] 18 November 1782, Philadelphia. Mary Goforth, whose husband was taken some time ago in the Brigt Cogden, Captain Tinker, & carried to New York & is now prisoner on board the Jersy prison ship and being in a weak & languishing condition & having no friend there to relive him, requests pass to go & see if she can liberate her said husband. [Granted] Character endorsement by Robert Knox, Joseph Blewer, 2 Joseph Huddell. 7 March 1783, Philadelphia. William Goforth (his mark), a refugee from the City of Newyork; where he has several houses and lots of ground for which he has received no rent or other consideration since the enemy took possession of it, is much distressed for want of those rents, if he could be permitted to go into Newyork before the enemy leaves it, he may secure some of those rents. [Granted] 30 May 1779, Philadelphia. Daniel Gomez has always had a real affection and zeal for the wellfare of this country and especially has attached himself to the cause in which it now contests, in so much that he has left his property among the enimys of these States, being laid up by infirmitys and he is sorry to say, he is under the most urgent necessity to send to the City of NewYork to try to procure some Rents and other articles of his property, requests pass to go and return and 1 Records of Pennsylvania’s Revolutionary Governments 1775-1790, Pennsylvania State Archives Record Group 27, 54 rolls of microfilm. The passes comprise all of roll 30. Originals are at the Bureau of Archives and History, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg. In addition to the Pennsylvania Archives Reading Room in Harrisburg, this microfilm is at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City (FHL #1,759,080) and the Genealogy Section of the Dallas [Texas] Public Library. 2 Joseph Blewer, here and on the document on page 83, has a most interesting signature, which incorporates “1752,” presumably the year of his birth. 82 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 45 (2007) 2007 Applications for Passes, 1776- 1790 83 shall ever pray for the prosperity and indipendance of the Thirteen United States and for Pennsylvania in particular. [No indication if granted] 25 April 1783, Philadelphia. Daniel Gomez, whose father, Mr. Moses Gomez, has property in New York, which he fears will suffer for want of the presence of the said Daniel Gomez, they request permission that he may go to said city. [signed] Moses & Daniel Gomez. [Granted] [The two documents are in different handwriting.] 26 September 1780, Philadelphia. Mattathias3 Gomez in August 1776 left his whole estate consisting of severall houses and debts due to him at New York and went to Newark in the Jersey and when the account came of the British Army haveing taken possession of New York removed to this place where he has resided, paid taxes, and done all duties required of an inhabitant but by the continuall depreciation of the money, losses in trade, the high prices of all the neces¬ saries of life, and high rents, he has been obliged to dispose of most of his furnature at different times and now finds himself under the disagreable necessity to declair that he cannot any longer subsist in the place, requests permission for himself and family to return to New York and take as much of his effects and cloathing as may be convenient and for him to dispose of the remainder of his effects, furnature &c at public vendue. [Rejected.] 1 August 1782. Elizabeth Goodrich, an inhabitant of the Southern District of Philadelphia, wife of John Goodrich, mariner, now residing on the Island of Bermudas, where his connexions and relations principally dwell, requests pass for self and family. [Granted.] Character endorsement by Thos Casdorp, Robert Knox, Joseph Blewer, Jos. Marsh. 19 July 1782. Hannah Gordon, an inhabitant of the Island of Granada and a sub¬ ject of the King of France, who came to this state to enquire into the situation of her husbands affairs here and having compleated her business, wants to go to France or the most convenient way to Europe in the first convenient vessel. [Granted.] 2 August 1782. Hannah Gordon, having been granted a pass for Europe, but there being no suitable opportunity presenting itself, requests pass to New York from when she proposes to return to her husband and children now in England. [Granted.] 1 1 May 1772. Mary Ann Gorely, whose husband was taken by the enemy some¬ time ago as he was performing his voyage from Baltimore to Martinico & was carried into New York where he now is, is likely to be reduced to indigent cir¬ cumstances if she continues in this place, being unable to help herself by industry as she has an infant on the breast, intends to go to New York to her husband where she has no expectation of relief from him, but to proceed to her relations in Belfast, that there is a legacy of one hundred pounds left her in New York by her Aunt deceased, which she expects to receive. [Granted] 8 June 1779. Mary Gosnold of the City of Philadelphia, widow, whose grandson Archibald Hinshelwood, a youth of about fourteen years of age is intitled to an estate devised to him by his uncle in Nova Scotia, the income whereof hath been withheld from her for his support and maintainance, occasioned by the present unnatural conflict and claims of Great Britain over the North American States, requests passes for herself and her grandson to go to New York and from thence to Hallifax and not return during these present troubles. [Granted.] 17 June 1779. Bond for £500 by Charles Stewart and Joseph Brown of the City of Philadelphia, gentlemen, that Mary Gosnold who has received permission This spelling is used in the jacket, petition, and signature. 84 Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Vol. 45 to go to New York will not return without permission. Witnesses Robt Towers, James Trimble. 26 March 1783, Philadelphia. Lewis Grant, Margret Grant, and Ann Snowden, who have relations in New York who will remove from that place at or before the evacuation of the city by the British, an event now shortly expected, and want to see their relations and settle some matters respecting property between them, request pass. [Granted.] 19 March 1783, Philadelphia. Michael Gratz has debts due in New York— particu¬ larly from a gentleman who collected debts for him in the West Indies, and fear¬ ing that he and the others will soon leave the Continent, requests pass to go and return. [Granted.] Character endorsement by Levi Hollingsworth, Jonas Phillips, Peter Keelin, James White, Jacob Barge, Ad’m Hubley. 1 July 1782, Philadelphia. Thomas Grey [signature Greay], a poor man with a wife and 4 small children, and the times are at present so hard and work so scarce that he is am reduced to the lowest, and if he could get an opportunity of getting to his native place, which is Ireland, requests pass, which will be the only means of saveing his family from starving, his former residence was Baltimore but he was oblidged to leave when the enemy was expected to have came there. [Rejected.] 1 July 1782. Sworn to before Plun’t [Plunket] Fleeson. 26 July 1782, Philadelphia. Thomas Green (his T mark), an inhabitant of Phila¬ delphia, requests pass to New York, in order to procure from imprisonment his only son Thomas, who has been closely confined there for these several months past. [Granted.] Statement by Henry Snyder that Thomas Green is a prisoner onbord the Garsey [Jersey] in Newyork. Statement by William Semple that Thomas Green shipt on board the Brig Joanna, William Tanner Master, her last voyage and that he belonged to her the voyage before. Character endorsement by John Taylor, Blair McClenachan, Fred. Philes, Edward Pale, Sharp Delany. 22 June 1780, Philadelphia. Elizabeth Greenwood of Philadelphia, whose hus¬ band being lately arrived in New York after four years absence in foreign coun¬ tries and desirous of complying with the order of your Excellencys & the Honor¬ able the Council of the 6th Instant, requests pass for herself & her daughter of five years of age, with liberty of taking their wearing apparel, so as to go safe to New York. [No indication if granted.] 1 August 1780, Philadelphia. Elizabeth Greenwood of Philadelphia, desirous of seeing her husband who after four years absence in foreign countries is lately arrived in New York, requests pass for herself & daughter six years of age. Statement by Gustavus Risberg that Elizabeth Greenwood of necessity entered into service with him about five months ago and asks that her request be granted. Jas. White visited Mr. Risberg frequently and seconded his recommen¬ dation. [Rejected, but endorsed that her husband may have leave to come to Philadelphia, he taking the oath of allegiance to the United States.] 28 April 1780, Dist. Southwark. Margaret Grew (her X mark), widow of Edward Grew late of the District of Southwark labourer deceased, whose husband was for some time in the public service, served his tours of duty, and always attended as a militiaman, went to Susquehannah to assist in building boats, whereby thro much fatigue &c he catched a cold & lay for a long time sick before his decease, having three small children to support, one of which had his jaw bone broke with 2007 Applications for Passes, 1776- 1790 85 the kick of a horse, and the other two much afflicted with sores and sickness, and she of a weak constitution, reduced to the lowest circumstance, having neither victuals, money, nor cloathing, nor a bed to lie on— and as she has a son in law and a daughter in New York, who she hopes would assist her & her children, requests a pass for herself and children. [Rejected.] Character endorsement by Thomas Casdorp, Jos. Marsh, Wm Coats. 6 August 1782. John Grier, who carries on a trade from the City of Philadelphia to Hudsons River to supply the Army and Inhabitants with necessaries, has pur¬ chased a quantity of goods in the City from sundry merchants, which he intends conveying to Newburgh, willing to give every satisfaction to the neighbourin states thro which said goods is to pass, wants to present the invoices from No. 1 to 20 and prove if necessary that the articles are imported agreeable to law and requests pass to their destination. [No indication if granted.] 30 October 1780, Philadelphia. Rebecca Griffith [jacket says her name is Eliza¬ beth], wife of Evan Griffith, late of York County, whose husband did some time since go into New York with the British Army and still remains there, has been informed that she is no longer under the protection of the state being excluded therefrom by an order issued by the Council some time since requiring the wifes of all those who had join’d the enemy to depart the state in a certain time, but could not remove sooner, is now on her way together with her three small chil¬ dren and requests pass to go into New York with her children & baggage. [Granted.] 6 April 1785, Peters Township, Franklin County. Statement by Rowland Harris that William Grimes has lived with me five months and has behaved himself well during the said time. 6 April 1785, Franklin County. Order by Jas Chambers to allow William Grimes to pass down to Lancaster County, signed at London Forge. No date. Edmund Grimshaw, who has a wife who has been disabled by fits since her last labour of taking care of herself and three small children w’ch has reduced him to poverty and having heard that his father in Scotland is dead and has left him a small estate and is willing to go and take his family with him, requests a pass for himself and family to New York. [Granted.] 27 August 1779. Rachel Gunnerson, a widow far advanced in years, is unable to support herself in this place as all her effects lay in Halifax, requests pass to New York to get passage to Halifax. [Granted.] Character endorsement by Robert Knox and Thos Casdorp that David Gunnerson in his life behaved as a real friend to the cause and intrest of the United States. 24 August 1779. Bond for £500 by Joseph Huddell of the district of South¬ wark stave merchant that Rachel Gunnerson will not return without permission. Witnesses Robert Lumsden, James Trimble. 5 October 1789, Philadelphia. C. D. G. Haerkermann and E. Ph. Buchholtz were regularly bred to law in Germany & hearing of the noble contest of the Americans in the Cause of Liberty, came to America via St. Eustatia about three months ago with an intention to offer their services in the Army, or wheresoever they might be wanted, but unfortunately for themselves they met with a total dis¬ appointment to which the misfortune now is added that after having made severel experiments to obtain an honest livelihood, they find their endeavours fruitless and are left as entire strangers, unaquainted with the prevailing language of the country, with their resources nearly exhausted, so that nothing remains for them but to return to their native country & which the state of their finances will not even admit them to do from this Port. But as they have some friends in one of