Petition of Hannah and Thomas Duston, Mary Neff and Samuel Leonardson to the General Court of Massachusetts

To the Right Honorable the Lieut Governor & the Great & General assembly of the Province of Massachusetts Bay now convened in Boston

The Humble Petition of Thomas Durstan of Haverhill Sheweth That the wife of ye petitioner (with one Mary Neff) hath in her Late captivity among the Barbarous Indians, been disposed & assisted by heaven to do an extraordinary action, in the just slaughter of so many of the Barbarians, as would by the law of the Province which--------a few months ago, have entitled the actors unto considerable recompense from the Publick.

That tho the----------of that good Law------------no claims to any such consideration from the publick, yet your petitioner humbly-------------that the merit of the action still remains the same; & it seems a matter of universal desire thro the whole Province that it should not pass unrecompensed.

And that your petitioner having lost his estate in that calamity wherein his wife was carried into her captivity render him the fitter object for what consideration the public Bounty shall judge proper for what hath been herein done, of some consequence, not only unto the persons more immediately delivered, but also unto the Generall Interest

Wherefore humbly Requesting a favorable Regard on this occasion

Your Petitioner shall pray &c
Thomas Du(r)stun

Source: Whitford, Kathryn. “Hannah Dustin: The Judgement of History.” Essex Institute Historical Collections. Vol. CVIII, No. 4 (October 1972), 308-09. Used with permission.