(Unanswered) Anonymous petition addressed to the ‘Lord arch Bishop of London’. 4 August 1723

 Part of the Enslavement: Voices from the Archives Exhibition....

Anonymous petition addressed to the Bishop of London  

4 August 1723  

FP XVII ff. 167-168.

To The Right Reverend father in God my Lord Bishop of London

This coms to satisfy your honour that there is in this Land of Virginia a sort of people that are called mulattoes which are Baptised and brought up in the way of the Christian faith and followers the ways and rules of the Church of England and some of them has white fathers and some white mothers and there is in this Land a Law or act which keeps and makes them and their seed slaves forever. 
 
And most honoured Sir amongst the rest of your charitable acts and deeds we your humble and poor parishioners do beg Sir your aid and assistance in this one thing which as I do understand in your Lordship's [gift?] which is that your honour will by the help of our suffering Lord, King George and the rest of the rulers, will release us out of this cruel bondage and this we beg for Jesus Christ's Sake who has commanded us to seek first the kingdom of God and all things shall be added on to us and here it is to be noted that one brother is a slave to another and one sister to another which is quite out of the way and as for me myself, 
 
I am my brothers slave but my name is secret and here it is to be noted again that we are commanded to keep Holy the Sabbath day and we do hardly know when it comes for our task masters are has hard with us as the Egyptians was with the Children of Israel.
 
God be merciful unto us.
 
here follows our Sevarity and Sorrowfull Sarvice we are hard used...
 
my Riting is vary bad I whope yr honour will take the will for the deede I am but a poore SLave that writt itt and has no other time butt Sunday and hardly that att Sumtimes
 
September the 8th 1723
 
To the Right Reverrand father in god my Lord arch bishup of London these with care
wee dare nott Subscribe any mans name to this for feare of our masters for if they knew that wee have Sent home to your honour wee Should goo neare to Swing upon the gallass tree

From  Enslavement: Voices from the Archives

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The fact that it was addressed to the ‘Lord arch Bishop of London’ demonstrates that enslaved people were addressing their protests and pleas beyond those they were forced to serve. There is no evidence that any response was ever made to this petition.

UNQUOTE