Updated November 25, 2022
Background:
In this petition the inhabitants of Albemarle ask for the emission of paper money and protest against the Installment Act, providing for payment of British and other debts with interest.
"T. P." following a person's name indicates that the individual was a tax payer.
Overview:
Three John Gilliams sign this petition, John Gilliam, Sr. and John Gilliam Jr. and John Gilliam. For an outline of the John Gilliams of Albemarle see the Overview on the Albemarle County Page.
Albemarle County, Anno Dom. 1788
To the Honorable Speaker, and House of Delegates Convened together at the City of Richmond; to take under their consideration, that may attend to the good of the Commonwealth of Virginia, etc. —
We your Humble petitioners sendeth these lines to the Honourable House, to inform you of our distressed condition, which is coming on us daily, for want of a circulating Medium among us, therefore we pray you to take in under your consideration, and grant our request, which is this, We pray and wish you to emit as much paper money as will pay our domestic debt, and said money to be a Lawfull Tender, in all debts dues and Demands, whatsoever (Except the Demands of Congress, which we shall ever be happy to be Taxed in Tobacco, Etc. to answer that of paying our Foreign debt & Loan Etc.) For admitting the enemies of said paper Money, Should depreciate it a little at first, it is better for a few to suffer a little than a majority of the State to become Servants to the rest, and it appears to your petitioners likely to be the case when we consider the quantity of money it takes to pay off our Sivel list annually, and also our Six per cent Interest Warrants, And we Consider it just and right, that the old British debts should be paid that was contracted before the War, but we also remember that when those debts was contracted, that there was a paper Currency among us that they generally was willing to recover, therefore we wish to pay them off in paper money, and then they will be willing to allow us a reasonable price for our Tobacco Etc., and leave our money among us, for we are not so doubtfoll of the faith of our State as many appearantly is, for we are heartoly willing to sell our property for said money, as well now, as when George the third was our head, for we believe, when said money is calld in by Taxation, that our Legislature has wisdom enough to lay it out on purchasing Tobacco Etc., to help to Rase a fund, and admitting some persons should say this cannot be done we are very clear that there can be as good a fund Rased to redeem this said money, as was done to redeem our Militia Certificates Etc.
and now, if this Honourable House will not grant this our request, we still will pray farther, for our property to be received in payment of our debts, at the valuation of two or three good men, and we wish to leave it to your wisdom to point out what kind of property shall be received in payments of our debts, and if something similar to our requests is done what heart can stand by and see his property that he hath laboured hard for, sell for one fourth of its value and in a few years perhaps not for over one tenth of it value, then power will naturally follow property, then God help the poor — Therefore by these hints you may know what our prayers and wish is — and now we wish that good Spirit above may inspire your breasts so that you may never consent to the Instaulment Act, for it alarms your petitioners when they consider that the Merchant is the channel by which the money must come through to the planter, then will they not consult together, And fix the price on our Commodity as they see fit, and will they not keep back more than six per cent upon all their debts due to them that they do not receive in the first years payment Etc. Etc.
Alass will Instaulment put a stop to that eating Canker of six per cent Interest Warrants, and also the old British Debts must be paid under the same Act which will make the old proverb true — a new Broom sweeps clean, then that saying will soon come to pass They have taken Virginia without the fere of a gun, and now we conclude wishing that God May direct you for to act and do whatsoever may attend for the good of the Commonwealth of Virginia in general, Amen —
Then thy Humbel Petitioners shall ever Pray —
Hugh R. Morris
William Grayson
John Mills
Grabriel Mullens
John Maupin
Gabril Maupen
Thos. Reed
Bartolomeh Kindred
Jno. Brit
Joel Wheeler
John Sproul
Jesey Gooch
James Briget
Micajah Wheeler, Jr.
Bartlet Ellis
Maxley Ewell
Jno. Mopin, sen.
James Harris
Peter Shaver
John Jones
David Gentry
Wm. Macon, Sen.
Wm. Woods
James Kingsolving
William Thompson, Tax Payer
Joseph Mansfield
John Martin
John Hall
Zackarius Maupin
John Day
Robert Layne
Banj. Dedwheeler
Daniel Maupin, Jr.
James Reynolds
Thomas Harlow
Claudius Buster, Jr.
William Fickenson
David Sowers
David Burges
John Burnett
Daniel Mc. Evay
Peter Belew
George Procter
James Hayes
Isom Randolph
Ephraim Musack
David Buster
Edward Broaddus
John Spencer, Jr.
Nathl. Dedman, T. P.
Jesse Compton
Robert Field
James Reid
Wm. Wood, Jr.
Benjamin Taylor
Wm. Langford
Daniel Cain
John Randolph
William Bailey
Charles Minx
Henry Wood
Talton Woodson
Jeremiah Cleveland
John Williams
George Norvell
John Baly, Sr.
Samuel Burch
John Alexander
Wilson Roberts
William Shelton, Sr.
Anthony Granning
John Eades
Joseph Sutherland, Sr.
John Allen, Tax P.
Joseph Burch
Moses Gentry
Nelson Thomas
William Ramsay
Robt. Sharp, Jr.
John Buster, Sr.
John Allphin
John Queritt
James Siddearth, Sr.
James Suddearth, Jr.
Samuel Dedman
Josiah Wallece
John Harris
Solomen Dolen
John Stockton
William Davis
William Gooch
Alexander Wetnell
James Brooks
Joseph Nott
John Brown
Evan Watson
Joshua Grady
Obediah Britt
Benjemine Thacker
Nathanuel Thacker
West Lanford
Claudius Buster
Barnett Carter
Micajah Wheeler
Daniel Maupin
Robert Langford
William Sudderd
Chas. Yancey
David Humphrey
Nathan Harlow
Richard Sanford
John Fergusson
Augustine Shepperd
Philip Gooch
James Kerr
John GILLOM
William Wood
Samuel Parr
Samuel Black
John Burnley
Cornelyus Moping
Petter Rosell
John Taylor
Wm. Coles, Sen.
Edward Butler
Michail Smith
Chas. Hudson
Wm. Kenney
John Palhoof (?)
Samuel Mun
Micajah Via
Martin Gentry
John Matthews
James Wood
Daniel Maupin
Mourning Roberts, T. P.
William Humphreys T. P.
Joseph Roberts T. P.
John Bent
George Conner
John GILLUM, Senr.
John GILLUM, Jun.
William Berry
Thos. Harlow
Philemon Snell
Samuel Brookman
Oliver Cleveland
James Noland
Andrew Pray
Mathey Mopin
Robert Yancey
David Mc. Caully
William Sudderd
Joseph Claiborne
John Sowell
Thos. Cobbs
James Mayo. T. P.
John Brian
William Johnson
William Clarke, T. P
Robert Martin
John Spencer
Thomas Mopin
John Given
Boling Burnett
Jo. Upton
Wm. Mc. Gee
Benj. Lacy
Benj. Gentry
John Woods
Hugh Mc. William
Francis Craven
Horsley Goodman
Endorsement — Albemarle Petition for an Emmision of Paper Money 3rd of Nov., 1787, Petition A174, Nov. 3, 1787.
Sources:
- William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Second Series, Vol. 2, No. 3, July 1922, pp. 213-216, Albemarle County Historical Society, Charlottesville, VA.