Humbly Sheweth

That Your Petitioner is an American Born and Resided in the Town of Wrentham in the County of Suffolk and then Province of the Massachusitts Bay untill the Rebellion began at Boston in the Month of December 1774

Collected 25 Loyal Men in Arms in order to opose a Rebel Mob then Asembling to Destress the Loyalists in said Town but being overpowered ware made Prisoners by the Rebel Mob and Suffering many Cruel Insults and Signing there Forced Acknowledgements was Set at libberty for that time —

again aboute 14 Days afterward your Petitioner was made Prisoner by the Rebels and narrowly Escaped with his life —

again aboute the 22nd of April 1775 was made Prisoner by the Rebels and Closely confined at a Committee Mans House but finding means your Petitioner made his Escape and Fled for Refuge and Protection to the Royal Army then at Boston as early as the 6th of June 1775 and ever after Remained within the British lines and Service

and when at Staten Island Obtained a Warrant of Lt. Collo. ROGERS Commandant of the Queens American Rangers Dated the 14th of August 1776 to Raise a Company which Your Petitioner did Efect and Joyned the Said Regiment on Long Island and the Day the Battle was Fought on Sd. Long Island

while Your Petitioner was on His Majestys Service was Robbed of all his Bagage and Cloathing to the value of 20 pounds Sterling and in Bonds and Notes of Hand to the amount of £ 230 pounds Sterling.

From Long Island your Petitioner landed with the said Regiment at Frogs Neck and remained and Did Duty in Said Regiment during the whole time that Sd. Lt. Collo. ROGERS Commanded it which was untill the 18th of March 1777 when it pleased the Commander in Chief to Discharge all who Commanded Companies but Two in the Sd. Regiment which disappointment Caused your Petitioner to Memorial General HOW to be continued to Command his Company in Sd. Regiment

and your Petitioner Received for answer by the Inspector General Collo. INNIS that it was the Commander in Chiefs directions to Him to announce His Excelencys thanks to your Petitioner for his Past Services as a good Officer in the Sd. Queens Rangers and that your Petitioner Should be Provided for in Some other New Coar in Consequence of which your Petitioner ever held himself in readiness but never have been Provided for to this Day but remains destitute of any Pay from Goverment —

the pay that your Petitioner has received was from the 14th of August 1776 untill the 18th of March 1777 and no longer as a Coppy of Collo. INNIS’s order will Shew and Captain FOWLERs Certifycate will Shew concerning the approbation of the Commander in Chief, in Regard to your Petitioners Services being Approved of

and as your Petitioner is Conscious that he has ever Exerted himself to the utmost of his Power not only in the late Rebellion but in Two Wars before the late Rebellion and in 1761 was a Lieutenant in a Provincial Regiment as a Coppy of his Commission will Shew and now on the decline of life by reason of age and a Family to maintain in this new Country and nothing to begin with.

Therefore your Petitioner Prays that his Case may be taken into Your Consideration in order that your Petitioner may be enabled under your Report to Receive Such Aid and Relief as his Losses and Services may be found to Deserve. And your Petitioner as in humble Duty bound will ever Pray &c.

Robt. COOK

City St. John New Brunswick
March 17th 1786

Great Britain, Public Record Office, Audit Office, Class 13, Volume 21, folios 120-121.

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