That your Memorialists, professing Themselves to bear true Allegiance to his Majesty King George the Third, having long labored under the most cruel persecution & tyranny of Congresses Committees & other usurped powers of Independence & Rebellion, and in order to avoid the certain Imprisonment of their Persons have been obliged to desert their Province Families & Estates & take refuge for security in this city under your Exys Protection, to the amount of One hundred & upwards.

That detesting and abhorring every Idea of Disaffection & Seperation from the Parent State & the rebellious opposition raised against the same, your Memorialists do in the most Express Terms declare their readiness to assist in Defending to the utmost of their power, at the risqué of their Lives & Estates, his Majesty’s most sacred Person & Government, and to Co-opporate in every means neccessary to suppress so daring & wanton a Rebellion.

That certain of being supported in any Exertion for this glorious purpose by many Hundreds of their Neighbours & Friends actuated by the same Loyal Principles as Themselves & now suffering every Degree of Oppression at Home, Your Memorialists humbly intreat that your Excelly will accept of their dignified offers & Services, And by putting Arms in their Hands, forming them into a Corps of Loyal Jersey Volunteers in the Militia Line together with some Active Officers able to conduct their Loyalty & attachment to Government and to protect themselves, Families & Estates from further oppression & Insult.

Ripe for Insurrection & Revolt your memts are confident that not less than two thirds of the Inhabitants of West Jersey not conscientiously scrupulous against bearing arms, will rise to assist in restoring Peace good order & Government whenever an opportunity presents, but as this can only be affected with (?) safety to themselves by a Detachment of his Majestys Troops covering their rendevous & Embodying in Arms;

They most anxiously intreat your Excy to afford them that Protection & Assylum which they only want at first to assemble & Embody in order to protect & Defend Themselves in future leaving it intirely to you Excellency’s wisdom & Judgement to regulate them when assembled, to appoint their officers & direct their Opperations-

Great Britain, Public Record Office, Audit Office, Class 13, Volume 109, folio 109.

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