The humble Petition of Thomas Walpole, Richard Walpole, Richard Jackson, Sir George Colebrooke, Thomas Pownall, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Pitt, Lauchlin Macleane, Moses Franks, Jacob Franks, Henry Dagge, Aaron Franks, Napthali Franks, Anthony Todd, John Foxcroft, James Dagge, John Dagge, and Robert Trevor, on behalf of themselves and others their Associates. Sheweth

That there is a large and extensive Tract of Land situate at the back of the British Settlements in Virginia in North America which the Sachems and Chiefs of the six Confederate Nations and of the Shawenesse Delawares Mingoes, of Ohio and other dependent Tribes have by Deed of Conveyance bearing date the 4th day of November 1768, granted bargained Sold released and confirmed to Your Majesty which said Tract of Land is at present vacant and unsettled by any of Your Majestys Subjects.

That your Petitioners are desirous to become Purchasers from Your Majesty of Two Million four hundred thousand acres part of the said Tract and will be ready to pay for the same such price and to be subject to such Quit Rents as shall be thought reasonable so soon as the same shall be Surveyed and the boundary Line of the said Tract shall be finally settled between Your Majesty and the said six Nations.

That Your petitioners humbly propose that a Grant of the said Two Million Four hundred thousand Acres of Land under the Great Seal of Great Britain shall be made to Your petitioners and their Heirs and Assigns and that in such Grant shall be particularly specified the several and respective Boundaries and Limits within which the Lands thereby granted shall be located or set out so as to render the Description thereof fixed and certain.

That your petitioners are the first Adventurers who have proposed to purchase from Your Majesty Lands on the Continent of America and to make a Settlement there which it is apprehended will be of great Emolument to Government in point of Revenue and to Great Britain in point of Commerce as being a Frontier towards the Indians with whom Your petitioners promise themselves they shall be able to Cultivate and Secure in the most effectual manner a continuance of Peace and Harmony and by a more advanced situation be enabled to extend the Indian Trade to more numerous and remote Nations and they therefore humbly hope that this their undertaking will meet with Your Majesty’s Royal Encouragement by making the Grant of the said Lands free from the payment of Quit Rents to be reserved thereon for the space of Twenty Years from the date of the Grant.

Your Petitioners therefore most humbly Pray that You would be pleased to take the promises into Your Royal Consideration and to Grant unto them such Lands as aforesaid in such manner and upon such Terms as are hereinbefore proposed.