Letter of petition signed by Henry Joseph "Joseph" Voisin [I02043] and others. Several residents of Willoughby Township inform the government of what they feel is the misuse of land leased by Gilbert McMicking.

Transcription:

To His Excellency the Right Honorable Sir Charles Bagot GCB etc etc

We the undersigned deemed it a duty we owe to the Government under which we reside, to make known that they have understood, that Gilbert McMicking Esq of Chippawa has obtained a lease or license of occupation for Five Hundred acres of Glebe the lands in the township of Willoughby in the District of Niagara, being lots number Seven Eight Nine Ten and Eleven in the fourth concession.

That the undersigned have been further informed were so leased under certain restrictions for improving the roads alongside the same, and to clear and direct buildings thereon, in order to render them valuable at some future period, should the Government hereafter dispose of them

The undersigned beg leave to represent that in place of their being improved and rendered more valuable, they are becoming less so, and are not now of one half the value they were previous to their being leased, in as much as all the valuable timber, such as Oak and Pine, has been cut and sold by the occupant to the amount of at least seven hundred and fifty Pounds [£750], thereby depreciating the value of said lands in a very serious degree

The undersigned, many of them who are residing in the vicinity of said lands, have conceived it necessary to inform the Government of the facts as herein set forth - That such steps might be taken as would appear under such circumstances to prevent a total depreciation of their value and in setting forth what they have done, they humbly conceived they have done nothing more than their duty -

The undersigned further humbly and respectfully submit, and solicit the attention of Government, to the immediate disposal of those lands situated as they are almost in the very center of the Township they tend in a serious degree to retard the improvement of the same, and the sooner they are brought into market, the more they would fetch, before they are entirely stripped of all valuable timber - and in so doing it would prevent much ill feeling and contention now arising in consequence of their being situated as they are, all of which is most respectfully submitted

Dated at Willoughby this second day of May 1842

Peter Sayler
John Danner
William Hatharvay
Goforn Tunnilr
John Rawlings
John Dobbie
Nicholas Willig [now Willick]
Johannes Willig [now Willick]
Michael Tinlunlus
V o Ibchliney
Joseph Voisin
Tugolinousi Nbugous
Jacob Gerver
Joseph Willick
Johannes ClunIn
Meichel Müller
Gibald Böse
Yovoy Slmÿlu
Ragolud Phittefrloce
[Note: Norm Findlay states that Nicholas Willig, Johannes Willig and Joseph Willick are brothers.]

[114b] The Crown Lands department
Kingston 14 July 1842
Sir
I herewith transmit for the consideration of His Excellency in Council the memorial of Peter Saylor and others in reference to the Glebe lands in Willoughby, I have referred it to Mr. Baines who gives all the information he can on the subject, and I have now the honor to refer the honorable executive council to the order-in-council of the 24th of April under which the licence of occupation was granted
John Davidson

Willoughby Township, Welland, Ontario, Canada

Source: Library and Archives Canada, "Archived Microform Digitization," database, Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca: Downloaded 19 October 2018), Upper Canada Land Petitions (1763-1865); Mikan 205131; Microform c-2822; Images 471-475 of 1247; Page/item 114; Peter Saylor, et. al. to Sir Charles Bagot; May 2, 1842; http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.02-e.php?q2=29&q3=2626&sqn=471&tt=1247.

Randy Saylor, Randy Saylor: Family & Bay of Quinte Records (http://randysaylor.ca/index.html : Viewed 19 October 2018), Peter Saylor (1794 - 1862) and Elizabeth Lapp (1798-1874); transcription of letter of petition signed by Joseph Voisin, et. al.