The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

Extract of a Letter from a Gentleman in London to his Friend in this Town, dat. July 29, 1774.

Permit me to give you some little Account of the unlucky Treatment of the Bearer John Thompson, who I have taken the Liberty to return to his Wife and Children in your Ship St. Andrew, as I find he is a Native of your Province, and lives at Durham: Two or three Years ago. (he being a Seaman before the Mast, in a Ship that came to this Place) he was walking in the Street, two Men dressed like Sailors or Watermen met him, and having some Top-sail Duck that had been used, in a Bundle with them, they offered it to him for Sale: He accordingly bought it, and paid about 17 Shillings for it; and as he thought it might be worth 25 Shillings thought he had a good Bargain, and was repairing with it on board his Ship, when he was stopped by some People whose Vessel was robbed of this very Duck; and as he could give no Account of the People he had it of, & being a Stranger here, knowing Nobody, and of Course having no one to appeal to his Character, his merely alleging he bought it, appeared only an Excuse; and he was by Judge and Jury looked on as the Thief, and condemned to die for the Robbery; but happily, for him, then, pardoned by his Majesty's Chancery, on Condition of Transportation for seven Years; he was therefore sent to Virginia in a Transport Ship. and from thence found his Way Home; and as the Knowledge of the Disgrace he was under: (tho' he was conscious of his Innocence) might lessen him in the Esteem of his Family, and those that knew him, he kept it in an entire Secret, and meant no Doubt to do it till the Day of his Death; but unfortunately for him, he shipped himself on Board the Amherst, belonging to Mr. Hooper of Marblehead. bound to Bilboa and back to America; but the Ship having a Freight Offer to London, the Voyage was altered, and he, conscious of the Sentence against him, Endeavoured to leave the Ship, but not daring to make the Master privy to his Motives, it was construed to be the Effect of that restlessness so common to Sailors in general, he was obliged to perform the Voyage, where arriving in London, he was taken and brought back to his former Sentence ---By Chance Mr. Livius hearing of his Case in the public Papers. 'in which he was called a New England Man. he has made Enquiry into the Truth of the Matter. and finding as far as he was able, that the Man was no way deserving the Fate that threatened him, he interfered in his Behalf, and by Application to the Secretary of State, and the Recorder of London, obtained his PARDON, in which, and in fitting him with Necessaries, I contributed, apprehending & trusting, as I sincerely do, that he is deserving of it, I therefore desire.

that as it will be publicly known, that the Man has been under Sentence of Death-for a Robbery, it may be likewise known,

that the Reason of this Melancholy Sentence having been passed on him, and as the Sufferings he hath undergone tr.

of it, appears to me and several other Gentlemen, who have enquired into the Matter, to be more owing to the Poor Man's ha-

ving no Friend here, to speak a single Word for him, than to his being guilty of the Crime laid to his Charge; ---If he has al-

ways borne a good Character in his own Country, I hope that this Affair will not hurt him in the Opinion of those that have once thought well of him. The Poor Man is now under Affliction,

least he should loose the good Character he says he hath always maintained, and appeared to me at the Time of his deepest Affliction, to be more willing to suffer the Sentence of the Law,

than to have his Case made known amongst his Countrymen,

many of which you know come consigned to our House, rather choosing to loose his Life silently than entail a Disgrace on such Connections as he might leave behind him, and which he feared would ensue from an Enquiry into the Truth of his Story.

I therefore beg that If any Odium is flung on him on this Ac-

count, and you hear of it you will be so kind as to say, that a Be-

lief of his Innocence alone had raised him Friends in England and if there is no other Reason to believe him a bad Man than

the Charge brought against him here, that he deserves a much better Treatment than he has hitherto met with."