Sir,
Ebenezer S. Greely an American
came to Madawaska and proceeded in taking the Census of the people
of Madawaska, as you will see by the commitment, we called upon
him and requested him not to proceed any further otherwise we
would be under the necessity of arresting him, he replied I shall
not stop but will go straight ahead, and his orders were such
as to go on until he was arrested. We therefore committed him
to Gaol, you will be pleased to examine Daniel Michaud as he is
a Chief Witness, being his hired man, and Interpetin, and report
to Head Quarters forthwith.
We write this in heast therefore wish you to do the needful and
We remain Sir your truly S.G
(sd) Francis Rice
(sd) L.R. Coombs, J. Peace
[Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, RS344C, 1837a2]
29 May 1837
Carleton fs.: Francis Rice and
L.R. Coombes Esquires two of the Justices of our Lord the King
assigned to keep the peace in the said county, and also to hear
and determine divers felonies, trespasses and other misdemeanors
in the said County committed
To the Keeper of the Gaol of our said Lord the King at Woodstock
in the said County, or to his deputy there, and to each of them
Greeting. Whereas Ebenezer S. Greely of the town of Dover in the
County of Penobscot and state of Maine one of the United States
of America was arrested by one of the constables of the Parish
of Madawaska in the said County of Carleton on the oaths of Daniel
Michaud and others who sayeth, that the above Ebenezer S. Greely
is now in the act of taking the census of the Inhabitants of the
Parish County and Province aforesaid, and at the same time proposing
to the people of said Parish that by complying to his request
they would be paid a sum of money out of the surplus of the Revenue
of the United States of America, and that the People of this parish
of Madawaska are citizens of the State of Maine and fully entitled
to a full proportion of the said money, and also troubling the
peace of the Subjects of the our said Lord the King his Crown
and dignity, Therefore on the behalf of our said Lord the King
we command you and each of you that you or one of you receive
the said Ebenezar S. Greely into your Custody in the said Gaol,
there to remain till he be delivered from your custody according
to Law. Given under our hands and Seals at Madawaska in the said
County, the twenty ninth day of May in the seventh year of the
Reign of our said Lord William the Fourth and in the year 1837
(sd) Francis Rice, J.Peace
(sd) L.R. Coombes, J.Peace
[Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, RS344C,
1837a1]
Sir,
In the absence of the Attorney General his official duties having devolved upon me, communications made to him have been handed over to me relative to the conduct of some Americans who have been taking a census of the people of Madawaska and endeavouring to persuade them that they are Citiznes of the State of Maine, and entitled to the surplus of the Revenue of the United States of America. Having submitted to His Excellence the Lieutenant Governor the statement made on this subject I am ordered by him to desire you to cause prompt measures to be taken to put an immediate stop to the conduct of these persons, and to prevent them from doing any act which may tend to infringe on the Jurisdiction of His Majesty's Government in that part of the Province, and also to desire that you will forthwith fully report thereon to His Excellency.
I have the honor to be Sir Your
Obed't Humble Sevt.
John S. Saunders, Advocate general
To James A. McLauchlan Esq.
[PANB., RS344C, 1837a4]
To James A. Machlauchlan Esquire, Warden of the Disputed Territory now in the possession of and under the Government of the British Local authorities of this Province of New Brunswick.
J Harvey, Lt. Governor
Whereas it has been sufficiently made to appear to me that one Ebenezer S. Greely a Foreigner and Citizen of the United States acting under the authority and direction of the Government of the State of Maine one of the Subordinate States of the United States of America has been apprehended and taken into custody by the Magistrate of the Parish of Madawaska in the County of Carleton in this Province for attempting to take a Census of the Inhabitants of that Parish under the Pretence that they are Citizens of and belong to the said State of Maine, and that the Territory on which they live is part of the said State of Maine and subject to that Government. And Whereas the Offence for which the said Ebenezer S. Greely has been so apprehended is an act of a Foreign Power against the Jurisdiction of the British Government over a part of her Colonial Territory, I hereby Command You to take the said Ebenezer S. Greely into your custody, and to bring him to Fredericton and there deliver him into the charge and custody of the Sheriff of the County of York, as keeper of the County Gaol at Fredericton, and I further command the said Sheriff of the County of York to receive the said Ebenezer S. Greely into his custody, and him safely and securely to keep until my further order or the further order of the Lieutenant Governor or Commander in Chief of the Province for the time being shall be given according to Her Majesty's pleasure thereon. And I further command that any Sheriff, Constable or other Officer, into whose hands or custody the said Ebenezer S. Greely has been delivered, and committed by any of the Magistrates of the said Parish of Madawaska do forthwith upon sight here of deliver the said Ebenezer S. Greely our into your charge of which all Magistrates Sheriff's Officers and other persons and Subjects of Her Majesty in this Province are to take due notice and to ... aiding and assisting you so far as you may require the same in the due execution of this my Warrant given under my Hand and Seal at Government House Fredericton in the Province of New Brunswick this Sixth day of September in the first year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria and in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven.
By His Excellency's Command
Wm. T. Odell
[PANB, RS344C, 1837a10]
Special thanks to the staff of the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick for alerting me to existence of these documents.
Return to Information about the 1837 Maine Census of Madawaska
Last revised 27 Sep 2001
©2003 C.Gagnon