Marion County, South Carolina 1794 Petition

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This 1794 Petition is a wonderful and interesting document in so many ways, and I heartily thank Jo Church Dickerson for contributing it to Marion County SCGenWeb. If your ancestor's name appears on the document, you are indeed fortunate. In addition to providing proof that your ancestor was in the area at a specific time, the image files which accompany the document will provide you with a sample of your ancestor's signature!
Please note that I have created links to an image file for each page. If you would like a virtual photocopy of the original document to save for your personal files, simply click on the link, and when the image has fully loaded, use your browser to print the "virtual" page. Each image will print on an 8-1/2 by 11 sheet of paper.
Enjoy!
-Victoria Proctor, 9 January 2001.

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1794 Petition from Liberty (later Marion) County


I transcribed the following petition from a photocopy of the original 
document, sent to me by the SC Deptartment of Archives and History. The copy 
is clear, however many of the signatures are difficult to read. In a document 
written in one hand, undecipherable letters can be compared with other known 
letters, and often become clear that way. Since the original signatures are 
shown on this petition, each in a different hand, there is no other writing 
in that hand to compare with the unknown letters. I have shown names that are 
undecipherable by me in parentheses with a question mark, sometimes showing 
other possible interpretations of the name.


As to the petition itself, I have no information regarding this issue. It 
would appear to have been somewhat nationwide in scope, given the mention of 
Philadelphia. Perhaps someone else can shed some light on the issue of 
Medical By-laws and the concern some of our ancestors had about them, as 
shown in the petition.


Original spelling retained to the best of my ability.


Jo Church Dickerson



     PETITIONS


     Reproduced from a document in SC Dept of Archives & History
     1794 No. 17
     Inhabitants of Liberty Co.


     FOLD:
     1794
     30 April Petition against the Incorporating of the Medical (_?_)
     To be considered on the second reading of the Bill.


     1794-17-01
     To the Honourable the Speaker & House of Represintatives of the
     State of South Carolina met in General Assembly-


     The petition of the Subscribers Inhabitants of Liberty County in
     the sd. State Sheweth


     That the incorporation of particular Class or discription of our
     Fellow citizens only for the holding property for the benefit of
     Charitable Institutions, appears to your Petitioners to be contrary
     to principals of a Republican Government, such as we are happily in
     the Possession of, That when an exclusive Charter goes so far as to
     give an Authority to make Bye Laws whereby others may be affected,
     your petitioners concieve that an Exclusive priviledge of that
     nature must be unconstitutional, if calculated to deprive any
     Citizen whatever of his Liberty or property, which cannot be don
     but by the Law of the Land, which a Bye Law cannot be, The
     legislative Authority of this State having been deposited { without
     any Power as we concieve of subdeligating it with the General
     Assembly,  


     That your petitions have reason to apprehend that such
     authority to make Bye Laws may be productive of unjust Combinations
     by the infliction of Fines Forfeitures or penalties whenever any
     member of Such incorporated Socity should demand & receive less
     than what is therein stipulated however unjust or unreasonable,


     That your Petitioners have been given to understand that the
     practioners or Physic of this State intended to apply for such an
     exclusive Privilidge to this Honourable House which your
     petitioners beg may be seriously considered of before Granted, And
     the applycation 

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 (begin page 2)


     should be made and be found to be an infringment of
     the equal Rights and Priviledges of others, that is maybe totally
     disregarded Monopolies are Odious but if they wish for the items of
     their Medical Accouts to be santioned by Law, we apprehend that it
     cannot be otherwise done than by a Law that is made agreeable to
     constitutional principals ~  If they wish to prevent others from
     exercising the same profession if done independant of the Controle
     of such monopolisers we hope they will meet the disapp(ontmet?)
     such conduct appears to be deserving of as much unjustice wrong and
     injury might arise from it through prejudice Favouriteism or
     antipathy Whereby the Citizens of merit migt be shamefully
     oppressed by his (iferiors?) in Science, Knowledge, understanding
     experience and Probity.  The late dispute in Philadelphia
     Between those who are Esteem'd to be their most eminent Physicians
     as a striking instance of medical uncertainty, we therefore
     conclude that it should be unjust to put it in the Power of one
     part of a particular Trade calling or Proffession to oppress the
     other part of it for we look upon every such trade Calling or
     Proffession to which any Citizen has been b(ind?) to or is capable
     of Exercising to be Equal to any freehold Right whatever,


     William Davis
     John Ervin
     (Frans.?) Reaves
     Joshua Avant
     Jesse Wood
     Emm. Cox
     John Parmittar
     David Hamilton
     (Wm.?) Britton
     (Banter? or Baxter?)
     (Archd.?) Odom
     Phil. Bethea
     Hugh Giles
     Benj. Harralson
     Jno. McRee
     Exum (Cobb?)
     Leonard Dozer

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     Thos. Rogers
     John Rogers
     Thomas Crosley
     James Munnerlyn
     Wm. Rains
     Isaac M(cRee?)
     Samuel Pitman
     Richd. Hughson
     Thos. Seabrook
     Henry Davis
     Gospero Sweet
     Absalom Foxworth
     John Rice
     Robert Rozar
     John Foxworth
     Valentine Rowell Junr.
     Levy Odom
     Charles Moody
     Uriah Burkett
     Benjimin Munnerlyn
     Valentine Rowell Senr.
     Isom Coward
     Robt. Frazer
     Robt. Hodges
     Zachariah Godbolt
     (Saml.?) -Blount- Edwards (Blount struck through or smeared)
     Wm. Whitfield
     Elisha (Reaves? Owens? Oates?)
     Jacob Blackwell
     James Gregg
     Henry L. (McNeill? Mcall? Hill???)
     John Ford
     Shadrach Rogers
     Allen Leget
     Thomas Page
     Jesse Page
     Wilis (or Miles?) McDaniel
     (Sylas?) (Heart???)
     William (Shac---? or Frac---?)
     John Godbolt
     Loveless Gasque
     Francis Boatwright
     Joseph (Morris? Manness?)
     William Phillips
     Shadrach Rice
     Jesse Wiggans
     William Caps
     David Palmer
     John Lands Thomas
     Jacob Rowell
     Thomas Boatwright
     James Keen
     John (Guines? Ownes?)
     Thomas Hux
     Elishua Owens
     Lewis Boatwright
     Thomas Jenkins

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     D. Rowell
     David Murrie
     Reuben Heartsfield
     R. Godfrey
     William Lewis
     Wm. Bellune
     Right Wall
     David Davis
     Eligh Owens (very shakey hand)
     John Hux
     James Brown
     Abraham Dew
     William Baker
     Gavin Witherspoon

Image file of Page Four (22 KB)

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