Harden, Maria

To his Excellency General the /
Right Honble Lord C. H. Somerset /
Governor 7+ Commander in Chief /
7+c. _ 7+c. _ 7+c. _ /
The Petition of Maria Harden /
Humbly Sheweth /
That your Petitioner is the widow /
of William Harden lately deceased /
who came out a Settler in M\r./ Bailies /
party, that your Petitioner is left /
with a family of four Children /
in very great Distres+s 7+ in want of /
every neces+sary. from the long protracted /
illnes+s of /her\ late husband and also of one /
of her Children who is likewise dead. /
all her means of Subsistence in this /
Country away from all her relatives /
being exhausted your Petitioners is /
extremely anxious to return to her /
native Country where She might be /
enabled to obtain a maintenance from /
her friends, and humbly begs that /
your Excellency may be pleased to /
grant her a free pas+sage back to /
England _ /
And your Petitioner as in duty bound /
will ever pray _ /
Graham’s Town 30\th/ Sept. 1823_ /
Maria x \her/ Harden /
mark /