Harden, Maria

To his Excellency General the
Right Honble Lord C. H. Somerset
Governor & Commander in Chief
&c. _ &c. _ &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 Mr. Bailies
party, that your Petitioner is left
with a family of four Children
in very great Distress & in want of
every necessary. from the long protracted
illness 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 passage back to
England _
And your Petitioner as in duty bound
will ever pray _
Grahams Town 30 Sept. 1823_
Maria Harden
her xmark