Thomas Bates Memorial Letter to Gov. Macquarie.

This memorial letter may have been written in Thomas Bates' own handwriting, but also could have been written by the Justice of the Peace who signed it.

Transcript:
To His Excellency, Lachlan Macquarie Esquire, [illeg] General Governor and Commander in Chief  [illeg].
The respectful memorial of Thomas Bates.
Stateth
That memorialist came to his Colony by the Ship Hillsborough has been the District Constable of Sydney Road for Twenty Years has a wife and five children and  resides on the Sydney road.  Supporting an honest, industrious Character.
That memorialist received from the Late Governor King a grant of Fifty Acres of Land on which he now resides following agricultural pursuits and supporting an honest, industrious Character.
That memorialist trusts your Excellency will take the above into your favourable Consideration and extend to him such [illeg] Grant of Land as to your Excellency's Wisdom and Goodings shall seem met and for such make as favour.
Memorialist as in Duty bound will Pray
[signed)
J. Harris J.P.
New South Wales
[illeg]
Parramatta George Middleton, Officiating Chaplain.
[there is a word written along the left side that is illegible]

Letter from Thomas Bates found in Colonial Secretary Papers of 1st June, 1820

Memorials are similar to the Statutory Declarations we use today, and were often concerning the ownership of land.  In this case, Thomas is asking for more land.

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