- Transcription
James Rawlins of Martin County Fleeing from thence to Mattimaskett being there Apprehended on A Report that he had a hand in A Conspiracy Carried on Against the State of North Carolina
Deposeth And Saith—
That About the Time of Laying the Constitutions of Government as Well as he Can Remember A General Muster Was held at [illegible] the Court house of Sd Martin County ^on or about the 28th Day of March last past^ when John Lewelling & John Carter Both of that County Going home in Company With the Sd Rawlins: told him, one or Both, that the Country Was Like to become Subject to popery for Which Reason Lewelling Sd there Ware a Necessity of Indeavouring to Seek Relief And had thought on Means proper. And hop'd for A Blessing on the Indeavour. He the Sd Lewelling, Said there Must be And Instrument of Writing Drawn to Which people Migh Agree Under oath And Related something of the form. And Some few Days after the sd John Lewelling And his son William Came to the house of Sd Rawlins and further Declard the form the Sd Lewell Jno. Lewelling Further Declared the form Which Containd Much Writing. And also the form of an oath of Compliance all of Which John Lewelling Sd to the Sd Deponant if he Would Take the Trouble to Write Down he Should be Well Satisfyd for ^but Sd Rawlins Refusd. but Agreed in hopes of a Reward to assist him^ And that than his Son Should Coppy from the Same Which he also Did as he the Sd Wm. Lewelling Told De ^Sd^ that he had Wrote Some for Martin Edgecomb Halifax And think he Sd for bartee And Teril. He also heard James Sherod Say he had Wrote Some And Likewise John Lewelling—
Now after Many had Come into this Sosiety as it was Termd. they Became known to Each other by Word And Sign And Some time after John Lewelling told the sd Deponant that if they Could Destroy Whitmel Hill Colonel Williams Thos. Hunter Nathan Mayo Coloneil Salter ^and one Talor^ That than the Country Would Soon be Settled In Behalf of the King this Being proposd By John Lewelling Seemd. to be approvd off by Several others But Not Yet put in practice as The Dept. Knows off
After this John Lewelling Told the Deponant it Would be a Good Scheme to Git some Body to Diseffect the Negroes And thought David Taylor Would Do it and Give out an oration of their Rising Would Draw the Soldiers out of halifax Whilst he And Company Could Seize the Governor And Magazene ^at this Time the Govournor Was Expected at halifax^ but hearding the Governor Was Not to Come at the apointed time it Was Dropt for that time but that Scheeme Became Not public to Many the Dept. believes for When he objetted against it John Lewelling Said if he Divulgd. Any thing [Death] Was [the] portion to him or Any one Else Another Scheeme Was to Go to General Howe. John Lewelling With the Deponant agreed if he Would Go With him to Do for him What Ever he Could to advance him as also the Deponent Expected to see his father And friends but Going as far as Scotland Neck Retreated Back and in a few Days something of the Matter Became Discovered ^though William Mayo had Sworn Something of the Matter before but all Seemd. Quiet at the Time^ When John Lewelling perswaded the Deponant to flee And Not to be taken by Any means accordingly he fleed from home the 5th Day of July
It is Certain None of these Vile proceedings Were Inserted in their Writings But Very Repugnant to them Some of the Express Words in their Writings Were these to Govern their Lives And actions By the Just Laws of Morality And by the scriptures of old And New Testament to Which they Were sworn Which Causd Many to be Cold in the proceedings of Cruelty I believe altho first proposd. By John Lewelling
James Rawlins
Sworn to before me
this 10th. Augt. 1777
