The Petition of Antonio Muray (a free Negro) humbly Sheweth.

That in the year one thousand seven hundred and sixty nine your unhappy Petitioner, left a Wife & Children in the Havanah; Shiped himself on Board a Vessel Bound to Jamaica and arrived at Jamaica & from thence to Carthagene, and back to Jamaica, and that he had lent one of the Sailors (John Taylor by Name,) a Pistole while at Carthagene and on their return to Jamaica a Dispute happend between your Petitioner and the said John Taylor, who refused to repay it, upon which the said John Taylor struck your Petitioner and he returned blows, and your Petitioner being a Black man was taken up at the Instance or Complaint of the said John Taylor and never had committed to Goal, for which Assault ^He^ was not prosecuted, and after being Detained sometime ^three months^ in the said Goal untill as I understood five or six pounds was due for the Fees of the Goal, when a Certain Timothy ^Clear^ and Capt. Roberts came to the Goal & talked about purchasing some Negros that were in the Goal & at last agreed with the Goaler to pay the Goal fees & take Out your Petitioner & another free Negro which was in the same Goal Mr. Clear pd. the fees for me, & Capt. Roberts paid for the Other, but before we left the Goal an Indenture was made for six ^or seven^ years so the said Clear who promised to set me at Liberty as soon as I had earned the ^value of the^ money which he paid, and that notwithstanding the fair promises of the said Timothy Clear, (that he ^wou'd^ use me kindly & not detain me any Longer then sufficient to reimburse him for about the sum of six pounds which was all he paid for me,) he hath treated me Cruelly, by umercifull whipings frequently for six years, and not being satisfied with my labour as a Slave dureing the said Term, sold me again of to my present Master Thomas Parsons, who treats me Very Ill, your Poor Petitioner Humbly prays that your worships will take my unhappy Case into serious Consideration, and do what Justice and Humanity requires to be done in the premises—