Petition to the Tennessee State Legislature on Behalf of Martha Childress, 1827

Compiled by Paul W. Lemasters
"Legislative Petitions," Roll 10, Petition No. 189-1827-1, 2, 3.

To the Generally Assembly of the State of Tennessee now in Session at Nashville.

The petition of your petitioners Humbly prayeth that your honourable body would give to the Widow Martha CHILDRESS and her children they being the Widow and Orphans of Thomas C. CHILDRESS lately deceased of the County of Roane and State of Tennessee the quarter Section of land which they are now in possession of and living on it being the South West quarter of Section 15th in fractional township No. 1 range 2 East in the High Wassee district and in the County of Roane an State of Tennessee the reason that your petitioners makes this request of your Honourable body is that Mrs. CHILDRESS is a fine industrious woman and being left in a manner desolate of friends &c. with a large family of small children to raise and Mr. CHILDRESS in his life time have purchased the above lot of land at a second sale gave nearly every thing he could conveniently spare for it and being taken away from his family has left them to the mercy of the world to shift for themselves we do think it a deed of Charity for your Honourable body to make the Widow and orphans of the said Thomas C. CHILDRESS a present of the balance which is due to the state the land was sold at Two dollars per acre Eight dollars of which has been paid to the treasurer of East Tennessee we consider that it would iad the Widow in raising of her children on said place which would be a very considerable advantage to the state Mr. CHILDRESS served a Campaign in the Creek War and was a very Good soldier in doing of his duty so far as we have understood the only horse that the family had laid down and died this summer in the Hight of Crop time; your Honourable body your petitioners thinks Will be doing of a Considerable deed of Charity in complying with your petitioners Request and so doing your petitioners will be forever bound to pray &c. Given under our hands this 9th day of September 1827 Roane County East Tennessee.