21st October 1791
Rep. to Cts. Of Justice.
To the Honorable the General Assembly of Virginia-
The humble petition of Hannah Griffith, widow and administratrix of the Reverend David Griffith deceased, on behalf of herself and Children, Humbly Sheweth—
That the said David Griffith in his lifetime being possessed of Sundry Tracts of Land in the District of Kentucky and also of Several Lots in the Town of Alexandria, and being Indebted to the Executors of Mrs. Ann Colville in or about the sum of six hundred pounds Virg.ª curry [currency], and also to Mr. Thomas Lewis in or about the sum of Eight hundred & forty pounds for several Bonds given by him to Mr. Baldwin Dade and Assigned by him to the said Thomas Lewis to secure the payment of said Debts, Mortgaged his Lotts in the Town of Alexandria to the Executors of the said Ann Colville, and also to [this?] said Baldwin Dade, which said Last mentioned Mortgage is Assigned to the said Thomas Lewis—
That the said David Griffith conceiving that it would be more for The Interest of his Family to dispose of as much of his Kentucky Lands as would be sufficient to discharge said Debts. Rather than suffer the Mortgage on his Town property to be Foreclosed, or property sold—On the Eighteenth day of June one Thousand seven hundred and Eighty Nine made and Executed a Power of Attorney to Christopher Greeneup Esq., Authorizing and Impowering him to sell and dispose of his Kentucky Lands under The Limitations and Restrictions contained in a letter of Instructions, which at the same time be wrote to the said Christopher Greenup, and which Power of Attorney and letter of Instructions are hereunto Annexed, and to which your petitioner refers, but unfortunately for Your Petitioner and his Children, he soon after departed this Life before the Power of Attorney or letter of Instructions were received by Mr. Greenup—Your petitioner further sheweth that the personal property of the said David Griffith was not only insufficient to discharge the above mentioned Debts, but will not enable her to pay the money due for Locating, surveying and patenting his Kentucky Lands—That your petitioner conceives it will be much more advantageous to herself and children to retain the Lotts in Town, from which they can receive some immediate support and which will probably greatly increase in Value, than to keep the Kentucky Lands—And knowing it to be the wish and Intention of the deceased Husband to sell his Kentucky Lands for the Redemption of the Mortgages, given on the Alexandria property Humbly prays the Honorable Assembly to pass an Act Impowering Her or such person as she shall authorize and Impower to sell an convey so much of the said David Griffith’s Lands in the District of Kentucky as will be sufficient to discharge the before mentioned Debts, and the Expenses incurred or which may accrue for locating, surveying and patenting said Lands, and your petitioner as in duty Bound will Ever pray—
Hannah Griffith