22 October 1776To the Honorable, the President and Delegates of the Convention of the Common Wealth of Virginia
The Petition of the German Congregation of the County of Culpepper Showeth
Our Fathers lived under an arbitrary Prince in Germany and were invited by the Honorable William Penn to settle in his Province. By the faith they had in the Charter and by the word of the Germans that lived there, we could enjoy freedom in the exercise of Religion, supporting only our own Church and the Poor. Our Fathers ventured their lives and fortunes to come into a Land of Liberty to enjoy the Sweets of Freedom which God created for all Men. They journeyed from Germany to London and there agreed with a Captain to land them in Pennsylvania. The Captain proved false and landed them against their will and agreement in Virginia where he sold them for Servants.
Soon they gathered to the Place where we now live and they concluded to erect a Church and a School House. They were granted a License to collect money, build a church, call a minister, worship God in a congregation, and practice their religion as they were taught by their parents in Europe.
In our poverty we are obliged to pay Parochial Charges as well as support our own Church which leaves many of us distressed. Now, with our fellow citizens, we are obliged to bleed for Freedom and contribute to the expense of the War. We are not breaking from the established Church as do the common Dissenters.
We humbly pray that we may be exempted from further payment of the Parochial Charges except to support our own Church and Poor:
Adam Gaar, Adam Wayland, John Yager, Andrew Carpenter, John Weaver, Nicholas Crigler, Christopher Blankenbaker, Conrad Delph, George Cook, Valentine Bunger, Mathias House, Michael Fleshman, Michael Utz, John Gaar, Zacharias Blankenbaker, Bernard Fisher, Rudolph Urbach, Michael Smith, Mathias Rouse, Adam Cook, Nicholas Broyles, Adam Moyer, Samuel Rouse, Michael Yager, Zachariah Broyles, Michael Lederer, Nicholas Smith, Phillip Snyder, Eberhard Reiner, Frederick Tanner, John Winegard, Mark Fink, Jacob Broyle, John Wayland, Jr., Jacob Broyles, Adam Barlow, William Carpenter, Michael Utz, Jr., Adam Bender, John Fink.
Martin Rouse, Henry Crisler, Paul Lederer, John Smith, John Zimmerman, Nicholas Yager, Christian Reiner, George Utz, Jr., Jacob Hendrickson, Mathias Weaver, Henry Aylor, George Crisler, Daniel Dosser, Stephan Fisher, Jacob Blankenbaker.
Nicholas Wilheit, John Carpenter, John Fleshman, Frederick Lipp, John Broyles, Robert Fleshman, Philip Chelf, George Utz, Christopher Crigler, Adam Broyles, Christopher Zimmerman, Zacharias Smith, Christopher Moyer, Jr., John Yager, Jr., John Zimmerman, Adam Yager, Sr., John Carpenter, Sr., Joseph Rouse, Benjamin Gaar, Jurt Tanner, Joseph Holtzclaw, John Wilhoit, John Backer, John Dear, Sr., Henry Miller.
Conrad Kenszle, Michael Gaar, Andrew Gaar, Peter Clore, Michael Utz, Daniel Delph, Christopher Tanner, Michael Swindle, Ziriakus Broyles, George Rieser, Peter Weaver, Adam Crigler, Henry Aylor, Adam Utz, Michael Clore, Michael Snider, John Clore, Jr., Adam Clore, Peter Broyles, Rudolph Crecelius, John Frey, Martin Deer, Michael Zimmerman, George Lehman, John Clore, Christopher Barlow, John Smith, Michael Carpenter, Daniel Beemon, John Swindle, Christopher Moyer, George Wilheit, Nicholas Lederer, Nicholas Smith, Jr., Michael Cook, Lewis Nunnamaker, Michael Blankenbaker, and Benjamin Gaar.
[In preparing this, some editing was done to conform more closely to modern usage. The text of the petition was simplified. Names were spelled with a common usage.]
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.