To George Washington from Turpin Holroyd, 3 June 1789
From Turpin Holroyd
New York June 3d 1789
The Memorial of Turpin Holroyd of the City of New York mariner.
Humbly sheweth—
That your Memorialist understanding a new arrangement will shortly take place for the Customs of the United States is induced to this his humble request of solliciting a Birth as Tide waiter or any other Capacity your Excellency may deem Expedient.
Your Memorialist at the first Commencement of the late Revolution with Great Britain Embark’d in the maritime line the Major Part of which was in the Service of the United States and near the Conclusion in the Employ of the State of So. Carolina during which Period your Memorialist Encounter’d a multiplicity of Difficulties—arrising from the frequent times of his being Captured by the Enemy, which he can Certify by unquestionable Proof.
Your Memorialist with humble Submission to your Excellency trusts that the Prayer of his Memorial may be Consider’d and Plant him in such a Line, as may seem fit—which his Breast will ever retain with marks of Gratitude and the End or accomplishment of it will enable him to Procure a Subsistence for an Extensive family &ca.1 And your memorialist will Ever Pray
Turpin Holroyd
LS, DNA:PCC, item 78.
Turpin Holroyd left Charleston in late 1781 and settled in Philadelphia in December of that year.
1. Holroyd wrote to GW again on 11 July: “The petition I had the honor of delivering your Excellency solliciting a recommendation in the Capacity of Tide Waiter in the Customs of the United States. I trust from Circumstances of an Extensive family and the want of Employ, (a true representation of which was stated) will claim your attention—the Gratitude of it ever will be acknowledged and hope from my faithful discharge of the Buisness repos’d in me to merit the Esteem of the Publick” (DNA:PCC). On 31 July he renewed his appeal: “The want of Employ for some time past and an Extensive family to support must naturally give uneassiness to the human Breast—your Excellencys known Benevelence cannot be a stranger to Circumstances of this kind—and in what manner they affect. The Donation of any individual with submission to your Excellency will aleviate my Distressess and Contribute towards my familys subsistence and ever be Considerd with marks of Gratitude” (DNA:PCC).