Affidavit of John Tucker and Others¹

We the Subscribers Testify and Say, that on the 29th day of May 1775 Captain [John] Linsey Commander of a Ship of war then at Tarpaulin Cove: Came with a Number of armed men and landed on one of the Elizabeth Islands called Reskatemeth and came to the place where the men that oned part of the Stock on Said Island were Sheering their Sheep and demanded the Sheep Saying and promising that he would pay for them and give the full value of the Sheep or words to that purpose but the owners of Said Sheep told him that they were unwilling to part with them, but if he would take them they Should not molest him as most of the owners of the Sheep were of the people Called Quakers and that they would not be concerned in Defending themselves or their Interest by force of Armes but would treat him with civility but Said Capten with his men took Said Sheep and Carried them away, Some Shorn and many not Shorn: the Sheep were hurried away in Such a manner that we Could not take an account of the number with exactness but according to the best of our judgment the numbers and value of the Sheep are as follows viz —

Took from Joseph Tucker and Sons 93 Sheep, value £68-8[s,]-0 L[awful] money

Took from Jeremiah Robinson 17 Sheep, value £12-4[s]-10[d] L[awful] money

Took from William & Elisha Robinson 24 Sheep, value £ 14-8[s.]-0 L[awful] money

Took from Ebenezer Meiggs 72 Sheep value £51-15[s.]-6[d.] L[awful] money

Then the above named Ebenezer Meiggs made oath to the truth of the above written by him Subscribed and the above named John Tucker Jeremiah Robinson and Elisha Robinson, being of the people called Quakers affirmed to the truth of the above written, by them Subscribed.