Folios 63-67. James Ged, under sentence of death, to [?Newcastle] with his petition...

Folios 63-67. James Ged, under sentence of death, to [?Newcastle] with his petition and a declaration on his behalf. Ged maintains that he is the only person capable of continuing the method of 'plate-printing' invented by his father, William Ged. His father is infirm and has lost his sight and his faculties and James argues that the secrets of the invention will be lost to science and the nation if the death sentence is carried out. Dated at the new gaol in Southwark. 2 enclosures:

Declaration, given on behalf of James Ged, by L Dobson, G Browne and William Batesman. The declaration states that the above were captured by [Jacobite] rebels and taken prisoner at Kendall. They were given bread and cheese by James Ged, an officer in the rebel army and were treated in a 'most generous, humane and Christian manner'. Ged also gave them money 'out of his own purse'. They were eventually rescued by Cumberland's army. They wish to make plain that their confinement would have been much worse without Ged's assistance. [wax seal in poor condition]. Dated 5 June 1746 (folio 65).

Petition of James Ged, prisoner under sentence of death in the new gaol Southwark. Reiterating his claim that the invention of his father will be lost to the nation, Ged implores Newcastle to grant his reprieve and not to condemn him to transportation. (folios 66-67).