Folios 379-380: Wilson Rathborne, Regulating Officer, North Shields. Responding to...

Folios 379-380: Wilson Rathborne, Regulating Officer, North Shields. Responding to the letter of 11 November and sends a report on the case of William Chicken. He returns the enclosure. William Chicken was pressed by Lieutenant Flinn, North Shields, on 11 November and retained for the Service as being a ship's Carpenter pressed on shore, not on duty. He offered a £1 note to the Midshipman to let his go. He has been out of his Apprenticeship for 5 years and no Affidavit was produced. William Chicken is about 25 years old, a stout healthy young man well suited for service.

Folios 381-382: enclosure with folios 379-380. Note dated 23 November 1811 from R Wharton, The Treasury, to E Barrow. Please send an official answer to the enclosed. I am plagued to death with ridiculous applications of this sort, and against my will, communicate that plague to you.

Folios 383-384: enclosure with folios 379-380. Undated Petition addressed to Richard Wharton, The Treasury, Member of Parliament for the City of Durham, from Joseph Chicken, labourer, of Old Elvet, Durham, and Sarah Chicken, his wife, and of the undersigned Freemen of Durham: Abraham Cooper, Charles Biggins, Joseph Winter, Clement Burlison, John Winter, R Hines, Robert Burlison senior, John Linsley, Thomas Carpenter, George Morells. Petition for the release of William Chicken, son of Joseph and Sarah Chicken, Carpenter of the ship the George, of Newcastle, of which Richard Allan of South Shields is Master. The annexed Affidavit to The Admiralty [not present] can be submitted.