James Selkrig, James Anderson, Colborn Barrell, Archibald Wilson, and Hopestill Capen to Thomas Gage, 20 July 1774

In this petition, five Boston merchants and shipbuilders appeal to Royal Governor Thomas Gage for relief from the Boston Port Act. They request permission to launch seven newly constructed ships—currently being built in Boston and Charlestown—and allow them to depart the port in ballast. To support their plea, the signers emphasize their steadfast Loyalist alignment, explicitly condemning the "seditious practices" of their fellow colonists while arguing that their shipbuilding contracts were signed before the Act was passed. They further highlight that the vessels belong to merchant partners in Britain who face severe financial harm, and ask Gage to apply a lenient interpretation of the Act and recommend their case to Vice Admiral Samuel Graves.