96 Petition to Governor Andros

    [March 1687/88]

    May it please your Excellency

    Your Orators are humbly bold to represent to your Excellency, that it is now seven Years since they were admitted into Harvard Colledge in Cambridge, and according to the rules and methods of that Society should this Summer proceed Masters of Arts and having waited upon the Rector and fellows of the Colledge in order thereunto have their allowance to address to your Excellency for your favour herein.

    And do therefore humbly pray that your Excellency will appoint a time for their Act that the said Society and the students there may have encouragement by the influence of your Excellency’s favour to attend the studys of good learning and Loyalty and your petitioners shall ever pray &c.

    Tho. Dudley

    Rowland Cotton

    Henry Gibbs

    Edward Mills

    John Eliot

    John White

    Jonathan Pierpoint

    [Endorsed:] March 1687 Mr. Dudley of taking Degrees at Coledge.

    Corporation Papers. This appears to be an eighteenth-century copy of the original petition. The petitioners were members of the Class of 1685; A.M. appears after their names in the Quinquennial Catalogue, Sir Edmund Andros was Governor from 1686 to 1689, and the College Charter was in abeyance during this time.