City & County^ ^ On the 21tfa day of November 1755 The of Albany. ^' \ Deponents M^ Peter Livingston Dirck Swart Timothy Connor Jacob Decker and James Elliott appeared before me Dirck : W: Ten BroeckEsq^ one of his Majesties Justices of tlie Peace for the City & County of Albany and Made Oath on the Holy Evingelist of Almighty God That they on the 20^^ day of this Instant went to Taghkanick to the House lately in the Possesion of Johannifa Van Deusen son of Robert Van Deusen Vol. III. 52

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with an order from His Excelency Gov Shirley To Benjamin Franklin who lately disposesd the said Johannis Van Deusen and Turnd him and his family out of doors and when the deponants came to the door there appeai-red four men at the door with their Guns cock'd in their hands they told the deponants to Stand off and presented their Guns the deponants told them they were come Peaceable and meant them no harm and asked for M^' Franklin their head ; his Son Benjamin Franklin said his name was Frankhn the Deponants asked him whether his Fatlier was gone he said to Sheffield and that he kept the Possesion till his Father Came home then Timothy Connor told him that lie had an order from His Excellency Gov^ Shirly To his Father and that as he had said lie kept the Possesion in his Fathers absence he would Dehver it to him wliich he did and young Frankhn Read it. Timothy Connor asked him if he would accept of that order and Surrender up the Possesion to Johannis Van Deusen he said he would not till his father came home then he might do as he pleased but he was sure he would not Deliver it up.