WILLIAM L. CHAPLIN, ESQ. 85 



JONATHAN SHEPLEY'S ESTATE. 



The following extract is taken from the printed "Journal Of 

 the Honorable House of Representatives, Of His Majesty's 

 Province of Massachusetts-Bay, " under date of April 22, 

 1746: — 



A Petition of Lydia Shapley and Josiah Sartell, Administrators to 

 the Estate of Capt. Jonathan Shapley late of Groton, deceased, pray- 

 ing they may be enabled to give one Philip Woolrick of said Grotofi, 

 a Deed of one third Part of a twenty Xcxo. Lott which the said 

 Jonathan was obliged to give in his Life time under a Penalty, 

 but neglected it. 



Read and Ordered, That the Prayer of the Petition be granted, 

 and the Petitioners in their said Capacity are hereby impowred to 

 give and execute a good Deed of the Land therein mentioned to the 

 said Philip Woolrick accordingly 



A Petition of William Tarbell of Groton, a Soldier wounded in the 

 Service of the Province, praying a Consideration therefor. 



Read and committed to the Gendemen appointed on the Pedtions 

 of poor Soldiers &c (p. 237). 



WILLIAM L. CHAPLIN, ESQ. 



This gentlemen, who is now under arrest for slave abduction at 

 Washington, is well known in this vicinity. He is a son of the late 

 Rev. Dr. Chaplin of Groton, and brother of the late Dr. Chaplin of 

 Cambridge. He was a lawyer of highly respectable talents. But for 

 some fifteen years he has chiefly devoted himself to promoting the 

 abolition movement, by editing or corresponding for papers or deliv- 

 ering public lectures. 



His act, which has brought him under the merciless power of slave- 

 holding laws, is generally regretted even by most abolitionists — 

 both on his account, and because it promises to injure rather than 

 promote his cause. But probably his mind has come into such a 

 position, that he feels himself happy in being a martyr to such a 

 cause, and that he judges that he can best promote his cause, by 

 such a self sacrifice. If so, we may regret that he thinks differenUy 



