The Petition of Louis Martin dit Pellan1
Province of Lower Canada
To the Most Honourable Archibald earl of Gosford, Lord of Worthingham,
of Beacles, in the county of Suffolk, general Captain and Governor in chief
in the Provinces of Upper Canada and Lower Canada, Vice Admiral , and one
of the Most Honourable private Councillors of her Majesty.
The Petition of Louis Martin dit Pellan junior, farmer of the Parish
of Ste-Élizabeth, in the District of Montréal, held in the
district prison of the aforementioned District, humbly explains :That around
the beginning of last March, Your Supplicant was brought to the district
prison on an accusation of murder.
That the trial took place on the eighth of
the aforementioned month of March, before the Court of the King's Bench
of criminal jurisdiction for this District, and a conviction followed on
the same day, not for murder, but for Manslaughter.
Your Supplicant, who belongs to a very respectable
family, and whose excellent character has been established by the evidence
during his trial, was not completely acquitted, since it became known that
the unfortunate death of the man called Joseph Belleville was the result
of blows he received on January seventh last from Your Supplicant.
Your Supplicant can affirm and swears before
God and men that he never had the slightest intention killing the aforementioned
Belleville; far from that, Your Supplicant only beat this man because,
while in a drunken state at home, at night, he mistakenly believed this
man to be Grand Pierre, a thief who spreads terror in the neighbouring
parishes, as well as the Parish of Ste-Élisabeth. It is also true
that Your Supplicant did not have the intention of killing Grand Pierre,
for whom he had mistaken Belleville.
That the Jury had a duty to perform and did
not completely acquit Your Supplicant.
Your Supplicant was on the tenth of March last,
sentenced to six months of imprisonment.
Your Supplicant has served four (months), he
is the father of six children, and his wife is about to give birth to a
seventh.
Your Supplicant does not believe it necessary
to go on further, with confidence he appeals to the mercy of his Sovereign,
in the person of Your Excellency.
To that end, Your Supplicant concludes that
you will exercise the Royal prerogative in his favour, and remove him from
an imprisonment only Your Excellency can put to an end and do justice.
Montréal 12 July 1836
from
Louis Martin X d Pellan jr
Montreal Gaol
12 July 1836
Louis Martin dit Pellan Junior
for remission of remainder of term of his imprisonment which will expire
in two months.
Recd at Quebec 14 July
1. Son of Louis Martin Pelland and Marguerite
Chamberland. He was married to Charlotte Bérard dite Lépine.
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