The certificate for James Roskell of Meols, Lancashire, 6 April 1654
Att a Sessions of peace holden at Preston in ye County of Lanc[aste]r on Thursday (to witt) ye 6th daye of Aprill 1654.
vpon the oathe of Anthony Roskell in Court this day made that Rob[er]te Roskell was lawfully espoused to Ann Parker late wife to the said Rob[er]te and by her had seu[e]rall Children lawfully begotten and borne in Meales. And that the said Rob[er]te was pressed forth for a souldier for the township of Hesketh for the Irish wars and never returned, in his absence the said Ann came vnto Warton w[i]th her sonne James of the Age of foure yeares And there falling sicke dyed leaveing the said Child in Warton; yt is ordered that the Churchwardens and Overseers of the poore w[i]thin the p[ar]ish of Meales and the township of Hesketh shall furth w[i]th vpon notice hereof receave & keepe the said Infant And that the towne of Warton shall furth w[i]th give satisfacc[i]on to Anthonie Roskell for keepeing the said infant vntill this pr[e]sent Sessions otherwise vpon Complaint made to any Justice of pea[ce]
w[i]thin this County a warr[an]t shall bee awarded against them to take them bound to ans{we}r there Contempts at the next Sessions here to bee holden.
Exa[m]i[ned] by Joseph Rigbye
Hesketh to manteyne child vntill further order vpon informac[i]on of Jo Ryner W[illia]m Bound of Meales & Edw[ard] Hunt of Meales Garstange.