The certificate for Thomas Rogers, Northamptonshire, January 1669
To the right hono[ura]ble ye L[or]ds of his Ma[jes]ties most hono[ura]ble privy Councell
We whose names are hereunder
Whereas May it please yo[ur[ Lo[rdshi]pps whereas whereas ye Justices of ye peace for ye County of North[amp]ton[shire] att M rec[eive]d an order of the Councell bound dat vnder ye hand of S[i]r John Nicholas dated ye 5th of August last, whereby it was ordered yt ye Justices of ye peace of ye said County should shew cause why a penc[i]on of 4 li. p[er] yeare formerly allowed to Tho[mas] Rogers vpon ye late act of parliam[en]t for ye releife of mayhemed souldiers should not be allowed & continued to him now Wee his Ma[jes]ties Justices of ye peace for ye said County whose names are here vnderwritten haveing taken tyme vntill this p[re]sent Sessions to consider thereof doe humbly certify yo[u]r Lo[rdshi]pps that this County of North[amp]ton[shire] has (for some quarters last past) beene at ye yearly charge of 850 li. & vpwards for ye maintenance of impotent & mayhemed souldiers, which burthen we finde very greivous to ye Countrey
And was therefore enforced to take a reveiw of ye penc[i]oners to see whoe was poore & indigent, fit to be contenued And to view all such whoe who were of ability to maintaine themselves & famelyes without ye releife of ye penc[i]ons Amongst which number, were found according the aforesaid Tho[mas] Rogers to be a p[er]son neether mayhemed nor indigent but one yt has a trade by which he very plentifully maintains himselfe & his family And yt he & his family have a long tyme for many years lived out of ye County And yt if wee should admit him & all such p[er]sons as he is vnto penc[i]ons it would bring through such a hevy burthen vpon ye County which wee believe they could very hardly vndergoe All which wee humbly certify & submitt to yo[u]r Lo[rdshi]pps Judgm[en]ts as being [?right]
Yo[u]r Lo[rdshi]pps most humble & obedient servants
Tho[mas] Shawe Will[ia]m Tate
W[illia]m Pargiter Fran[cis] Morgan
Geo[rge] Wake Brian Janson
Sam[uel] Clarke W[illia]m Buckby
Rich[ard] Naylor Miles Fleetwood
Rich[ard] Rainsford Nich[olas] Steward
Lewis Palmer Rob[er]te Clarke
W[illia]m Washborne Edw[ar]d Palmer
W[illia]m Langham
<From ye gen[er]all quarter sessions for ye County of North[amp]ton[shire] held on Tewsday after Epiphany 1668>