The petition of Alice Bache of Nantwich, Cheshire, 14 October 1651
{T}o the ho[noura]ble bench of Justices at the quarter sessions {he}ld for the County of Chester at Northwich the {14}th day of October 1651.
The humble petic[i]on of Alice Bache widdow & relict of John Bache late of Wichmalbancke weaver
{Shows}
{Tha}t the said John Bache yo[u]r petic[i]oners late husband was, while {be}ing a very paynfull & industrious ma{n} & gott by his trade of weaving weekely maintaynance for the sustayning of himselfe & poore familye But finding the tymes hard & his Charge great, & thinking he could doe better both for himselfe & poore Children (yf he served as a souldier) soe yt is, may it please yo[u]r wor[shi]ps that about a yeare & half a goe (a drum beating for voluntiers) he went ou[er] w[i]th them into Scotland And served vnder Colonell Daniell as a souldier in w[hi]ch service about 6 moneths since he was there slayne to the vtter vndoing of yo[u]r poore petic[i]oner & five small Children, the yongest being not past 6 moneths ould, & yo[u]r petic[i]one[r] being soe poore as shee is neither able to hyer a house to cou[er] their heads, nor being very weake & sicklye able to p[ro]vide sustinence for her selfe & poore Children Soe that both yo[u]r petic[i]oner & her five small Children are likely to perishe vnlesse some speedy Course be taken for releiving of them
Humbly prayes that for the lord Jesus sake yo[u]r Worships would be pleased to take their sadde condic[i]on in to yo[u]r pious considerac[i]on & to grant them some releife by an yearely pension (as yo[u]r worships have done for others being in the like case And she will eu[er] pray &c
Wee whose names are subscribed haue commonly heard it reported that the petitioners husband was slaine, and in this her condition, humbly conceaue her an obiect of pity.
Richard Jackson
Sab: Church
Rob[er]t Burrenshoe
Hugh Allen
Mathew Wright
6 d. p[er] week till ord[er]
continue this
<Illegible>
verte
<At Northw[i]ch 14 Oct[ober] 1651.>
<The Ch[urch] Wardens and ou[er]seers of the Poore of the p[ar]ish are to p[ro]uide for the Petic[i]on[e]r as one of the poore of their p[ar]ish till next Sessions>
<And when the Justice of peace w[i]thin the Hundred doth view & review Maymed Souldiers shee is then to appeare before him according to ord[e]r>
<Humph[rey] Milton>
<Gabriell Wetenhall>
<Robert Wilkes>
<Jo: Wicksted>
<Jno: Brereton>
<James [?Piffo]>
<12 d. p[er] week till penc[i]on>
<It is ordered that the Churchwardens & Ou[er]seers of the poore of the p[ar]ish of Namptw[i]ch doe from henceforth weekly pay vnto the petic[i]on[e]r twelue pence towards hers & her Childrens releife & mayntenance vntill shee bee admitted a Pention[e]r And if the Church officers aforesayd make default of paym[en]t then the next Justice of peace vpon Compl[ain]t of the petic[io]n[e]r is desired to see this order full p[er]formed>
<Humph[rey] Milton Dep[utatus] Cl[ericus]>