The petition of Alice Pencke of Wharton, Cheshire, 13 January 1655
To the Hon[ou]r[a]ble the Justices of the Peace att the Quarter Sessions houlden for the County Palatine of Chester
The Humble Petic[i]on of Alice Pencke a Poore widow, in Warton.
Sheweth vnto yo[u[r Hon[ou]rs That yo[u]r pet[itione]rs Husband and onely sonne serveinge in the Parliam[en]t service in Ireland lost both their lives in the said service And since that time yo[u]r pet[itione]r hath endeavoured to live vpon the Labo[u]r of her owne hands, vntill now that by reason of her great age, weaknesse and longe sicknesse she is not able any longer to worke as formerly.
Her humble request therefore is That yo[u]r Hon[ou]rs would bee graciously pleased to take into serious Considerac[i]on the lamentable and deplorable estate of yo[u]r pet[itione]r, and to afford her some reasonable stipend whereby she may subsist, as you haue donne to other poore widows in the like Condic[i]on, that soe she may bee preserved from extreame misery, who otherwise is very likely to perish: which granted yo[u]r pet[ition]r as in duty bound shall ever pray &c
Jo[hn] Marygold pastor at Warton.
Thomas Bryon Robert [?Ofell]
Churchwardens
Robert Rollinson
Richard {Illegible}
Con{stables}
<January 13th 1654>
<Vpon this poore Widdows desyre I am bolde to certefye & w[i]thall desyre, beeing her sonne & husband dyed in ye Comonwealths service yt shee may bee admitted a Pentioner there beeing many w[i]thin ye Hundred of Broxton taken latly off>
<Peter Dutton>
<6 d. a weeke from the p[ar]ish>