The petition of Anne Winstanley of Ormskirk, Lancashire; Ann Morley of Lathom, Lancashire; and Richard Clarkson of Ormskirk, Lancashire, 30 April 1655
<Aprill 30th 1655 Com[itatus] Lanc[aster]>
To the Right Wor[shipfu]ll the Justices of Peace & Quor[um] for the Redressing of Greiuances for this present Sessions at Orm[skir]ke for the Commonwealth of England &c
The humble pet[ition] of Anne Winstanley of Orm[skir]ke widd[ow] Ann Morley of Lathom widdow: Richard Clarkson of Orm[skir]ke a Sould[ie]r prest for Ireland from Prescott &c
Humbly sheweth to your wor[shi]pps:
That your pet[itioner]s poor husbands was [sic.] Sould[ie]rs In the Parliam[en]ts seruice, where they both lost theyr Liues, the one In Scotland and the other In the Seige against Lathom house Leaueing your poor pet[itione]rs betwixt them 3 small children liueing altogether vnable to subsist to mayntayne them or themselues but by the Good fauour of Neighbours, yet by the prouidence of God and the good Parliam[en]t Commisserating the sad & miserable Condic[i]on of vs poor widdowes and maymd Souldiers, did make an Act to haue Reliefe forth of the Treasury, and Recorded before the Ho[noura]ble Judges of Assises at Lancaster Two yeares and Odd agoe, and had 2 paym[en]ts payd vs at Leuerpoole by Leiften[a]nt Looton, since which Tyme, wee haue not any Penny payd neither prouided for the Sustenance of our poor fatherlesse Children nor our selues, nor the maymd Sould[ie]rs In which sadd Condic[i]on wee made our adresses by petic[i]on to the ho[noura]ble Judges at the last assises at Lanc[aste]r for some Releife to keep and mayntayne our poor young Child from p[er]ishing, and In our pet[itio]n my ho[noura]ble Lord did grant a Refference vnto the right wor[shipfu]ll Will[iam] Halsall & Jirehiah Aspinwall, Esq[uire]s to take some Course for theyr Releife which sayd petic[i]on and Refference one Henry Houlden of [?Henborough] being In suit of Lancaster hath gotten your petic[i]oners petic[i]on and hath showed it to diuerse yet detaynes the same altho[ugh] seuerall times demaunded since the Assises.
The premisses Considered the pet[itione]rs humbly prayeth the wor[shipfu]ll Bench to take Into Considerac[i]on thes theyr Greiuances and to Grant Order that the Church=wardens and Ouerseers may prouide for them speedy releife, or as In your discretions shal bee thought fitt & meet and that the said Houlden may bee Summond to appeare by the Constable of the said Towne to appeare at this Sessions to shew cause why hee doth not deliuer In this petic[i]on and your pet[itione]rs as In duty bound will euer pray &c.
Ch[urchwardens] & Ou[erseers]