The petition of Eleanor Bostock of Occlestone, Cheshire, 7 April 1657
To the right wor[shi]p[fu]ll the Justices of ye peace of the County Pallatine of Chester Assembled att theire pr[e]sent Quarter sessions of the peace holden att Midd[le]w[i]ch ye seventh day of Aprill 1657:
Sheweth
That yo[u]r petic[i]oners Late husband John Bostocke was A souldyer In ye parliam[en]ts service vnder ye Command of Collonell Thomas Croxton during the time of ye late wars In w[hi]ch time hee behaued himselfe both actiuely And sufficienly [sic.] as is well knowne vnto his s[ai]d Collonell And officers, And yt att ye Last expedic[i]on att Worcester Itt pleased God hee was slayne, to yo[u]r pettioners vtter vndoeing, she haueing three small Children to mantaine And nothing to keepe them vpon, Insoemuch as yo[u]r petioner was enforced to moue yo[u]r worshipps to be Admitted to be A penc[i]oner, w[hi]ch was most gracyoysly Condiscended vnto and the sum of 40 s. Annually allowed, but yo[u]r petic[i]oner Findeing ye same to be too shorte, nott w[i]thstanding all yt she can gett by her paynes & Industry Besides that shee is not Able to keepe And mayntayne her affores[ai]d 3 small Children vnless her s[ai]d Annuall penc[i]on may be Augmented Now Forasmuch as yo[u]r petioner is able to make it to appeare yt seu[er]all pettioners w[i]thin this County haueing seu[er]all penc[i]ons allowed them by Former order of sessions, yt are altogether able to p[ro]vide For themselues w[i[thout any assistance From ye publicke
Yo[u]r petticioner therefore humbly prayes yt ye s[ai]d Annuall penc[i]on of 40 s. p[er] Annum may be aug{mented} {illegible} selfe And her sayd 3 small Children {illegible}
As yo[u]r wor[shi]pps shall think Fitt:
And yo[u]r pettipner shall euer pray &c
<[illegible]>
<to take of 1 li. of Hick & pay to the petic[i]oner & hee also to shew Cause why the other should not [illegible]>