The petition of Elin Heys of Lostock Gralam, Cheshire, 16 January 1655
<{County of Ch}ester>
To the right wor[shi]p[fu]ll the Justices of the peace at this present Cessions assembled
The humble Petic[i]on of Elin Heys late wife to Phillip Heys of Lostocke Gralam.
Most humbly sheweth vnto yo[u]r wor[shi]ps That yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[er]s Husband in the late warre was a constant and faithfull soldi[er] therein and continued in the sayd service, untill the late and last fight at Worcester from when returni[n]g he fell into a greivous disease and sicknesse and now since recoverd whilst hee had any thing of his owne hee made use of it ne neither troubling his freinds nor burthening the neighbourhood (and knowing him to haue beene borne of honest Paren[ts] and eu[er] carrying himselfe honestly painfully in respect amongst them) and wee humbly intreate you to Continue the same to the widdow and the two poore fatherlesse children towards bringing of them up
May it therefore please yo[u]r wor[shi]ps to take yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[e]rs sad condic[i]on into yo[u]r wor[shi]p[fu]ll considerations and to grant her some releife (who is otherwise like to starue) as in most meete & convenent, And your poore petic[i]on[er] shall eu[er] pray &c
<At Middlew[hi]ch the 11 of Apr[il] 1654>
<Wee whose names are hereunto subscribed are ready and willing to evidence the truth herof>
Thomas Touchet Elisabeth Winnington
Peter Venables
John Houlforde
Robert Houldorde
Tho[mas]: Norcot
<Northw[i]ch 1654 16th Jan[uary]>
<It is ordered that the Churchwardens of Whitton doe weekely pay vnto the Petic[i]on[e]r 6 d. a weeke w[i]th her arreares for the tyme past>
<H[umphrey] Milton>
Januarie 26th 1654
The Churchwardens of Witton are to performe the Order of the Quarter Sessions aboue written as they will answer theire Contempt at theire perrills
Tho[mas] Marbury
Thomas Croxton