The petition of Elizabeth Floye, Jane Sprye and Katherine Crumm, all of Plymouth, Devon, 1651
To the worr[shi]pp[fu]lls the Justices sitting in Sessions att Exon
The humble petition of Elizabeth Floye, Jane Sprye and Katherin Crumm of Plymouth widdowes.
Humbly sheweth
That yo[u]r petitioners haue for theise many yeares last past liued in greate want and pouerty by Reason theire husbands who all faithfully serued the Parliament in the tyme of the late Warre in the defence of Plymouth all lost theire lyues in theire seruice, and left beehinde them to your poore petitioners greate charges of Chilldren to maintaine and seuerall debts to satisfye, and notwithstanding your poore petitioners haue with much charge and trauell and losse of tyme seuerall tymes petitioned the Justices in this County for some releife yet hitherto yo[u]r poore petitioners haue beene neglected and noe releife afforded except twenty shillings which yo[u]r petitioners respectiuely receiued a good while since, a small recompence for soe greate a losse.
The premisses considered and in regard your poore petitioners haue soe long a tyme vndergon such greate want and hardshipp togeather with theire small chilldren and in regard yo[u]r poore petitioners haue receiued soe small a beneffitt by the Acts and ordinances of Parliament in that beehalfe made, your poore petitioners therefore most humbly pray yo[u]r worshippes to take theire miserable conditions into your worthy and conscionable considerations and to order your poore petitioners some speedy releife and thereby preuent that ruine and perishing conditions which must in all probabilety come vppon yo[u]r poore petitioners. and your poore petitioners shall euer pray &c.
Philip Francis Robert Gubbes Maior
Ollyver Ceely.
[On the reverse:]
The Petition of Elizabeth Floye, Jane Sprye and Katherine Crumm of Plymouth widdowes