The petition of Elizabeth Newton of Stockport, Cheshire, Epiphany 1648
<Com[itatus] Cestr[iae]>
To the hono[ura]ble the kings Ma[jes]t[y’]s Justices of peace & Quorum for the said County.
The humble petic[i]on of Elizabeth Newton of Stockport widdowe
Sheweth
That whereas yo[u]r petic[i]o[ne]r[’s] late husband Thomas Newton beinge a souldier for the king & Parliament vnd[e]r the Comaund of Captaine William Duckenfeild was slaine att Middlewych att Christmas 1643 leaveinge the petic[i]o[ne]r & Foure poore Children w[i]thout meanes where on to bee releaved; his smale Tenement beeinge most of it formerly sett out for the payment of his debts for 5 or 6 yeares yett to come. And that little that is remayneinge not sufficient to discharge the Taxac[i]ons & Imposic[i]ons wherew[i]th the whole is charged (and the grauntees by Couenant & bond to bee theirof Freed) Besyds the state in the said smale Ten[emen]te standing vpon the liues of yo[u]r petic[i]o[ne]rs said husband & a Brother of his (who long agoe went ouer into Ireland & his life or death not certaynly knowen here) yo[u]r petic[i]o[ne]r & her Childrens terme in the said poore Tenement is greatly weakned if not altogether determined. And whereas S[i]r George Booth & Mr Hyde did by their ord[e]r bearing date 21th day of June 1648 ord[e]r that the ou[er]seere of the poore should haue paid vnto yo[u]r petic[i]o[ne]r out of the p[ar]ish Charge 1 s. 4 d. p[er] weeke w[hi]ch she haue hitherto contemptuously neglected sayinge she did not matter for any such fornamed ord[e]r.
The premisses tenderly considered and for alsoe that the petic[i]o[ne]r and her poore Children haue beene greeueously visited w[i]th sicknes and haueinge had little or noe meane [sic.] att all in the world to subsist vpon in this their sicknes & languishinge Condic[i]on Shee most humbly beseecheth y[ou]r honors to graunt & appoynt some meanes and allowance to bee giuen & paid vnto her weekely or otherwise as in yo[u]r wise considerac[i]on shal bee thought meete for & towards her releefe & subsistance of her selfe & her poore children.
And she will euer pray &c
<S[i]r George Booth & Mr Hides ord[e]r to be performed & the ou[er]seers to attend the next Sessions.>