The petition of Elizabeth Primrose of Walton, Lancashire, Easter 1659
To the right wor[shipfu]ll the Justices of peace for the County Pallatine of Lancaster sittinge at Preston
The humble petic[i]on of Elizabeth Primrose of Walton
Sheweth
That yo[u]r petic[i]on[er]s husband Francis Primrose hath euer since the beginninge of the late warrs actually & faithfully served the Comonwealth as a soldier in the three nations vntill about two yeares since he was drawne out by order to serve the Comonwealth beyond the seas at Jemeco since w[hi]ch tyme yo[u]r petic[i]oner hath not heard anythinge from him nor knoweth whether he be liueinge or dead leaveinge yo[u]r petic[i]oner with two smale children haveinge nothinge to maintayne them w[i]thall but her own labor w[hi]ch nowe shee is vtterly vnable to doe by reason of her many infirmities and sicknes and likewise expectinge every day by reason of her poverty to bee turnd out of yt poore Cottage wherein shee was borne and hath euer since lived
Your petic[ione]r humbly prayeth yt your worshipps would looke vpon her as an obiect of yo[u]r charitable pittie and order her some weekely releefe out of the afores[ai]d towne of Walton wherein shee was borne and some howse or Cottage for her selfe and her poore children to put theire heads in as yo[u]r wor[shi]pps shall thinke meete whereby her selfe and her poore children may be pr[e]served from starveing in this sad condic[i]on.
And yo[u]r pet[itione]r will euer pray &c.
Eliz[abeth] Primrose
To allow vi d. a weeke or shew cause next privy s[ession]s at Padtam
[Illegible]