The petition of Elizabeth Smyth of Marbury, Cheshire, Trinity 1652

To the Right Wor[shipfu]ll Thomas Manwaring esq[ui]r[e] one of the Justices of the peace of this County of Chester
These are to Certifie vnto yo[u]r wor[shi]pp That whereas Elizabeth the wiffe of Randle Smyth did in the Absence of her husband when hee was in the stats service petic[i]on the ho[noura]ble Bench of q[ua]rter sesions the xvth of July 1651: for some Releeffe Accordinge to seu[er]all statuts in that Case p[ro]vided and that the matter, being then wholly Reffered to yo[u]r wo[rshi]pp you weare pleased to make an order that they [sic.] s[ai]d Elizabeth should haue Releeffe out of ye p[ar]ishe of M[ar]bury and further ordered, that {illegible} p[ar]ish[io]nors Should moue or petic[i]on the Lord of the manor, for lycence to erect a Cottage vpon the wast, as will Appeare by the said order Relac[i]on here vnto beinge had, Nowe not w[i]th Standing the said order, (the s[ai]d Elizabeth p[ro]cureinge a Certificate made to the Lord & his officers) the Churchwardens and overseers and the rest of the p[ar]ish, Refused to subscribe the same, And all by the means and Instigation of of one Richard Bickerton as they [sic.] s[ai]d Elizabeth is informed May it therefore please yo[u]r good wo[rshi]pp {illegible} once more to take her sad and lamentable Condicion into yo[u]r wor[shi]pps Considerac[i]on, that thereby the poore woman and her three small Children may haue som Releeffe else they are like to p[er]ish, and shee shall ever bee bound to pray for yo[u]r wo[rshi]pps, health & happines.