To the Right wor[shipfu]ll his ma[jes]ties Justices of Peace sitting in sessions att Wigan.

The humble petic[i]on of Ellen Whitfield, late wife of Mr Richard Whitfield preacher of gods word at Holland, and now living at Halewood.

Sheweth,

That yo[u]r pet[itione]r is a poore distressed widow, whose husband was slaine in the service of the p[ar]liam[en]t. That shee hath not onlie lost her husband but also the most of her estate, vizt to the value of 350 li. and vpwards by plunder, and is left w[i]th many fatherlesse Children, and yet hitherto hath not been troublesome to the Countrie, not clamorous ag[ains]t the p[ar]liam[en]t as many others, for want of repa[ra]c[i]on of her great losses; That shee, by the blessing of god vpon her endeavo[u]rs, and great paines, hath maintayned her selfe and familie in some reasonable manner to this day: But now, Right wor[shipfu]ll, soe it is, That yo[u]r humble suitor, falling amongst a malignant and ill=affected people, is like to perish w[i]th her whole familie, (through the illegall, vniust, and vnconscionable pressures of the Constables, ley=layers, and others, the Cessors of Halewood afores[ai]d, pressures w[i]thout pr[e]sident; (That a poore widow should bee layd and cessed in the twelfth p[ar]t of the whole ascesm[en]t layd vpon the township, and that for a p[er]sonall estate, when they are not able to prove her worth 20 li. of debtlesse goods: And yet this too over and besides the iust fifteens due for the house and lands shee there holdeth). Vnlesse yo[u]r wor[shi]ps will bee pleased to interpose for her pr[e]sent help, and redresse these shamefull and vnheard=off iniuries. The eyes of yo[u]r humble pet[itioner], and of her poore Children are vpo[n] you, as vpon them, who are ordained and sett vpp of god for the redresse of such open and oppressive wrongs.

May itt please yo[u]r wor[shi]pps the pr[e]misses duelie considered to call the sayd Constables, ley=layers or other Cessors if they or any of them bee here pr[e]sent, and cause them to declare by what law, statute, ordinance of parliam[en]t, or other pr[e]sident, they doe thus vnconscionablie Cesse and oppresse yo[u]r pet[itione]r; And if they bee absent, or cannot give sufficient ground for what they have done herein, then to give Warrant for the Restoring of yo[u]r petition[e]rs goods by distresse taken vpon this vniust and illegall ascesm[en]t And to grant yo[u]r pet[itioner] sufficient Charges for the losse, wrong, and vexac[i]on herein and hereby occasioned and suffered. And shee and her poore Children, as in dutie bound, shall ever pray &c.

That shee to pay only for ten[an]te & if any distresse be taken for goods.

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