The petition of Jane Dobson of Wigan, Lancashire, 9 October 1654
To the Right Wor[shipfu]ll the Justices of Peace and Co[ram] now sitting the Sessions of Peace at Wigan: October the 9th 1654 theise
The humble petic[i]on of the poore lame and distressed Jane Dobson of Wigan widdow sheweth
That y[ou]r pet[itione]r is Seaventy six years of age and that shee is laime, and hath nothing to live vpon but the benevolence of good people. And that betwixt 3 and 4 yeares agoe her late husband Richard Dobson was Pressed for the states service in Ireland; where in the said service hee lost his lyffe: well towards 3 years since: And it was form[er]ly graunted by the wor[shipfu]ll bench at a Quarter sessions at Wigan that y[ou]r poore pet[itione]r should haue releiffe out of the Towne of Aughton (for w[hi]ch s[ai]d Towne her husband was pressed) yet to this day y[ou]r pet[itione]r since her husbands death could never gett any manteynance but only 12 s. and except y[ou]r wor[shi]ps Order her releiffe out of Aughton afores[ai]d shee is lykely to be perished:
Wherefore the pr[e]misses Considered shee humbly prayeth for y[ou]r wor[shi]ps Order for her releiffe. And as obliged shee will eu[er] pray[e]r [sic.] for eu[er]y of y[ou]r wor[shi]ps eternall happienes
Ch[urchwardens] & Ou[erseers] of Wigan