<{County o}f Chester>

To the hon[oura]ble the Justices of the peace assembled at Namptwich at the Quarter Sessions for this County vpon the eight day of July 1656

The humble petition of Joane Morte of Weverham widowe

Sheweth That yo[u]r petic[i]oners husband (in the late warres) serued the (then) Parli[a]m[en]t and vpon the first goeing into Scotland, in the yeare 1649 inlisted & himself a souldier for that service vnder the Comand of Capt[ain] Edward Barker in Colonell William Daniel’s Regim[en]t where hee remained till hee dyed leaveing yo[u]r pet[itione]r and one Child and w[i]th child w[i]th twoe more [sic.] and an ancient woman her mother on her hands to mainteine and is very much in debt w[hi]ch since his death shee hath beene forced to take vp for her subsistance,

That yo[u]r pet[itione]rs said husband had litle or noe estate at his decease but one Cottage wherein shee now inhabits w[hi]ch standeth conveniently on the road betwixt Shrouesbury and the Northerne parts farr distant from houses of entertainem[en]t on that rode in which respect and for the benefit of travellers, and strangers, and procureing an honest livelyhood they were formerly admitted to keepe a Com[m]on Ale=house and place of entertainem[en]t and yo[u]r pet[itione]r is desirous to continue the same if yo[u]r Wor[shi]ps would please to license her for that purpose.

That many poore widowes in this County whose husbands were slaine and died in the Parliam[en]t service haue yearely pentions allowed them for and towards their maintenance w[hi]ch yo[u]r pet[itione]r wants though equally necessitated w[i]th them, By reason whereof and her not being licensed to brew, and of yo[u]r petic[i]oners infirmenes of body to do hard labour and her great charge to mainteine, Shee is brought into great poverty and is like to come to great misery, if not releived herein by yo[u]r wor[shi]ps.

May it therefore please yo[u]r good wor[shi]ps vpon tender consideration had of the pr[e]misses and of yo[u]r pet[itione]rs sad and distressed condicion to give order that yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r may bee licensed to brewe and keepe a com[m]on Ale-house for the purpose afforesaid, and that yo[u]r wor[shi]ps would bee favourably pleased to allow her such a yearely pention out of the County or Parrish where shee lives as may seeme meet to yo[u]r good wor[shi]ps And yo[u]r poore pet[itione]r will haue cause to blesse god for you,

And as in duty bound will ever pray for yo[u]r good wor[shi]ps healthes & eternall happines.

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