The petition of John Brooks of Leicester, Leicestershire, September 1681
To the r[igh]t wo[rshi]p[fu]ll the Maior Recorder and other his Ma[jes]ties Justices of the peace for the said Burrough
The humble petic[i]on of John Brooks of the said Burrough mason
Sheweth
That yo[u]r peticonor served King Charles the first of ever blessed memory, from ye beginning of the Rebellion vntill Ashby DelaZouch was taken & disgarrisoned w[hi]ch being all the best and prime of yo[u]r peticon[e]rs time, and afterwards betooke himselfe to his trade, & laboured very hard, to the vtmost of his power, considering yo[u]r peticon[e]rs age and decrepidnes, by coulds, & wounds, received in the said warrs and y[ou]r peticon[e]r by his labour & paines, did gaine a litle money, and therew[i]th bought a small peice of ground, adioyneing to the North gates within this Burrough, and built a small Cottage therevpon, lyeing w[i]thin the parrish of All S[ain]ts w[i]thin the said Burrough, and yo[u]r peticon[e]r being now aged and full of aches and paines, w[hi]ch makes him vnable to p[er]forme worke as formerly; the parrishoners of the said parrish not regarding yo[u]r peticonors poverty, age, and inability, but rather out of p[re]judice to him for his loyalty (as y[ou]r petico[ne]r conceives) taxes yo[u]r petico[ne]r to Church and poore of the said parrish much more then yo[u]r petico[ne]r is able to pay notwithstanding yo[u]r petico[no]r has often desired abatem[en]t of their vnreasonable taxing, yo[u]r petico[ne]r haveing noe other refuge then to make his appeale to yo[u]r good wo[rshi]pps
Therefore humbly implores yo[u]r wo[rshi]pps to comiserate yo[u]r petico[ne]rs distressed Condic[i]on and order yo[u]r petico[ne]r may not bee taxed above what hee is able to pay.
And yo[u]r petico[ne]r shall ever pray &c.
Peticon[e]r referred to the Justices at their next monethly meeteing.