The petition of John Hansell and Thomas Greenewood of Hillington, Norfolk, 22 January 1656
<Hillington}>
<Januarie 22th}>
<1655}>
To the right wor[shipfu]ll the Justices of the peace
The humble peticion of John Hansell & Thomas Greenewood
Sheweth
Wher[e]as yo[u]r humble peticion[e]rs hath for many yeares beene inhabitants of the said Towne and hath vsed there best endeauo[u]rs to mainteine themselues and families without being burdensome to their neighb[our]s but by reason of many troubles and losses they are become exceeding poore especially the said Thomas Greenewood who was pressed by the inhabita[n]ts into the Parl[i]am[en]ts seruice in w[hi]ch tyme hee not onely was lett fro[m] his labo[u]r but had many oth[e]r hindrances. and yo[u]r said peticioner Hansell hath a great charg of Children to mainteyne and and [sic.] knowing that ther is giuen vnto the said Towne seuerall lands and moneys for the releife of the poore inhabitants haue seuerall tymes made o[u]r necessitie knowne hopeing to haue purchased some releife of o[u]r neighb[ou]rs but could obteyne nothing and not being able of o[u]r selues long[e]r to subsist without releife is necessitated to pr[e]sent this o[u]r humble peticion.
Theise are therfore most humbly to intreate & earnestly to beseech yo[u]r wo[shi]ps that you would be pleased to take the pr[e]misses into Considerac[i]on and that yo[u]r wor[shi]ps would be pleased to graunt yo[u]r said peticion[e]rs some thing towards their future mainteynance eith[e]r out of the Lands & moneys giuen by Godly pieous men for such purposes or out of the Common Collection or what other waies yo[u]r wor[shi]ps shall best please to appoynt. and yo[u]r said poore distressed peticion[e]rs will not cease dayly to pray &c.
Xviii d. a weekly [sic.] allowed to hansell as longe as his wife ly sick
as vj d. put
The Churchwardens & ou[er]seers to p[ro]vide for a house for him to dwell in
resoluc[i]on ag[ains]t the s[ai]d hansell