The petition of John Rogers of Warminster, Wiltshire, 14 July 1646
To the right wor[shipfu]ll the Justices of the peace of the County of Wiltes[shire] nowe assembled att ye Quarter Sessions held at Warminster the xiiiith of July 1646.
The humble petic[i]on of John Rogers Appr[e]ntice to Thomas Harris of Warminster Ringeweaver
humbly sheweth
That yo[u]r pet[itione]r ye xxth day of Novemb[er] 18o Car[oli] became bound, as an Appr[e]ntice vnto his said M[aste]r to serve him for 7 yeres duringe w[hi]ch tyme his said M[aste]r was to pay him for eu[er]y dozen of playne Range bottoms yt he should weave xiiii d. & for eu[er]y dozen of twilly bottomes xx d. & for eu[er]y dozen of strayner bottomes xii d. & for settinge vp of eu[er]ie dozen of ranges [?6] d. towards yo[u]r pet[itione]rs livelihood And yt his said M[aste]r was to find haire & tacklynge to doe ye said worke as p[er] Indenture app[ear]eth.
Yo[u]r pet[itione]r further saith that about 2 yeres now last past he was pr[e]ssed to be a souldier to serve in ye kings Army & havinge noe affecc[ion] that way gott himselfe of & went vnto ye Parliam[en]t Army & there served till the vth of May 1645 after w[hi]ch tyme yo[u]r pet[itione]r repaired to his M[aste]r & tendred his service vnto him whoe refused ye same & tooke away such haire & tacklinge as yo[u]r pet[itione]r had in his hands & wished him to p[ro]vide for himselfe for he would make noe further vse of yo[u]r pet[itione]r wherevpon he hath eu[er] since wrought w[i]th one Will[ia]m Milton.
But soe it is may it please yo[u]r worr[shi]ps that there beinge some difference nowe betweene ye said Milton & Harris yt ye said Harris nowe threatneth yo[u]r pet[itione]r & ye said Milton to question them th[e] one for not servinge out his tyme & th[e] other for deteyning of his Appr[e]ntice whereas in truth the said Harris hath nowe noe abidinge place neither is he able to sett yo[u]r pet[itione]r on worke.
The pr[e]misses considered yo[u]r pet[itione]r humbly desireth that he may be discharged of his appr[e]ntiship & may be att lib[er]ty to serve elsewhere And yo[u]r pet[itione]r &c.