The petition of Margery Nichols, Lancashire, Easter 1652
To the Right Worshipfull the Justices of the Peace for the County of Lancaster
The humble Petic[i]on of Margery Nichols widdow late wife of Leuietn[a]nt Isaack Nichols on the behalfe of her selfe & her foure small Children.
<Sheweth,>
That yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r Margery & her said late husband liueing in Ireland at the breakeing out of the Rebellion there were ousted of their estate & had Foure children murthered by the Barbarous Rebells, & themselues were enforced to fly into England where yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]rs late husband was Constantly in Armes for the Common wealth of England, & about September 1650 marched into Scotland vnd[e]r the Lord Generalls Command in the Regim[en]t of Col[one]l Standish, & was there slaine in the same seruice, about a yeare agoe, leaueing yo[u]r said Petic[i]oner & Foure small Children without meanes of maintenance & liuelyhood.
Your Petic[i]oner therefore humbly prayeth That according to & in pursuance of a late Act of Parliam[en]t (for Releife & maintenance of widdowes & Orphanes, whose husbands & Fathers dyed in the seruice of this Common wealth). Your wor[shi]ps would be pleased to allow her & her said Children such maintenance as the said Act doth appoint & as in yo[u]r wisdomes shall be thought meet.
And yo[u]r Petic[i]oner shall pray &c.
The court to inlisted her for