The petition of Martine Anchor, City and County of Canterbury, 31 July 1655
<Ancher>
<31 July 1655>
<The Citty of}
<Canterbury } s[ession]s>
To the right wor[shipfu]ll the Maior Aldermen and Comon Counsellors now assembled in Court of Burgimoth.
The humble petic[i]on of Martine Anchor of the said Citty Gunsmith
Sheweth
That whereas your petic[i]oner was borne in the Citty of Genth in Flanders and was bound apprentice there to A Gunsmith and served a gunsmith by the space of seaven yeares And afterwardes travelled into England and came to the Citty of Canterbury aforesaid And about A yeare and A halfe Agoe was married to Margery late wife of James Sheppard of this Citty who lived in the parliament service many yeares and died in the said service and left behinde him one Childe w[hi]ch your petic[i]oner now mainetegneth and your petic[i]oner now worketh of his said trade without the walles of this Citty and hath bine lately arrested and much troubled in his Calling not being A freeman of this Citty And your peticoner doth only such worke as noe other Gunsmith in this Citty doth whereby he cannot be be anyway pr[e]iudiciall to any of the said Trade; And if he be not suffered to worke of his said trade here he must be forced to goe away and leave behinde him to the Parishe the Childe of the said James Sheppard your petic[i]oners wifes late husbands.
In tender Considerac[i]on of the pr[e]misses your petic[i]pner humbly desires that your wor[shi]ps would be pleased to tollerate your petic[i]oner to worke of his said trade w[i]thout Burgate where he now dwelleth that so he may be able to mainetegne himselfe wife and Children And if at anytyme hereafter hee be able, he will bee willing to pay such fine for his freesome as your wor[shi]ps shall thinke fitt and ever pray &c.