The petition of Mary Burden of Corsham, Wiltshire, 15 April 1656
<15. April 1656.>
To the right wo[rshipfu]ll the Justices of the Peace att this generall Quarter Sessions
The petic[i]on of Mary Burden of Corsham widowe, the late wife of W[illia]m Burden.
<Humbly sheweth>
That (vpon yo[u]r pet[itione]rs Complaynt vnto his highnes the Lord Protector after her husbands death in the States Service in Ireland) his highnes was gratiously pleased to appoynt & order the Justices of this County to allowe her Compotent Mainten[a]nce,
That three yeares togeather afterwards she had 10 li. a yeare, & then Mr Coles having receaved his highnes order at her hands, lost or misled the same soe that for getting of farther Releife yo[u]r pet[itione]r Was agayne enforced to repaire to London to p[ro]cure another order, w[hi]ch she did the last Som[m]er & had an order then for a Compotent penc[i]on to be allowed vnto her.
That vpon sight of ye last menc[i]oned order the Justices pr[e]sent att ye last generall Quarter Sessions held at Marlbrough, gaue her 5 li. in hand, & appointed her both to attend at this Sessions now, and to deliver that order alsoe vnto the said Mr Coles w[hi]ch she did accordingly before the Justices then pr[e]sent.
That she hath attended all this Sessions & cannot get the said order of Mr Coles, that she might the better open her most sad Condic[i]on before yo[u]r W[orshi]pps but is enforced to addresse herselfe vnto yo[u]r [illegible] humble petic[i]on.
That she hath 6 children & nothing att all to maynteyne them, & hath bin enforced to wast in Lawe all that little she had left.
The pr[e]misses Considered
She humbly prayeth yo[u]r W[orshi]pps to be pleased to confirme a Compotent penc[i]on to her according to his highnes last most gracious order, that she may not any more be necessitated to travell either to him or hither And she shall pray &c
Allowed 4 li. quarterly from the Th[reasur]er for the maimed souldiers of the North p[ar]te the first quarter to beginn at Xmas last.