The petition of Mary Ewin of Melling, Lancashire, Epiphany 1662
To the wor[shi]p[fu]ll his Ma[jes]ties Justices of the Peace and Quoru[m] at the Quarter Assises this day holden at Lancaster the humble petition of Mary Ewin wife to John Ewin of Mellin whoe humbly
<Sheweth.>
That whereas yo[u]r wor[shi]ps petitioner about eleaven yeares since was married to John Ewin and brought him one hundred and fourty pounds to portion, and whereas the said John Ewin yo[u]r petitioners husband and Thomas Ewin his father were both of them true and loyall subiects to his Ma[jes]tie and for their loyaltie and faith theirin were brought into povertie in these late and vnhappy distractions, whereby yo[u]r petition[e]rs husband was forced about fowre yeares agoe to forsake his Countrie to seeke for a liuelyhood haueing nothing left to subsist vppon, and left yo[u]r petitioner with three small children in a verie sadd and deplorable condic[i]on without any maner of liuelyhood house or harbor whereby yo[u]r petitioner and her poore children are in a most dangerous probability to bee vtterly lost and starved vnlesse yo[u]r wor[shi]ps out of yo[u]r charitable care and goodnesse take not some speedie Co[u]rse for yo[u]r poore petition[er]s releife and her three poore children.
May it theirfore please yo[u]r good wor[shi]ps, in tender commiseration of yo[u]r petition[e]rs most deplorable and sad condition, to grant out yo[u]r order to the Ouerseers for the poore of Mellin Parish, that yo[u]r petition[er] may haue some convenient house within Mellin to liue in, and some weekely allowance for maintenance as in yo[u]r graue Judgements and charitie you shall thinke most meete, that yo[u]r poore petitioner and her three small children bee not starved for want of harbor and releife, and as in dutie bound yo[u]r poore petitioner will euer pray for yo[u]r good wor[shi]ps health and safeties.
Ch[urchwardens] & Ou[erseers] to give] allowance build or iii s. a weeke for to p[ro]vide her houseroome releeve & manteynance of selfe & children
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