The petition of Richard Knight of Weston, Cheshire, Michaelmas 1653
To the ho[noura]ble and wo[shipfu]ll the Justices of Peace at the Quarter Sessions at Northw[i]ch or elswhere:
The humble Petic[i]on of Richard Knight of Weston in Wibunbury Parish:
Shewinge
That your petic[i]oner beinge a Parlyam[en]t souldior vnder the Com[m]and of Maior Broomall was at the beatinge backe of S[i]r Thomas Aston when S[i]r William Brereton came first to Namptw[i]ch and hath contynued a Parliam[en]t: soldior: ever: since And further sheweth vnto yo[u]r good ho[nours] and wor[shi]ps, That vpon Saterdaie the second of October last between 11 and 12 of the clocke in the night a fearefull fyre accidentallie happened, that yo[u]r petic[i]oners Father beinge an ould man was so burned therewith that he dyed therof that daie senight after, w[hi]ch said fyre burned quite to the ground both the dwellinge houses of yo[u]r Petic[i]oner and his Fathers, beinge 4 bayes of buildinge, and all yo[u]r petic[i]oners Fathers goods, and most p[ar]t of yo[u]r Petic[i]oners, all w[hi]ch buildings should haue beene yo[u]r petic[i]oners after his Fathers decease, to the vtter vndoeinge of your petic[i]oner, and his sicke wife being greatly affrighted with the said fyre and not able to helpe her selfe:
Maye it therefore please yo[u]r good ho[nours] and wor[shi]ps so to take the p[re]misses into your graue considerac[i]ons [illegible] that yo[u]r poore petic[i]oner and his wife may be relie{ved} by way of Collecc[i]ons or otherwise as to yo[u]r goodnes and wisedomes shall seeme meete and convenient: For w[hi]ch your Petic[i]oner and his poore sicke wife (accordinge to theire bounden dueties) shall dailie pray for yo[u]r good ho[nours] and wor[shi]ps in health and happines longe to contynue.
Wee the Inhabitants in Weston and others whose names are herevnder written doe Certifie yo[u]r good ho[nours] and wor[shi]ps that this petic[i]on is accordinge to trueth and not otherwise, as witnesseth our hands: and we conceave the s[ai]d Peti[ti]oner hath lost by the accident aforesaid betwixt xxx & xl li.
J: Bromhall
Ra: Stringer [Two illegible words]
[Two illegible words] 8b[e]r 1652 15o
Thomas Ellisone
William Radmore
Law[rence] Fletcher }
Richard Fletcher } Church Wardens
Sam[uel] Cole Past[o]r of Wibunbury
The Inhabitants of Weston & Chorl{ton}
Raphe Stringer
Ambrose Pickern
Raphe Henston
William Latham
Thomas Wolf
John Deaine
Thomas Crauen Robert Timmies
Daniel Stringer
The [symbol: mark] marke of Thomas Whittingham
Henry Butler
Hugh Mosle
Humphrie Podmore
Hugh Michhage
William Bradford
Tho[mas] Munckas
Thomas Poole
Richard Ridge
Thomas Tomies
William [Illegible]
Will[iam] Hicksone
Willi[am] Latham
John Wodnut
Thomas Hanton
Richard Lawday
Randel Lightfot
Richard Perrin
John Shingleton
Hugh Slade
John Cooke
Richard Blackburne