The petition of the widows, maimed soldiers, and orphans of Mottram, Cheshire, Easter 1657
To the right wor[shipfu]ll the Justices of the peace at the generall Sessions for the county of Chester.
The humble petic[i]on of Jane Bradley Elizabeth Booth, Ellen Heape, Elizabeth Wagstaffe, Elizabeth Wooley, Margarett Kindar widdows, Thomas Bradbury Maymed souldier, Ellis Collier, and Gerrard Collier Orphanes, penc[i]oners within the parish of Mottram in the County aforesaid.
Humbly sheweth
That whereas by vertue of an order graunted at the Gen[er]all Sessions held at Middlewich the 15th of Aprill 1656 grounded vppon the petic[i]on of yo[u]r wor[sh]ips poore petic[i]oners afores[ai]d your said petic[i]oners were to receiue from ye Treasurer the some of Twentie shillings a peece yearly being Nine in number vntill further Order. And accordingly yo[u]r said petitioners by one William Chadwicke our loveing and trustie freind haue often required from the said Treasurer the said somes of money due and in arreare, but haue not to this day receiued anie more then Fiue shillings a peece, once in Stockport, and the remaynder of the whole yeares pension is vnpaid to vs; so that partly through the great charges and trauell in seeking after it, and partly through the impotency and great indigency of some of vs, we are in danger of starueinge if some speedy releefe and helpe be not afforded.
May it therefore please this hon[oura]ble Bench to take the premisses into your serious and graue considerac[i]on, and to cause the said treasurer to make paym[en]t im[m]ediately of the said 15 s. a peece so [sic.] arreare as aforesaid, & so to order the said busenes for the future that your poore petic[i]oners may receiue what shall become due without anie such delayes hereafter, and your poore petic[i]oners (as in duty bound) shall euer pray for your wor[sh]ips health & happines.
<We whose names are subscribed make bold humbly to certify yo[u]r wor[shi]ps that the tenor of the narrative of this petic[i]on we beleeue to be true>
<F[rancis] Sheldermine Minist[e]r ibid>
<Jo[hn] Hollingworth>
Arthur Bostock}
George Bore } overseers of the poore
<trea[sure]re to pay as farr as will reach>