The petition of Thomas Bancroft of Weaverham, Cheshire, Easter 1652
<the {county} of Ch{ester}>
To the right wor[shi]ppfull the Justices of peace assembled at Middlewich for the holding of the Quarter sessions for this Countye
The petic[i]on of Thomas Bancroft of Weuerham within this Countye labourer.
Sheweth to yo[u]r wor[shi]pps that yo[u]r petic[ioner] being bred and brought vp in the towne of Weuerham aforesayd of parents of good repute & hauing for many yeares beene a souldier in the parliam[en]ts service in which tyme of yo[u]r petic[ioner’]s service yo[u]r petic[ioner’s] father dyed & in regard of your petic[ioner’s] absence & his fathers not hauing any knowledge what was become of him left yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r noe porc[i]on nor meanes of livelihood by reason whereof yo[u]r petic[ioner] having a wife & two small children & hauing taken housing in the late yeares of dearth is brought to such necessitye that (although hee bee a very paynefull & carefull man) hee cannot p[ro]vide houseroome & mayntenance for himselfe his wife & children but they are likely to growe into greater povertye & bee burthensome to the place where they live vnles some course bee taken for their releefe herein.
May it therefore please yo[u]r wor[shi]pps to order that yo[u]r petic[ioner] may bee admitted to erect some small Cottage in some fit & convenient place in the sayd parish: And yo[u]r petic[ioner] his wife & children as in duty bound shall pray &c
Wee whose names are subscribed certifye the truth of this petic[ion] & hold it a worke of charity to haue the petic[ioner] releeved & therefore in the behalfe of the poore man his wife & children desire as the petic[i]on[e]r hath desired
James Gerrard Robert Haryson
Raphe [?Basnet] John Grimsditch Richard [?Rentak] [symbol: mark]
Thomas Hawkins
Richard Bancroft [symbol: mark] William Clough
Edward Billington John Bancroft Edward Grimes [symbol: mark]
John Wood Richard Gardner John [?Duelle] [symbol: mark]
Richard Bancroft de [Illegible]
Thomas Billington Richard Barker
Thomas [symbol: mark] Marcer Edward Robye de [?Cuts]
Thomas Henshall John Woodfen
Raph Chrymes Raph Amery [symbol: mark] Thomas Dutton
Robert Webster
Edward Robert George Allat John [?Pece] [symbol: mark]
Thomas Caniment [symbol: mark]
Richard Shepard John Billington John Peerson
<John Barker de lane [symbol: mark]>
<Peter Mercer>
<Richard Amry>
<Edward Shawcrose>
<I do giue my consent that the Petition[e]r have a Cottage erected vpon such a place on the Wast as shall be least pr[e]judiciall to the Inhabitants, to be set out by John Eaton>
<Tho[mas] Marbury>
<This petic[i]on is graunted>