The petition of William Bladen of Ilam, Staffordshire, 14 July 1657
<W[illia]m Bladens petic[i]on>
<Stafford s[ession]s>
To the right wor[shipf]ull the Justices of peace assembled at the Quarter Sessions at Stafford for the said County.
The humble petic[i]on of William Bladen of Ilam in the said County husbandman.
Sheweth vnto yo[u]r wor[shi]pps That one Siciley Bladen yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]rs daughter beinge sent to prison for haueinge a bastard Child; & haueing 3 more children left in Ilam w[i]thout any subsistence or livelyhood at all yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r com[m]isseratinge their poore Condic[i]on, hath hath succoured & releeued them as longe as he is able, being growne into want himself, by reason he cannot gett his arreries yt is due vnto him for his service in ye late warrs vnder ye com[m]and of Capt[ain] John Pert, being 82 li. at least. & yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r hath often tymes made his Complaint to Col[one]l Jackson, who hath sent out seu[er]all warr[an]ts to p[ro]vide Overseers of ye poore of Ilam, w[hi]ch by the houserow-custome, Bamfords farme ought to serue it this yeare, who hitherto refuses to yeald obedience to ye warr[an]ts or any releife to ye 4 poore Children.
Yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r therefore humbly prayeth yo[u]r good wor[shi]pps to take ye pr[e]misses into Considerac[i]on, & to afford the 4 poore Children such releife & maintenance out of Ilam p[ar]ish as ye law in such cases hath made & p[ro]vided for ye poore.
And yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r as in duty bound shall eu[e]r pray &c.
July the 14th 1657.
The Churchwardens are to releeve the children.