The petition of William Summer of Leicester, Leicestershire, 1645 to 1647
To the right wor[shi]p[fu]ll ye Maior ye wor[shi]p[fu]ll the Alldermen his Brethren, and the rest of this Societie.
The humble petic[i]on of Will[ia]m Summer Taylor
Sheweth
That whereas yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[er], before ye taking of the towne, for ye better securinge thereof, had his house pulled downe (it beinge his inheritance) and all his frute trees Cutt downe to his great losse, & att ye taking of ye towne by ye enemy had his Sonn slayne, and most of goods plundered; w[i]th the fright whereof yo[u]r peticon[er]s wife hath beene distracted ever synce, and yt yo[u]r petic[i]on[er] endeavoringe to p[ro]vide for himselfe & family hauinge 5 Children vsed his trade as a Tayler.
Nowe so it is, yt one John Stafford Master or Steward of ye Companie of the Taylors hath lately arrested yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[er] & Com[m]enced a suite in ye towne Co[u]rt (yo[u]r petic[i]on[er] beinge no free man) and also diu[er]s others of ye s[ai]d Companie doe daylie threatten yo[u]r petic[i]on[er] to Com[m]ence theire seu[er]all acc[i]ons vpon the same grounds, w[hi]ch wil be (if not p[re]vented) yo[u]r peticoners vtter vndoeinge.
Yo[u]r petic[i]on[er] therefore humbly entreateth this wor[shi]p[fu]ll Companie in respect of his great Charge, losses, and pou[er]tie yt yo[u]r petic[i]on[er] maye be admitted a Free man of this Corporac[i]on to worke as a botcher, yt so he maye be the better able to mainetayne himselfe wife and family, and keepe himselfe from the iust excepc[i]on and trouble of the s[ai]d Companie of Taylors, w[hi]ch are soe vyolent ag[ains]t yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[er]. & yo[u]r petic[i]on[er] shall dayely praye. &c:
It is agreed & granted at the Com[m]on Hall that the petic[i]on[er] shal be admitted to exercise the trade & occupac[i]on of a botcher in this Corporac[i]on p[ro]vided he Cutt not newe Cloth but for mendinge nor worke any newe worke Garments: