Worcestershire Quarter Sessions: 1790s

Charles Faulkner, keeper of the Worcestershire bridewell. Ref.110 BA1/1/521/31 (1790)

Worcestershire bridewell July 13th 1790

To the worshipful the justices of the
county of Worcester assembled in sessions

The humble petition of Charles
Faulkner keeper of the above bridewell
humbly sheweth

That the above prison being
continually very full of prisoners and
many of them for very capitol crimes your
petitioner is much concerned for the safety
of the said prison having no assistant allowed
to assist him in his charge and the present
salary so inadequate to the trust that your
worships petitioner cannot afford to hire a
proper assistant your petitioner humbly prayeth your
worships will condescend to take it into
consideration and that you will please to
grant him such an augmentation to his
present salary as your worships shall think
meet to enable him to support the charge
entrust in him with safety. And your worships
petitioner will as in duty bound ever pray

John Boles Watson, manager of the royal theatre at Cheltenham. Ref.110 BA1/1/522/76 (1790)

To the worshipful his majestys justices
of the peace for the county of Worcester
at the general quarter sessions of the
peace holden at Worcester in and for
the said county of Worcester on
Tuesday the fifth day of October
assembled

The humble petition of John Boles Watson master
or manager of his majestys royal licenced
theatre at Cheltenham in the county of
Gloucester

Sheweth unto your worships
that your petitioner having
been invited by the principal inhabitants
residing in and near the town of Stourbridge
in the county of Worcester aforesaid is desirous
of opening a theatre at Stourbridge aforesaid
for the performance of such tragedies, comedies,
interludes, opera's, plays, or farces, as now are
or hereafter shall be acted performed or represented
at either of the patent or licensed theatres in
the city of Westminster or as shall in the
manner prescribed by law have been submitted
to the inspection of the Lord Chamberlain of the
Kings houshold for the time being for the space
of sixty days to commence as from the thirteenth fifteenth
day of February March which will be in the year of
our Lord one thousand seven hundred and
ninety one or for such other time as to your
worships shall seem expedient

Your petitioner therefore humbly
prays your worships that you will
be pleased to grant a license to
your petitioner for that purpose
pursuant to the statute in that case
made and provided and your
petitioner as in duty bound shall
ever pray etc.

• John Boles Watson

William Meill, manager of the theatres of Worcester, Wolverhampton and Ludlow. Ref.110 BA1/1/525/105 (1791)

To the worshipful his majestys justices
of the peace for the county of Worcester
at the general quarter sessions of the
peace holden at Worcester in and for
the said county of Worcester on Tuesday
the third day of May in the thirty first
year of the reign of our sovereign lord
George the third assembled.

The humble petition of William Meill
master or manager of the theatres of
Worcester Wolverhampton and Ludlow.

Sheweth unto your worships
that your petitioner having been invited by
the principal inhabitants residing in and near the
town of Great Malvern in the county of Worcester
is desirous of opening a theatre at Great Malvern
aforesaid for the performance of such tragedies comedies
interludes operas plays or farces as now are or
hereafter shall be acted performed or represented at either
of the patent or licenced theatres in the city of
Westminster or as shall in the manner prescribed by
law have been submitted to the inspection of the Lord
[Chancellor?] Chamberlain of the Kings household for the time being for
the space of sixty days to commence from the first
day of July next or for such other time as to
your worships shall seem expedient.

Your petitioner therefore humbly
prays your worships that you
will be pleased to grant a licence
to your petitioner for that purpose
pursuant to the statute in that case
made and provided and your
petitioner as in duty bound shall
ever pray etc.

John Boles Watson, manager of the royal theatre at Cheltenham. Ref.110 BA1/1/450/46 (1792)

To the worshipful his majestys justices of the
peace for the county of Worcester at the general
quarter sessions of the peace holden at Worcester
in and for the said county of Worcester on Tuesday
the second day of October 1792 then and there
assembled

The humble petition of John Boles Watson master or
manager of his majestys royal licenced theatre
at Cheltenham in the county of Gloucester

Sheweth unto your worships
that your petitioner having
by and with the approbation of the inhabitants
residing in and near the town of Stowrbridge
in the county of Worcester at a very considerable
expence erected and built a new theatre
within the said town of Stowrbridge and having
been invited by the said principal inhabitants
residing in and near the said town is
desirous of performing in such new theatre
such tragedies, comedies, interludes, operas, plays
or farces, as now are or hereafter shall be acted
performed or represented, at either of the patent or
licensed theatres in the city of Westminster or as
shall in the manner prescribed by law have
been submitted to the inspection of the Lord
Chamberlain of the Kings houshold for the time
being for the space of sixty days to commence
as from the tenth day of March which will be
in the year of our Lord one thousand seven
hundred and ninety three or for such other time
as to your worships shall seem expedient

Your petitioner therefore humbly
prays your worships that you will
be pleased to grant a licence to your petitioner
for that purpose pursuant to the statute in
that case made and provided and your petitioner
as in duty bound shall ever pray etc.

• John Boles Watson

William Miell, manager of the theatres of Worcester, Wolverhampton and Ludlow. Ref.110 BA1/1/539/68 (1795)

To the worshipful his majestys justices
of the peace for the county of Worcester
at the general quarter sessions of the
peace holden at Worcester in and for
the said county of Worcester on Tuesday
the thirteenth day of January 1795
assembled

The humble petition of William Miell master
or manager of the theatres of Worcester
Wolverhampton Ludlow Shrewsbury and
Stourbridge

Sheweth unto your worships
that your petitioner having been invited by
the principal inhabitants residing in and
near the town of Stourbridge in the county of
Worcester is desirous of opening the theatre at
Stourbridge aforesaid for the performance of
such tragedies, comedies, interludes, opera's,
plays or farces, as now are or hereafter shall
be acted performed or represented at either of the
patent or licensed theatres in the city of
Westminster or as shall be in the manner
prescribed by law have been submitted to the
inspection of the Lord Chamberlain of the Kings
houshold for the time being for the space of sixty
days to commence from the twenty second
day of March [instant?] next or for such other
time as to your worships shall seem expedient

Your petitioner therefore humbly prays your
worships that you will be pleased to grant
a licence to your petitioner for that purpose
pursuant to the statute in that case made
and provided and your petitioner as in duty
bound shall ever pray etc.

• William Miell

The minister, chapelwarden and principal inhabitants of the chapelry of Hanley Child. Ref.110 BA1/1/544/44 (1796)

To his majesty's justices of the peace for the
county of Worcester assembled at their general
quarter sessions of the peace for the said county
holden by adjournment at the city of Worcester
in and for the said county of Worcester on
Monday the eighteenth day of July 1796

The humble petition of the minister chapelwarden
and principal inhabitants of the chapelry of Hanley
Child in the parish of Eastham in the said county of
Worcester sheweth

That the said chapelry is distinct from, and unconnected
with the parish of Eastham and maintains its own poor.

That the chapel within the said chapelry is an antient
structure and in great decay, notwithstanding considerable
repairs have from time to time been done to the same
and many large sums of money have been expended in
and about such repairs. That the said chapel is so very
ruinous and in such great decay that the inhabitants of
the said chapelry [are?] cannot resort thereto for divine worship without danger,
as the said chapel is in a falling state. That it is impracticable
to repair the said chapel in such a manner as to make it fit
for the reception of the inhabitants of the said chapelry,
and the whole thereof must be intirely taken down and
rebuilt. That the taking down and rebuilding of the said
chapel, upon a moderate computation, will amount
to the sum of three hundred and thirty six pounds eleven
shillings and eleven pence exclusive of the old materials
which sum the inhabitants of the said chapelry are
unable to raise amongst themselves (being mostly
tenants at rack rents and greatly burthened with poor)
without the assistance of his majesty's well disposed subjects

Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that his majesty's
said justices will be gratiously pleased to certify to the Lord
Chancellor of Great Britain the premises to the effect before stated in order that his lordship may
be pleased to grant to the said inhabitants of the said chapelry
his majesty's most gratious letters patent under the great
seal of Great Britain to enable them to ask collect and
receive the charitable contributions of his well disposed
subjects through such part of Great Britain as to his
lordship shall seem meet and convenient and from
house to house through the counties of Worcester Hereford Salop
and Warwick and Stafford.

And your petitioners shall ever pray etc.

• C Whitehead rector of Eastham
  and Hanley
• John Webb officiating officer for Thomas


• Cook chapelwarden of Hanley
  Child

James Clark of Sutton, Yorkshire. Ref.110 BA1/1/546/57 (1797)

The humble petition of James Clark

Sheweth
that you petitioner was a farmer in the parish of Sutton, county
of York, and being from home on the 29th September, 1796, his house
caught fire by accident, the wind being violent, the sparks were
blown from the house to the barn and from thence to the barn yard and
burned with unquenchable violence till the whole was laid in ruins.
Your petitioner having sustained a loss to the amount of £600 is
obliged to lay his case before a charitable world, he having five
motherless children and being afflicted with a dropsical com-
plaint and far advanced in life is unable to earn their bread
by hard labour; he knows that begging is against the laws of the
land, but he has the consolation of reflecting, that it is not against
the laws of God, he therefore hopes, that even the hard hearted
will excuse the application and notwithstanding the present low
ebb of charity, he hopes to find many, who will take compassion
on age accompanied with indigence and infirmity and he most
earnestly wishes, that the blessing of God, which maketh eternally
rich, may attend those, who may be pleased to assist him in his
present distressed situation.

The least donation will be thankfully received
and gratefully remembered and your petitioner,
as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc

• James Johnson minister


• George Smith church warden

John Hill, a prisoner for debt. Ref.110 BA1/1/546/58 (1797)

To the worshipfull the chairman and other his majesty's justices
in and for the county of Worcester assembled at their general
quarter sessions Epiphany 1797.

May it please your worships.

The petition of John Hill.

Most humbly sheweth.

That your petitioner was arrested for debt on the eighth
day of January 1796 and conveyed to the county gaol of Worcester
where he now remains totally destitute of every means of support.

That your petitioner has a distressed wife and six small infant children
all under the age of fourteen years who previous to your petitioners imprisonment
relied entirely upon his labour for their maintainance that now being deprived of
his assistance the three youngest children are become chargeable to the parish of
Lower Sapey in this county.

That your petitioner not having any relations or friend who
are enabled to assist him or any trade whereby he might procure a
something to subsist and support him in his present distressed situation

Most humbly implores this worshipfull court will
humanely be pleased to take into their considerations
the distresses of his disconsolate wife and small infant
family the hardships and sufferings of your petitioner
and generously grant him such releif as to this worshipfull
court may seem meet.

And your petitioner as in duty bound
will ever pray etc, etc.

• John Hill