Petitions to the Derbyshire Quarter Sessions, 1632-1770.
This free content was born digital and sponsored by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The cost of photographing the petitions was funded by an Economic History Society Carnevali Small Research Grant: ‘Seeking Redress in Early Modern England: Petitions to Local Authorities, c.1580-1750’, the cost of transcribing eighteenth-century items was funded by a later Economic History Society Carnevali Small Research Grant: ‘Poverty, Taxation and Regulation: Petitions to local magistrates in Eighteenth-Century England’; and the other costs, including transcription of seventeenth-century items and editorial work, were funded by an Arts and Humanities Research Council Research Grant: ‘The Power of Petitioning in Seventeenth-Century England’ (AH/S001654/1). CC-NC-BY.
In this section
Sara Wollis of Hulland. Q/SB/2/779 (1720)
Derby sessions
May it please your worshipps etc.
The humble petition of Sara Wollis of Hulland in the parish of Ashborne in the
county of Derby and her little childe about a yeare and three quarters old, and
shee big with childe; and her husband Thomas Wollis now a prisoner in the
said county goale at Derby, for the said county of Derby and hath beene above
a yeare and a halfe a prisoner in the said goale, and not able to mentaine her
selfe and her childe, or to gett her liveinge, is come into very great wantes
and poverty, and without the speedy supply and releife from the towne or
hamlet of Hulland aforesaid, your said poore distressed petitioner and her
childe will utterly perish; and your said poore distressed petitioner humbly
prays your worshipps seriously to consider and commiserat the sad and
deplorable condition of your said poore distressed petitioner and her childe
and your said poore distressed petitioners being big with childe and haveinge
nothinge to live upon, or to help her selfe and her childe with all are likly to
perish and that your worshipps will bee pleased to grant to your said poore
distressed petitioner and her childe an order for some weekly pay and
allowance from the towne and hamlet of Hulland aforesaid that your said
poore distressed petitioner and her childe perish not.
And your said poore distressed petitioner and her
childe as in duty bound will ever pray for your
worshipps healths longe lives and prosperitys etc
Sara Wollis her marke
John Sowter of Duffeild, Sara his wife and nine children. Q/SB/2/878 (1723)
May it please your worships and the honourable bench etc.
[Com?] Derby sessions
The humble petition of John Sowter of Duffeild Sara his wife and nine children
who was removed to Saint Peters parish in Derby by a certificate and now come into
great wants and poverty and not able to help them selves without the present
supply from the parish of Duffeild who gave them a certificat is likly to perish to
death haveinge noethinge to live upon or help them selves withall and the said
John Sowter is aged above sixty seaven yeares and past his worke and now the
parish of Duffeild doth refuse to give or allow your said poore petitioners any thinge
to live upon are likly to perish to death.
And your said poore petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray
for your worships health, longe lives and prosperitys etc.
John Sowter and Sara his wife and nine children
Thomas Loxley, a prisoner for debt in Derby gaol. Q/SB/2/1365 (1729)
To Thomas Gisborne esquire
one of his majesties justices of the peace for the county
of Derby
The humble petition of Thomas
Loxley a prissoner for debt in the county goal of Derby
Sheweth
that your petitoner on the twenty ninth day of September
in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundrerd and
twenty eight was and ever since hath been actually
a prisoner within the limits of the prison of the said
county without his consent or procurement and without
any fraud or collusion whatsoever
Your petitioner therefore most humbly prays
the benefit of the late act of Parliament
passed in the second year of the reign of our
soveraign lord King George the second
entituled an Act for the Releife of Insolvent
Debtors and that you will be pleased to
issue forth your warrant directed to Mary
Gretorex goaler thereby requireing her to
bring your petitioner before his majesties
justices of the peace at the next generall
quarter sessions of the peace to be held for
the said county with the warrant of your
petitioners detainer together with a
copy or copies of the causes for which your
petitioner stands charged and also your
notice or summons to your petitioners creditor
that your petitioner may be discharged
according to the directions of the said act
And your petitioner as in
duty bound shall ever pray
etc
Thomas Loxley