Petitions to the Westminster Quarter Sessions: 1738

The constables of the city and liberty of Westminster. WJ/SP/1738/04/005 (1738). LondonLives reference: LMWJPS654120005

To the worshipful Nathaniel Blackerby esquire and the
rest of his majesties justices of the city and liberty of
Westminster now sitting in Westminster Hall

The humble petition of the several constables belonging to the said
city and liberty of Westminster

Sheweth
that your petitioners were summoned by the high constable to
attend this honourable court and grand jury on Wednesday last and at
the same time commanded them to bring their returns and presentments
of all things presentable by them in their several wards which they
accordingly did and delivered the same to the foreman of the grand jury.
That notwithstanding your petitioners obeyed the said summons according
to the ancient custom Master Rawlinson thought proper to send your petitioners
a second summons commanding them to attend this day with their
returns and presentments as aforesaid

That your petitioners are informed by the foreman of the said jury that
the said Master Rawlinson took your petitioners returns so made by them as
aforesaid from the said foreman of the grand jury without assigning
any other reason than that your petitioners did not give his beadle one
shillinge a peice

Your petitioners therefore humbly pray your worships
that the said Master Rawlinson may return their said
presentments so made by them as aforesaid to the
said foreman or otherwise as to your worships shall
seem meet

And your petitioners shall ever pray etc.

Constables

• William White
• Oliver Hill
• Charles Mathews
• Robert [Bardes?]
• John Morris
• Henry Cook
• William [Rush?]
• Robert Parker
• The mark TM of Thomas Mott


• [The mark of?] Thomas Street


• [illegible]

Constables

• Richard Holton
• John Percivall
• Robert Wood
• John Hancock
• Roger Saunders
• James Keneughen
• Daniell Cuthbertson
• Thomas Jennings

Patrick Long, prisoner in the Gatehouse. WJ/SP/1738/04/006 (1738). LondonLives reference: LMWJPS654120006

To the worshipful Nathaniel Blackerby
esquire chirman and the rest of the worshipful justices now
sitting in Westminster Hall

The humble pettition of Patrick Long
now prisoner in the Gatehouse.

Humbly sheweth
that your poor pettitioner in last
October sessions was convicted of an assault upon the body of
Daniel Lee, uppon which your worships were pleased to order
your poor pettitioner to remain in prison the space of six
calender months and to pay a fine of thirteen shillings and
four pence

That your poor pettitioner was confined
in the house of correction in Tutilfields before he took his triall
eleven weeks and upwards which long imprisonment hath rendred
your petititioner to the lowest circumstances and is now in a most
misserable and starving condition and must inevitably perish
unless your worships will be pleased in your great goodness
to remitt his said fine

Your pettitioner most
humbly implores your worships will be pleased to take his
deplorable case into your consideration

And he as in duty bound shall ever pray etc.

• Pattrick Long

Margaret Southouse. WJ/SP/1738/04/007 (1738). LondonLives reference: LMWJPS654120007

The petition of Margaret Southouse

To the worshipfull Nathaniel Blackeby esquire cherman and
the rest of the worshipfull bench of justices

Humbly sheweth

that your petitioner Margaret Southouse wife of Filmor
Southous esquire has been abandened by him the space of nine years
he keeping company with an other woman to whome he is
now married which has occassioned me to be allmost out
of my sences and not allowing me any thing to support
me I was drove to the height of passion which provoced me
to brake all the windows of his house and expose his auda=
=tious treatment to me to the world for which he has confined
me to the Gatehouse for a yeare and a fine of ten pound which
time I have been and has suffered an unknown deal of hardship
having nothing to support me but what I get by beging
gentlemen I beg for Christ sake you will be so good out of
your usual benignity to look with an eye of pitty on
your poor petitioner and take my case into considerasion
as for my fine I may [lie?] all the day of my life for I
cannot rais it so I hope your goodness will be pleased to take
it off here is a coppy of my sertificat of mariadge I hope
your worships will not suffer a gentlewoman and a poor
deplorable creature to perish for realy I am in a manner
a starving beging a favourable answer from your
worships I remain your most obedent petitioner and
humble servant who shall as in duty bound ever
pray

• Margaret Southouse

To the worshipfull Nathaniel Blackeby

May it please your worship to look with an eye
of compassion on the case of a distressed gentlewoman
in presenting my deplorable condision to the worshipfull
bench of justices and desire their favour towards your
petitioner Margeret Southouse

George Cuppage, clerk. WJ/SP/1738/04/010 (1738). LondonLives reference: LMWJPS654120010

To the worshipfull Nathaniel Blackerby esquire chairman, and the rest
of his majesties justices of the peace, in their quarter sessions assembled

The petition of George Cuppage clerk humbly sheweth, that your petitioner mar
ried Mary the elder daughter of Thomas Burke late of Saint James vintner in the
year 1717; that your petitioner was prevailed on by the said Burk and his wife in
the year following to accept of an estate in Essex of 88 pounds per annum most
part copy hold and ruinous, for his life only, in leiu of a 1000 pounds settled some
years before, on [illegible] each of his daughters, (they being protestants). That
your petitioner possessed the said estate, for about 12 years without any inter-
-ruption or demands, and in that time, so much improved the same selling his pater-
nal estate thereto, as to let it to good tenants for 136 pounds per annum and upwards,
that your petitioner thought, he had at all emergencies secured therefrom, a
competency for his childrens education and sustenance; but so it is, that the said Burk
out of an unjust and unnatural disposition, and the evil instigations of one John
Burk an Irish [attorney?] who married the other daughter, has by a decree in Chancery,
against which, your petitioner made no defence, thinking that through the incapacity
of Burk as a papist, he would not put the same in execution, got into possession
of the whole estate, and that your petitioner has brought his bill in Chancery to
be releived from the premises, but the two Burk's evade answering, in hopes to
starve your petitioner and his large family to a complyance with their un-
reasonable demands; and as they endeavour to starve, so your petitioner has reason
to apprehend, they are the authors of vilifying notes, dispersed in his neighbour-
hood in these words, (here lives Cuppage that informed against his
father for being a Roman) one of which dropped in the [airy?] of the church wardens
house who had releived your petioners family, is now in your petioner's custody.
That your petioner has a wife and eight children living, the youngest sucking
the breast, that bread and milk, oatmeal and water, have been their

cheifest, and for many days together, their only support, and those often times
procured by sale of his houshold goods. That your petioner is unable under
such perplexing distress and oppressions to apply himselfe to his function,
and therefore humbly hopes, your worships will grant such releife, as
by law and good conscience may be done, by making an order on the said
Burk to allow weekly, so much as your worships shall think meet for [illegible]
necessary maintenance of your petioners children, and your petioner as in duty
bound will pray.

• George Cuppage

April the [illegible] 7th 1738

The churchwardens and surveyors of the highways of St Anne Westminster. WJ/SP/1738/04/011 (1738). LondonLives reference: LMWJPS654120012

To the worshipfull his majestys justices of the peace
for the city and liberty of Westminster in their general quarter
sessions of the peace for the said city and liberty at Westminster
assembled

The humble petition of the churchwardens
and surveyors of the highways of the
parish of Saint Anne Westminster

Sheweth
that the highways and pavements to be amended
and repaired by the inhabitants of the said parish
are at present so broken and faulty that they can
not be sufficiently amended and repaired for this
present year from the the feast day of the birth
of our Lord Christ now last past at less charge
then the expence of one hundred pounds
and that the mony being not to be raised
without an order of the general quarter session

It is prayed that this court will
grant them such order whereby
they may be enabled to raise the
said sum to defray the charges
before mentioned.

And shall ever pray etc.

• Edmund Byron of Saint Ann's vestry

The churchwardens and surveyors of the highways of St James Westminster. WJ/SP/1738/04/012 (1738). LondonLives reference: LMWJPS654120013

To the right worshipfull his majestys justices of
the peace for the city and liberty of Westminster in
their generall quarter sessions assembled;

The humble petition of the churchwardens and surveyors of
the highways of the parish of Saint James within the liberty
of Westminster; in the county of Middlesex;

Sheweth
that the highways, causeways, and pavements, to be repaired by
the said parish of Saint James, are now so broken and out of repair; that
they cannot be sufficiently amended and repaired for this present
year 1738, at less charge than one hundred and fifty pounds and
upwards, which may be raised by a rate of one penny in the pound,
upon the inhabitants, owners, and occupiers, of lands, houses,
tenements, and hereditaments, within the said parish

Your petitioners therefore humbly pray your
worships to grant your petitioners an order of this
court to enable your petitioners to make an assessment
of one penny in the pound upon all and every the
inhabitants of the said parish for repairing
the said highways, causeways, and pavements
as by the statute in that behalf made is provi=
=ded;

And your petitioners shall ever pray etc;

• John Johnson
• William Brotherton
• Jeremiah Feord
• Christopher Humble
• William Low
• Josias Newton}

churchwardens and
surveyors of the high=
=ways;

The churchwardens and surveyors of the highways of St George Hanover Square. WJ/SP/1738/06/005 (1738). LondonLives reference: LMWJPS654130003

To the right worshipful his majesty's justices of
the peace in their general quarter sessions assembled at Westminster

The humble petition of the church wardens and surveyors
of the highways of the parish of Saint George Hanover Square
in the liberty of Westminster and county of Middlesex

Sheweth
that the highways causeways and pavements
to be repaired by the said parish are now so broken and
out of repair that they cannot be sufficiently amended
and repaired for this present year commencing from Christmas
last at less charge than four hundred pounds and
upwards which may be reaised by a rate not exceeding
two pence halfpenny in the pound upon the inhabitants
owners and occupiers of lands houses tenements
and hereditaments within the said parish

Your petitioners therefore humbly
pray your worships to grant your
petitioners an order of this court to enable
your petitioners to make an assessment
not exceeding two pence halfpenny
in the pound upon all and every the
inhabitants of the said parish for repairing
the said highways causeways and
pavements as by the statute in that behalf
made and provided

And your petitioners shall ever pray etc

• Henry Talbot
• Blundells}

churchwardens

• Benjamin Berwick
• David [Willaume?]}

surveyors
of the high=
=ways

Francis Fothergill. WJ/SP/1738/06/006 (1738). LondonLives reference: LMWJPS654130005

To the worshipful Nathaniel
Blackerby esquire chairman, and the
rest of his majesty's bench of justices

The humble petition of Francis Fothergill

Sheweth
that your petitioner on or about the first day of
May 1734 was bound apprentice to one Thomas Holliday of the
parish of Saint James within the liberty of Westminster in the county of
Middlesex sadler since deceased having left his widow Margaret
Holliday who now exercises the trade of saddle making in Bond
Street in the parish of Saint George Hanover Square in the county aforesaid

That your petitioner is now eighteen years of age and
has served three years of his time last May during all which time
he has never been set to make a saddle or any part thereof his
mistress not having sufficient business to employ him which
renders her incapable of teaching him his trade

Your petitioner therefore humbly
prays your worships to take the premisses
aforesaid into your considerations and be
pleased to grant him an order either to be
discharged or turned over to some other
master

And your petitioner shall ever pray

• Francis Fothergill

Bartholomew Hyatt, an apprentice of George Alsop, staymaker. WJ/SP/1738/06/007 (1738). LondonLives reference: LMWJPS654130018

To Nathaniel Blackerby esquire chairman of the
sessions of the peace for the city and liberty of Westminster
and to the rest of his majesties justices of the peace
in their quarter sessions assembled

The humble petition of Bartholomew Hyatt
an apprentice of George Alsop staymaker

Sheweth
that he has been with his said
master after the manner of an apprentice above three
years during which time his said master has upon very
slight occasions beat this informant.

And has at other times to gratifie his passionate temper
attempted to stab your petitioner with an instrument
used in the staymaking trade called a poker and at
other times with a knife and has put your petitioner
in such dread of his life that it has been with
the utmost difficulty that he has performed the
duty of an apprentice and as these things have been
repeated often with little or no cause given and that
the deportment of his master in his neighbourhood
has caused him to be judged a madman your petitioner
most humbly represents that he cannot with any
safety remain in such a masters service and as
a farther proof of his said masters disordered mind
your petitioner setts forth that for his pleasure
he has often kept your petitioner whole days without
permitting him to eat or to drink which was obliged to
to
submitt to least his master should take away
his life should he contradict his will and as your
petitioner will make it appear to your worships that
his master has been guilty of several delirious
and madd actions

He most humbly prays this
honourable bench to take the premises into
consideration and that he may be discharged from
his said apprenticeship and that his said master
(if your petitioner proves these allegations) may
be obliged to restore his friends such a part
of the mony as they gave his said master for his
apprenticeship which is most humbly submitted
etc etc etc

• Bartholomew Hyatt

Michael Dicq. WJ/SP/1738/06/008 (1738). LondonLives reference: LMWJPS654130021

To the worshipful the chairman
and others his majesties justices at
their quarter sessions of the
peace at Westminster assembled

The humble petition of Michael Dicq

Sheweth
that about three years since your petitioner was
bound an apprentice to one Andrew Halak late of Covent
Garden jeweller, that he has failed in the world, and is now
a prisoner for debt and defrauding in Wood Street Compter;
that your petitioner was almost starved during his apprenticeship
having gone several days without any victuals till night,
that his said master has sold all his tools and goods, and
that your petitioner [must?] have lain on the ground, had it not
been for the goodness of the landlord, and that your petitioner
has not in any [manner?] been instructed in the trade

Your petitioner therefore humbly
prays this honourable bench will take
his case into consideration, and be
pleased to order your petitioner may be
discharged from the said apprenticeship,
by means whereof he may gett a
master to learn his trade and here
=after procure his livelihood

And your petitioner will pray

Michael Dicq