Staffordshire Quarter Sessions: 1789

Protestant dissenters. Q/SB 1789 A/12 (1789)

We whose names are here unto written do request that
a chapel newly erected for the solemn worship of
almighty God, within the diocess of the right reverend father
in God; Lord Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry; in the parish
of Handworth Staffordshire, near the publick road
that leads to Birmingham, about two miles distant,
may be licenced and a certificate granted us agreable to, and
in persuence of an act of Parlaiment made in their late
majesties reign King William and Queen Mary; called the
Toleration Act in favour of protestant dissenters as
witness our hands the 13th day of January 1789

• James Cottrell
• John Smith
• Thomas Pearse


• William Nelson
• Richard Cartwright
• John Nicholson
• Joseph Trickett

William Beto and other inhabitants of the town of Wolverhampton. Q/SB 1789 A/15 (1789)

To the worshipfull his majesty's justices of the
peace in and for the county of Stafford assembled at the
general quarter sessions of the peace holden at Stafford
in and for the said county of Stafford on Thursday the
fifteenth day of January 1789

The petition of William Beto Taylor Walter Stubbs
Thomas Heveningham Benjamin Pountney Anthony Lane
and Henry Smith inhabitants of the town of Wolverhampton
in the said county of Stafford

Sheweth
that the said town of Wolverhampton is a town of considerable
resort and your petitioners have been at a considerable expence
in erecting a theatre in the said town of Wolverhampton and
that such theatre is not within twenty miles of the cities of
London Westminster or Edinburgh or within eight miles of any
patent or licensed theatre or ten miles of the residence of
his majesty or of any place within the same county of Stafford
at which within six months now last past a licence under
the act of Parliament made and passed in the twenty eighth
year of the reign of his present majesty King George the
third intitled "An Act to Enable Justices of the Peace to License
Theatrical Representation Occasionally under the Restrictions
therein Contained" hath been had and exercised or within
fourteen miles of either of the universities of Oxford and
Cambridge or within two miles of the outward limits of
any city town or place having peculiar jurisdiction and
that no licence whatsoever hath been had and exercised in the
said town of Wolverhampton within eight months now last past

Your petitioners therefore pray that you would be pleased
to grant a licence to your petitioners to permit and allow
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 household
for the time being at the aforesaid theatre in the town of
Wolverhampton aforesaid in the county of Stafford aforesaid
and within your jurisdiction for such time as to your
worships shall seem meet

Henry Smith for self and the rest of
the petitioners

Henry New, a prisoner in Stafford gaol. Q/SB 1789 E/85 (1789)

To the worshipful the magistrates at
the general quarter sessions of the peace assembled

The humble petition of Henry New, now a prisner in
Stafford Gaol.

Sheweth
that your petitioner has been confined in the
said gaol, for the space of sixteen months, for the sum
of thirty five pounds, at the suit of Richard Stevens;

That your petitioner is by trade a hatter, and is
a native of Eversham in Worcestershire;

That your petitioner, previous to the above action
being commenced against him, met with many heavy losses in
trai'd, which rendered him utterly incapable of satisfying the plantiffs debt

That the above named plantiff is lately dead,
and your petitioner has an offer made him by the plantiffs
executor, to accomodate the above action

That your petitioner by the bounty of his friends,
has been able to raise nearly suffeshant to procure his discharge
but is still in want of the sum of three guineas; in order
to carey the same into execution;

Which sum your petitioner is utterly incapable of
advancing after having tried every effort for that purpose.

Your petitioner therefore most humbly
implores your worships, of your goodness
and humanity, to take his case into consideration,
and if it please you, charitably to condescend to
his relief, it will be the means of restoring
your petitioner again to society, and free him
from the horrors of a gaol, and your petitioner
as in duty bound will ever pray;

Henry New

Protestant dissenters. Q/SB 1789 T/99 (1789)

Gentlemen of the court

We whose names are here unto subscribed
being prodistent dessenters; desire that
the house of Samuel Averil in the county
of Stafford and parrish of Ashley may
be licenced for publick worship of allmighty God.

July 15 1789

• John Beaumont
• Samul Averill
• Richard Averill
• David Lea
• John Smith
• James [Burcott?]

Robert Deakin of Fair Oak, farmer. Q/SB 1789 T/104 (1789)

The humble petition
of Robert Deakin of Fair Oak in the county of
Stafford farmer to his majesty's justices of the
peace assembled at the general quarter sessions
of the peace held at the guildhall in Stafford
in and for the said county of Stafford on Thursday
the sixteenth day of July in the year of our
lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty
nine.

Sheweth
that in the afternoon of Thursday the
thirtieth day of April last past there happened a sudden and
terrible fire to break out in the dwelling house of your petitioner
at Fair Oak aforesaid which by the violence thereof in a short space
of time totally burnt down and destroyed the same together with
the greatest part of the furniture therein and a barn with a
considerable quantity of wheat therein and two stables cowhouse
and swine sties adjoining together and also a malthouse with a
large stock of malt therein and one other [rank?] of building
containing hay bays cowhouses fodder [b...s?] and a [carthouse?]
with a quantity of hay and several implements of husbandry
and farming utensils to the great loss and damage of your
petitioner and his family therefore your petitioner humbly
prays your worships to grant him your certificate to the
Lord Chancellor in order that he may obtain a brief
and your petitioner shall ever pray and so forth

Robert Deakin

Samuel Stanton. Q/SB 1789 T/97 (1789)

To the worshipfull his majesty's justices of the peace in and for the
county of Stafford assembled at the general quarter sessions of the peace
holden at Stafford in and for the said county of Stafford on Thursday
the sixteenth day of July 1789

The humble petition of Samuel Stanton

Sheweth
that the town and borough of Burton upon Trent in the said county of Stafford a place having peculiar jurisdiction is a town of
considerable resort and your petitioner hath been at a considerable expence in
erecting a theatre in the said town and borough of Burton upon Trent and that such theatre is
not within twenty miles of the cities of London Westminster or Edinburgh or within eight
miles of any patent or licenced theatre or ten miles of the residence of his majesty
or of any place within the same county of Stafford at which within six months now last
past a licence under the act of Parliament made and passed in the twenty eighth
year of the reign of his present majesty King George the third intitled "An Act to
Enable Justices of the Peace to Licence Theatrical Representations Occasionally under
the Restrictions therein Contained" hath been had and exercised or within fourteen
miles of either of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge or within two miles of the
outward limits of any city town or place having peculiar jurisdiction and that no
licence whatsoever hath been had and exercised in the said town and borough of Burton upon Trent
within eight months now last past and that your petitioner hath given 3 weeks notice to esquire the
and chief civil officer of the said town and borough of Burton upon Trent of his intention to make this application

Your petitioner therefore prays that you would be pleased to grant a
licence to your petitioner to permit and allow the performance of such tragedies
comedies interludes opera's plays and 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 Chamberlain of the Kings
household for the time being at the aforesaid theatre in the said town
and borough of Burton upon Trent in the said county of Stafford and within your
jurisdiction for such time as to your worships shall seem meet

Stafford 16th July 1789

Samuell Stanton

John Ravenscroft of Ashley, chairmaker. Q/SB 1789 T/109 (1789)

To the worshipfull his majesty's justices of the peace in sessions
assembled at Stafford in and for the said county

The humble petition of John Ravenscroft of Ashley in the said county
chairmaker

Sheweth
that a certain dwelling house and premises situate in the
township of Croxton in the said county in the occupation of William
Gater heelmaker is intended to be used by the people called
methodists as a place of religious public worship for protestant
dissenters

Your petitioner therefore humbly prays that the same
may be recorded and that a certificate thereof may be
granted to your petitioner

And your petitioner shall ever pray etc

Ashley
July 16th 1789

• John Ravenscroft
• Nathaniel Alcock
• William Gater
• John [Churth?]

John Ravenscroft of Ashley, chairmaker. Q/SB 1789 T/110 (1789)

To the worshipfull his majesty's justices of the peace in and for the
county of Stafford in sessions assembled

The humble petition of John Ravenscroft of Ashley in the
said county chairmaker

Sheweth
that the dwelling house and premises now in the occupation of
Ralph Banks situate and being in the parish of Ashley aforesaid
is intended to be used as a place of resort and assembling of the people
called methodists for public divine worship

Your petitioner therefore humbly prays that the same
may be recorded and a certificate thereof granted to your
petitioner

And your petitioner as in duty bound shall ever
pray etc

Ashley
July 16th 1789

• John Ravenscroft
• Nathaniel Alcock
• William Gater
• John [Churth?]

The chapel wardens of Warslow. Q/SB 1789 M/149 (1789)

The humble petition of the chapel wardens
of Warslow in the parish of Alstonfield in the county
of Stafford to his majesty's justices of the peace assembled
at the quarter sessions held at the town hall in
Stafford in and for the said county on Thursday the
eighth day of October in the year of our lord 1789

Sheweth that the chapel of Warslow is much too
smale to contain the inhabitants that the
whole must be taken down and rebuilt therefore
pray that your worships will be pleased to grant
your certificate to the Lord Chancellor in order for a
brief to enable them to compleat their said chapel

• William Grindon
• Thomas Green