Humbly showeth unto your good worships that at the spring of the year last past there was a Spaw discovered by Mr Thophilus Haworth doctor of physick within the tenement of your petitioner at the end of Castleton Moor, and close adjoining to your petitioner’s house, and not past ten or twelve roods distant from the high road leading between the market towns of Rochdale and Manchester and far remote from any other dwelling house (of which water the said doctor made trial) and the said water was by him and others approved on as medicinable and curable for many diseases, insomuch that many of the gentry and innumerable people of this country, some impotent and diseased, and some to try the taste and operation of the water, thought it to do much good, your petitioner hath had his hedges broken down his ground trodden and his grass spoiled within his tenement being but a very little one through the continual access and resort of people coming in multitude thither some to drink some to wash and some to fetch burden of water away insomuch that had not your petitioner laid his cattle to grass with some of his neighbours this last summer they had perished for want of meat besides the great loss and hindrance your petitioner was daily put unto by the continual access of people into his house insomuch that neither he nor his family could follow their vocation and calling as they had done formerly… Your petitioner being a very poor man was advised by some of his neighbours in regard of his losses to brew ale and beer to sell in hopes thereby he might reap some benefit whereby to countervail his daily losses which your petitioner was unwilling to undertake till he had obtained the approbation and consent of Mr Hopwood, he never suffered any ill rule or misorder in his house nor drinking at prohibited times, he is now discharged from the constable but upon what grounds he knows not. Your petitioner would not willingly hinder the country of any good or benefit neither is he able to suffer daily losses without some means of help to countervail the same… May it please your good worships the premises considered to licence your petitioner to sell ale and beer according to the Statute, he behaving himself honestly and not offending the law, otherwise your petitioner is enforced to fill up the said Spaw, except he will undergo such intolerable losses as he will not be able to bear, your petitioner will not do anything of himself without your worship’s special order but refers himself to your worship’s clemency and will daily pray etc… We whose names are underwritten do hereby certify we do very believe the content of the premises written in the above mentioned petition to be true in testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.
Petitions
LRO
QSP 156/8
Petition
Manchester, Lancashire, England
1658 (Epiphany)
Petition
Appeal
1657
Intoxicants
Alcohol | Ale
Relates To
Licensing
Brewing/Distilling
Poor relief
Setting
Alehouse
Transcription
Petitionee
Abraham Stott
male
Woollen Weaver
Alcohol Retailer: Alehouse-keeper
Castleton, Lancashire, England
Petitioners
James Schofield
male
Signature
Edward Leigh
male
Castleton, Lancashire, England
Signature
Abraham Stansfield
male
Castleton, Lancashire, England
Signature
Edward Leigh
male
Signature
Abraham Hamer
male
Castleton, Lancashire, England
Signature
Abraham Stott
male
Woollen Weaver
Castleton, Lancashire, England