The humble petition of the ministers and divers well affected in and about Bury. Humbly showeth that notwithstanding the strict charge given by divers and sundry of the judges of assize for the suppressing of unnecessary alehouses, and the great penalties by the law imposed upon such as shall presume to sell ale or beer without licence, yet we have divers unnecessary alehouses licenced above the number of those that are anyways needful amongst us as it was made to appear by use unto some of you at a private sessions holden at Bury and some that have been convicted for selling ale or beer without licence no warrant as yet was sent to our constables for the gathering such penalties as the law requires and divers warrants that came to our constables and churchwardens and by them executed they have taken upon them to return a great part of the monies by them gathered unto the parties that have offended the premises considered we hope it will appear that all our endeavours to reform abuses are invalid and that to the great prejudice of many families and the great trouble and grief of many parents and mothers who cannot but be in great fear to have their sons and servants corrupted by these base houses amongst us… Wheretofore we humbly pray your worships to take the premises into your pious consideration and to put forth what power is in you to rectify these abuses and what cannot be done by you we humbly crave your assistance when we shall make our complaint unto the judges of assize and we shall ever pray etc.
Petitions
LRO
QSP 76/6
Petition
Manchester, Lancashire, England
1653 (Epiphany)
Petition
Complaint
1653
Relates To
Retailing without licence
Setting
Alehouse
Transcription
Petitioners
Thomas Hay
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Signature
Thomas Harman
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Signature
Jonathan Smethurst
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Signature
John Fletcher
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Signature
Toby Fornesse
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Signature
Roger Pootle
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Elaborate Mark
Robert [Not specified]
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Signature
Martin Lay
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Signature
William Aspwell
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Basic Mark
Arthur Partington
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Elaborate Mark
Thomas Eckerson
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Signature
William Alte
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Signature
James Leigh
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Basic Mark
Richard Nuttall
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Signature
William Lay
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Signature
Lawrence Fletcher
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Signature
Richard Unsworth
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Basic Mark
John Cowper
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Basic Mark
John Bury
male
Bury, Lancashire, England
Signature