TO THE KINGS Most Excellent MAJESTIE THE HVMBLE PETITION of the Knights, Gentlemen, and Freeholders of the County of York.
With their Humble Request to His Maiesty for the removing of unruly Souldiers billited in the said County.
Whereunto is annexed A Copy of a Writing which hath beene lately disperst amongst the Catholikes in England, by Sir Iohn Winter, Her Maiesties principall Secretary and Master of Requests, touching and concerning a contribution of Money towards his Majesties supply of his Army.
Novemb. 25.
London, Printed for JOHN Hanson. 1642.
To the Kings most Excellent Majesty. A Copy of an humble Petition presented to his Majesty at Colebrooke, from the knights▪ Gentlemen, and Free-holders of the same County of York, with their humble request to his Majesty for the removing of unruly Souldiers, billetted in their said County.
your most humble Subjects shew unto Your most sacred Maiesty, that in all humility this County both endeavoured to fulfill your Maiesties command, with the forwardest of your Maiestyes Subiects in the executions of your Maiestyes royall commands about the military affayres, have expended an hundred thousand pounds to our great impoverishment, and far above the proportion of other Countyes, which although [Page] wee have beene willing to serve your Maiesty, yet for the future, the burthen is so heavy that we cannot nor are able to forbeare, now upon this our cheerfulnesse to serve your Majesty, we hoped to have found equal favour with the other Counties.
But so it is most gracious Soveraigne to our great greife, as we conceive your Maiesties intentions are wholly against the Parliament to the great disservice of your Maiesty, we finde our selves oppressed with the billetting of unruly Souldiers, whose speeches and actions tending to burning of our villages, an [...] houses, and to whose insolencyes and villanyes we are so dayly subject, as we cannot say, we possesse our wives and children and estates in safety, wherefore wee are emboldened humbly to present this our complaint, beseeching that as the billetting of Souldiers in any of your Subjects houses against their will, is contrary [Page] to the ancient laws of this Kingdom, confirmed by your Maiesty in the Petition of right.
We most humbly desire your most sacred Maiesty, that this insupportable burthen may bee taken from us, least by their insolencies some bad accident may happen, as will bee much displeasing to your sacred Maiesty, and your most loyal Subiects will never cease to pray for your Maiesties happy raigne.
- Phillip Wharton.
- Thomas Gower.
- Richard Raniugton.
- Thomas Heblewayte.
- Peregrine Stapleton.
- William Sheffield.
- John Ramsden.
- Jngram Hopten.
- George Freby.
- Henry Fairefaz.
- John Hotham.
- William Franckland.
- Christopher Percy.
- Edmond Stanhop.
- Richard Darly.
- Hugh Bethell.
- Abraham Anderson.
- George Moorewood.
- [Page] Thomas Hishith.
- William Stricklaud.
- George Wentworth.
- Thomas Leger.
- John Fowleshy.
- Hugh Cholmly.
- John Ansuby.
- John Stappleton.
- Thomas Connington.
- Will. Morlesby.
- George Butler.
- George Crotter.
A Copie of a Writing which hath bin lately disperst amongst the Catholikes in England, by Sir John Winter, Knight, Her Majesties principall Secretary and Master of Requests, touching and concerning a contribution of money towards His Majesties supply of His Army.
We have so good a beliefe of the loyalty and affection of His Majesties Subiects, as we doubt not but upon this occasion for the defence of His Maiesties Honour and Dominions, you will expresse your selves so affected as her Highnesse hath alwayes represented your Obedience to His Maiesty, so in this common consent which hath appeared in the Nobility, the Judges, Gentry and others, to forward His Maiesties service by their persons and estates, her Majesty hath made no difficulty to answer for the same correspondencie in his Catholike Subjects, notwithstanding they have already concurred to His Majesties service, according to the qualities and values of each severall Gentlemans estate: Therefore having already by other meanes recommended to Her Majesty this earnest desire of yours, to assist and serve His Majesty by some considerable summe of money, Her Majesty freely [Page] and cheerefully presented, her Maiesty hath thought fit, to the end that this her desire may be the more publike, and the more authorized, hereby, commanding me to give you Commission and Direction to distribute Copies under hand of this Testification thereof unto those that have met at London by Her Majesties direction about this businesse, and unto the severall Collecters of every County, and as her Majesty presumes the sum that shall be raised will not bee unworthy our presenting to the King, so will Her Maiesty bee very sencible of that, as a particular favour to her Majesty in the most efficacious manner her Maiestie can, to improve the merit of it, to remove any apprehension of prejudice to any who shall imploy themselves towards the successe of this businesse, by this they may be assured, that Her Maiesty will secure them from all objected inconveniencies. And Her Majesty is very confident, that Her Majesties first recommendation will bee so complyed withall, as that it may not onely afford Her Majesty her particular satisfaction, but also facilitation towards their owne advantages.