Derbyshire Quarter Sessions: 1683

The poor debtors in Derby gaol. Q/SB/2/348 (1683)

The humble petition of all and singular the poore debtors in the Common
Goale for the County of Derby To the Worshipfull Gentlemen of the Grand jury this
Generall Quarter sessions of the Peace houlden for the said County of Derby
this 18th day of Aprill Annque Domini 1683

Humbly Sheweth

That Whereas the countrey hath been at soe great a charge as to build
a goale for debtors seperate and apart from felons, and the goaler will not suffer
us to have the privilidge of the leads and threatens to take the great room from us
as allso that if there comme in a hundred debtors they shall be all lodged in the
three lowe rooms or he will turn them doune to lodge in the neither Goale
amongst the fellons before they shall have the benefitt of the upper
chambers for he sayes these are for himself and by reason wee are very
thronge at present soe that wee are forced to lye three in a bed wee make
bold to let you understand our greivances humbly desireing you to take
the same into serious consideration and let the Court understand whether
the country builded the prisson for debtors or for Goaler as allso that you
would some (or all) of you comme and veiwe whether it be not sufficient and
stronge enough for the security of the goaler and wee your poore petitioners shall
for ever be bound to pray for your Worships good healths and prossperities whilst wee
live

Alice Ragg of Wirkesworth. Q/SB/2/350 (1683)

Derbyshire

The humble petition of Alice Ragg of Wirkesworth
in the County of Derby, To his Majesties Justices of
the Peace for the said County, assembled in
Sessions at Derby aforesaid Aprill 17: Anno Domini 1683

Humbly sheweth

That your petitioner being grown antient in yeares
and weake of body is thereby become unable to
labour and take paines for a livelihood, being
destitute of frends and others meanes of
support in reference to her upholding in way
of nessessary reliefe, and maintenance, whereby
shee is brought to great distress and pinching
necessity and without speedy reliefe likely to suffer
greater extremitye:

Your petitioner therefore humbly beggs your
worshipps sereous consideration of this her
distressed condition and withall your worshipps
order for her present reliefe herein
according to what you shall thinke meet
in your Worshipps discretion And your petitioner
as in duty bound shall ever pray etc.

John Humphrey of Wirksworth. Q/SB/2/351 (1683)

To the right Worshipfull his Majesties Justices of the peace at the
generall quarter Sessions of the peace held at Derby for the County
aforesaid the 17th of Aprill 1683.

The humble peticion of John Humphrey of Wirksworth in the
County of Derby:

Humbly sheweth

That your petitioner is an impotent lame man above the age of
82 ye and by an order four years since granted from this
Court by which hee was to have 8d. weekly out of the said
parish but notwithstanding the said order the overseers of the
poor tooke 2d a weekly from your peticioner and continued
onely the payment of 6d. p weekly till a moneth last past
and then tooke it of his maintenance wholly from him and refuse to pay your peticioner
any longer by reason of which your peticioner is likely to
starve being soe lame and weake not able to help himselfe

Therefore your peticioner humble beseeches
your good worshipps to grant him
the order of this Court that hee may
have the weekly allowance formerly granted [illegible]
him (which indeed is soe small your peticioner
can scarse subsist) and the arreares
thereupon or what your worshipps shall
thinke fitt And your peticioner shall
pray etc.

Thomas Ashmore of Repton, labourer. Q/SB/2/352 (1683)

To the honourable & right Worshipfull his Majesties Justices
of the peace for the County of Derby assembled here togeather here this day:

The humble peticion of Thomas Ashmore of Repton
labourer

Humble sheweth

That your peticoner is extreame poore and hath a wife and
five small children to maintaine. And whereas
your Worships was pleased by an order made the fiv twenty fifth day of Aprill Anno Regis Caroli secundi nunc
Angliae etc xxxiiii to grante to your peticioner that the
overseers of the poore of Repton should paye two shillings
weekly unto your peticoner. And John Cantrell
one of the overseers of the poore aforesaid caused
the aforesaid order to be by your Worships consents
to be brought downe to one shillinge, And hee
denyinge to pay your peticioner without shewinge
him his order whereupon your peticoner was forced to shew it him
for that hee might have his allowance for the
maintenance of his poore family. And the said
overseer haveinge gott his order doth deny restoreing
to restore it againe accordinge to his promise. Therefore
your poore peticoner humble desiereth your Worships to
consider his condicion And humble prayes an order
for some greater weekly allowance as to your grave
wisdomes shall seeme meete unless your Worships bee
pleased to grante an order that the overseers aforesaid shall finde
your peticoner him[andd?] in constant worke. And your peticoner is ever
bound to pray etc.

William Wardle, a poor prisoner in Derby gaol. Q/SB/2/354 (1683)

The humble petition of William Wardle a poor prisoner in the
Common Goale for the County of Derby. to the Right Worshipfull his Majesties
Justices of the Peace at the Generall Quarter Sessions of the Peace
houlden this seventeenth day of Aprill, Annoque Domini 1683

Humbly Sheweth

That whereas I your Worships poore petitioner was by false evidence at the last Assizes
condemned to die as may appeare by the oath of one Thomas Wardle who
did heare Francis Naden my adversary and Mary his daughter both acknowledge
before him and some other that they had done wronge in what they
had sworne against mee before my lord at the Assizes, now my most
humble request is that your Worships will be pleased to take into serious
considderation my sad and deplorable condition and forth of your Clemmencyes
graunt an order to the overseers of the parrish of Hartington for
the maintenance of my poore wife and two small children the one of
which hath been borne since I came into this lamentable place and
I your Worships poore petitioner shall for ever be bound to pray
for your Worships good healths and prosperities whilst I live and am

William Wardle

An Peach, widow of Ripley. Q/SB/2/355 (1683)

To the right Worshipfull his Majesties Justices of Peace, for the County
of Derby: At their Generall Quarter Sessions, houlden at
Derby, for the said County: On Tuesday the 17th of Aprill 1683.

Truly Sheweth The Humble Peticion of An Peach a poor disconsolate Widdow
of Ripley, in the Parrish of Pentridge, & County aforesaid.

That Your Peticoner hath been harborlesse, since Candlemasse last, that she hath
frequently importuned the overseer, and the officers and principall inhabitantes of
Rypley aforesaid to find her an howse, which they obstinately refuse to doe;
that your Petitioner has bin a widdow above 7: yeares, left with a young child
that is lame, and altogether disabled to gett his liveing, that your Petitioner is far
remote from all relacions, brought a considerable porcion, and for above 7
yeares hath by her owne industry, maintained herselfe, and lame child, th[at?]
she hath sould, and pawned all she hath, exhausted her fortune, is in above
5li. in debt, and hath sould the very cloathes of her back, and the gloves of [s]her[/s]
her handes, to support her impotent child, that she can gett no work, hath
neither money, creditt, nor harbor and is in great danger to perish, without your
assistance, be timely vouchsafed.

May it please your good Worships to grant her a howse to lodge in, [and?] such a competent somme weekly, as yow think fitt

And your Petitioner will pray etc. An Peach

Ruth Hurd, a poor prisoner in Derby gaol. Q/SB/2/361 (1683)

The humble petition of Ruth Hurd a poore prissoner in the
Common Goale for the County of Derby to the Right Worshipfull his
Majesties Justices of the peace at the Generall Quarter Sessions of the
Peace this seventeenth day of Aprill Annoque Domini 1683

Humbly Sheweth

That whereas I your Worships poore Petitioner was at first through the mallice
of some bad neighbours caused to be sent to goale upon suspition of burn
ing of a barne which by reason they could not proove against mee have have
now againe to shew their further mallice have caused my landlord
(my Lord Ferrors and Barron of Chartlye) to pull doune the house I lived
in and my husband his father and my sonne were borne in the same and my
husband his father did rebuild it over againe from the very ground
and I am not one penny of rent behind with his honour so that I am
fully satisfied that it is their evill councell and false stories to him
that is the cause of it and my goods lie as yett in the house where
anyone may take them forth by reason I have no plaace to put them in
nor for my sonne to inhabitt in nor my self (when at liberty) so that my
most humble request to your Worships is that you will be pleased to
take into your most judicious considderations my sad and deplorable
condition and forth of your Clemmencyes graunt an order for the over
seers of the parish of Brailsford to build mee some little place
for a habitation for mee and my poore child, and I your worships poore petitioner
shall for ever be bound to pray for your Worships good healths and prosperities
whilst I live and am

Ruth Hurd

John Hardy, a poor prisoner in Derby gaol. Q/SB/2/380 (1683)

The humble petition of John Hardy a poore prisoner in
the Common Goale for the County of Derby; To the Right
Worshipfull his Majesties Justices of the peace at the Generall Quarter Sessions of the Peace houlden this 17th day of Aprill Annoque
Domini 1683

Humbly Sheweth

That where I your Worships poor Petitioner was committed to goale
through the false and malitious words of one Mary Spencer who laid
a child to my charge and before I would have gone to goale I proffered
to marry her which she refused and hath since acknowledged before
Thomas Pedick who was then my master and some others that I had
nothing to doe with her in that nature the child likewise being dead
and I haveing suffered three months imprissonment I humbly make
bold to desire your Worships to take into serious consideration my
sad wronged & deplorable condition and forth of your Worships Clemm
ency graunt mee my Enlargment and I your Worships poore
Petitioner shall for ever bee bound to pray for your Worships
good healths and prosperities whilst I live and am

John Hardy

Gervase Browne. Q/SB/2/1259 (1683)

To the Right Worshipfull his Majesties Justices of the peace at
the Generall Quarter Sessions of the Peace houlden this 17th
day of Aprill Annoque Domini 1683

I Gervase Bro[wne] of Hundoe make bold to informe your Worships
that the mare for which I and my brother am Robert are committed
to goale upon suspition of being guilty of feloniously takeing I
had of Sunday night was sevennight of one George Arthur
of Hansworth Woodhouse a horsecoorser who desired mee to
sell or swop that said mare for him at Bakewel faire and hee would content mee for
my paines and it seems hee knowing himself guilty durst not under
take to doe it but his guilty conscience accuseing him and feareing
lest wee should bee apprehended being hee had her not above 3
miles off and then wee I should cause him to be taken hee forthwith
causes us to be taken apprehended and sent to Derby Goale where god
knowes I fear wee must stay untill the Assizes, and the Constable
of Bakewell did take of my brother 3li. in money bateing 1s:6d
which I hope your worships will please to order him to give us that
wee may have something to maintaine us and pay our fees with
and wee shall be bound to pray for your Worships good healths and
prosperities whilst wee live and I am

Gervass Browne