Demands. All wch wee make bold to certifie unto Yor Honors on his behalfe, & we remaine, Yor Honors most humble Servants, (Signed) PETER EGERTON. RI: STANDISH. LAW: RAWSTORNE. HUGH HESKETH. J. BOOTH. GEORGE KEY. WILLM. CARYNTON. ABEL OLDHAM. Ultimo Apr, 1647. EDWD BUTTERWORTH. GEFFRY HOLCROFTE. EDRO: [? EDW?] ASPINWALL. fo. 858. "Wigan, in Com. Lanc1. Att the Committee, Apl. 22, 1647. "Upon the petition of the children of petitioner, it was ordered that a fifth of his estate (except the demesne of Croston) should be allowed to so many of the said children as should be brought up in the Protestant religion. (Signed) JOHN MORE. G. IRELAND. ALEX. RIGBY." See also under Thomas Clifton and Jobn Lancaster. John Breres, of Padibam. (First Series, Vol. xxiii., No. 678, fol. 291.) fo. 291. Printed certificate, dated at Whitehall, 19 May, 1654, declaring that in pursuance of an ordinance His Highness the Lord Protector approved of Mr. John Breres, of Padiham, co. Lancaster, to be a person qualified to preach the gospel, and therefore fit to receive such augmentation as had been formerly settled upon him or the place where he preached. Lawrence Breres, of Whittle, Yeoman. (Second Series, Vol. vii., No. 344, fols. 594, &c.) fo. 594. Delinquency, he deserted his own house, went and lived six weeks in one of the King's garrisons. He took the National Covenant in the parish where he lived, administered by James Langley, minister of the parish, and subsequently in London. His particular disclosed that he held a franktenement for life of and in certain lands and tenements in the towns and fields of Whittle and Chorley of the yearly value of £7. 4s. 8d. Personal estate, £34. 15s. Fine, £10. fo. 596. Certificate, signed by Wm. Barton, that petitioner took the National Covenant 30 May, 1646. fo. 598. Petition. fo. 599. Mr. Langley's certificate. fo. 600. Long inventory of petitioner's personal property "prized by John Craine and John Moore." fo. 602. Survey of petitioner's lands, acreage and annual value. John Bretherton, of bey within Hewton, Gent. (First Series, Vol. xxiii., No. 658, fol. 107.) fo. 107. Petition, which shewed that in the beginning of the wars petitioner, to free himself from the assaults and troubles put upon him by the then Earl of Derby and his agents, left Lancashire and retired into Wales (then the King's quarters), for which his estate was sequestrated; petitioner thereupon repaired to London, intending to have appealed and justified himself, but some friends advising that that course would have been tedious and oppressive, he submitted to the sequestration, and compounded for his estate in 1646 at a rental of £50 a year, which was as high a value as the estate had made for any of the three preceding years before the wars; but on a suggestion that petitioner's estate was of greater value, and that he had £50 or £60 a year in right of his wife (whereas the latter had been conveyed away years then ago, and he had not received anything in right of his wife for ten years then past), the Commissioners in Lancashire, upon general instructions from the Commissioners in London, on an order dated 25 January, 1651[-2], continued the supposed annuity or rent charge under sequestration to liquidate the arrears of his other estate above £50 a year, as they supposed, since his composition; and the Lancashire Commissioners taking advantage that petitioner had with great expense, since his composition, by stocking of woods, dunging, and otherwise manuring, much improved the premises, petitioner alleged that they went about to let the same to him or them who would give most money for the same, to his great prejudice, he having compounded at full value. Prayed that as he had sued out his pardon upon his composition under the great seal according to the ordinance of Parliament, his estate might be freed from sequestration. (30 April, 1651) “Commissioners in country to certify the improvements of the lands, and not put petitioner out of possession, and to state how and by whom the improvements had been made; to give petitioner charge of the undervalue, Commissioners to secure the overplus and sequester the annuity, but not the petitioner's estate for the annuity." (First Series, Vol. cxiii., fol. 233.) fo. 233. His delinquency, that he left his habitation and resided in the enemies' quarters. He rendered in April, 1646. His estate was £50 a year, for which his fine at a sixth was £150. (Second Series, Vol. vi., No. 290, fol. 517.) fo. 517. Delinquency, leaving his own house in the Parliamentary quarters, going into the enemies' and remaining there some time. He compounded on a particular disclosing that he owned certain lands and tenements lying and being in Newton, worth £50 a year. Fine, £150; paid 5 August, 1646. fo. 520. Petition. fo. 521. Particular. fo. 523. Certificate signed by Lawrence Whittaker, declaring that petitioner took the Negative Oath before a committee of the House of Commons, 5 April, 1646. fo. 552. Certificate by William Barton, that he took the National Covenant. Jane Brewer, of Wood Plumpton, Widow. fo. 328. Petition which shewed that two-thirds of her estate was under sequestration for her recusancy only. Prayed in accordance with the then late Act that she might be admitted to contract for the same (19 January, 1653[-4]). Referred to Mr. Reading. Thomas Brewer, of Broughton. (First Series, Vol. xxiii., No. 679, fol. 319, &c.) fo. 319. Certificate exhibiting what proceedings had been taken in this case. fo. 322. Petition from Henry Brewer, of Inskipp, and George Billington, of Broughton, yeomen, which shewed that petitioners were feoffees in trust for and on behalf of Richard Brewer, of Lightwork Houses, son of Thomas, of the same place, then deceased, who had assigned to petitioners his messuage, &c., in Lightwork Houses, held by him under lease for ninety-nine years from Alexander Breres, of Lathom, gentleman, if Thomas Brewer aforesaid, the said Richard Brewer, his son, and Grace Brewer, his daughter, so long lived, one part thereof to the use of the said Thomas for life, the other to the use of the said Richard, his son, and after the decease of the said Thomas, the whole. That subsequently two third parts of it, in possession of the said Thomas, became sequestered for his recusancy. He was then dead, and the same should have come to petitioners, but the sequestration prevented it; whereupon they petitioned and obtained an order to refer the matter to the examination of the Lancashire Commissioners. The whole of the documents connected with the inquiry, including the lease, &c., were lost, and no decision had been given, "and thereby the said Richard is likely to be ruined in his Estate and Liuelyhood." Prayed for an order directing Lancashire Commissioners to examine petitioner's witnesses, to prove the contents of the lease and assignment, or copies thereof; to examine Mr. Sumner and Mr. King whether the original lease and assignment was not delivered to them, and by them to the post, and that the Commissioners might certify their knowledge of the matter, so that, the truth being made known, petitioner might be relieved. 3 November, 1652, prayer granted. "Commissioners to enquire and certify." fo. 323. Petition (6 May, 1651). fo. 329. Report dated 2 August, 1653, by Mr. Reading. fo. 335. Certificate exhibiting what proceedings had been taken in the matter. ff. 337-8. Petition (copy). fo. 339. Order of reference to Lancashire Commissioners. fo. 341. Communication, dated at Preston, 4 July, 1652, signed by Peter Holt, Robt. Cunliffe, G. Pigott, stating they had examined the witnesses and forwarded copies of their examinations. fo. 343. Examination of Thomas Goodshawe, of Broughton, yeoman ; fo. 344. of "Batchelor;" Richard Poolton, Wood Plumpton, |