THE COMPLAINT OF MARY BLAITHWAITE WIDDOVV; Setting forth her sad Condition, occasioned by the late dissolution of the Parliament, and neglect of justice ever since.
Ordered by the Lords in Parliament assembled, that the Petition of Mary Blaithwaite, and the Articles anexed, are heereby referred to Sir Edward Leche, to examine the businesse, and state the same, and make report thereof to this house with all convenient speed.
OH that there were but an eminent man of power that would stand up in the gap to iudge the fatherlesse, and heare the cause of the Widdow, that I might apply my selfe unto him for justice; for I cry night and day, and groane under the burden of my oppressions, [...]nd there is none to deliver mee out of the hand of the oppressors; which maketh my heart so overwhelmed with sorrow and griefe, that I cannot [...]orbeare; for my case depended before the late dissolved Parliament, and [...]hey would have done me justice if they had not been interrupted, but now [Page 2]my case is more remedilesse then the poore Widdow, who importuned the unjust Judge, who neither feared God, nor reverenced man, and yet did her justice, but I can have none for mee; but am forced after much labour in vaine, and many a weary step, to no purpose, to make my selfe a foole in Print, hoping hereby I by some hand, mouth, or pen, this my complaint may come to the eare of that great man, who hath taken upon him the Protection of the Common wealth. &c. to stirr him up to come forth and here the Widdowes complaint, and give reliefe unto mee and my fatherlesse children, according unto the tenor of my Petition: a Copie whereof followeth, with the state of my case.
To the Right Honorable the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England.
The Humble Petition of
Mary Blaithwaite of Sickmurther in the County of Cumberland Widdow.
THat your Petitioner did exhibit her humble Petition with Articles thereunto annexed to the late House of Lords, and therin did set forth the losses, sufferings, and cruell usage of her late husband, and her selfe, for their fidellity to the Common wealth; by Sir Wilfred Lawson Knight, Simon Musgrave and Leonard Dikes Esquires, Sir Phillip Musgrave Barronet, Henry Pierson and James Pierson Attorneies, Iohn Hudson, Michael Croplace and William Leach, all then notorious Delinquents, which Petition was grounded upon an ordinance of the eighteenth of August 1642, wherby the well affected of the North should have reperation of their losses, out of the Estates of the Delinquents that did the wrong; upon which said Petition your Petitioner obtained an order of reference to Sir Edward Leech Knight, who issued out his summons to the severall persons, some whereof were examined, but the two Persons who were the principall authors and actors in all your Petitioners sufferings, did contemn and would not bee examined, by reason whereof and of Sir Edward Leech his death, (which happened soone after) the taking away of the house of [Page 3]Lords, dissolving of the late Parliament, your Petitioner could reap no benefit of her seven yeares attendance: and forasmuch her losses, sufferings and cruell usage are set forth in the said Articles, and for that shee dares not returne to her Countrey, and children, which is more then 250 miles distant hence, unlesse shee be by your honors relieved and secured against the oppressions of the said Persons, and the others complained of, and the rather for that your Petitioner hath attended more then eleven months upon his Highness Proclamation or Declaration to re [...]ieve the oppressions of the poore, but could never g [...]t an answer from Mr. Sadler one of the Masters of Requests, nor from Mr. Ha [...]ter to whom M [...]. Saddler did deliver the Petitioners Petition, neither any answer to the Petition she delivered to Major Generall Lambert, to present to his Highnesse, and now she is remediless but by your Honors.
May it therefore please your Honors to referre your Petitioners greivances to some Committee, or other fit Persons whom your wisedomes shall apoint to be examined and reported, that thereby shee may receive a comfortable issue of her long attendance, and returne to her family with reliefe and security.
And she will dayly pray &c.
The state of my Case is as followeth.
I Comming from London into my Countrey, to serve an Order of Parliament upon my adversaries, Henry and James Pierson, Delinquent Attorneys at large; whereupon the Commissioners of Array cast me into Prison, was severall times brought before Sir Phillip Musgrave, one of the Commissioners of Array, and the Kings chief Commander in Cumberland, and accused for one of the Parliaments Intelligencers, and thereupon committed to the custody of the High Constable, upon which account, m [...] Husband had his doors broke open, and his goods to a great value taken away, and my Adversaries also procured severall Watrants to binde us to our good behaviour & I was therupon by their means dragged on the Market day through Cockermouth streets, and afterwards suggesting that wee dispersed scandalous Pamphlets for the Parliament, apprehended us upon the Sabbath day in [Page 4]the Chappel, at the time of publick worship, by a Warrant from the aforesaid Commander in chiefe, and the said James Pierson having brought a Cart to the Chappel doore, and commanded all the people in the Kings name to aid and assist them in carrying us before Sir Wilfred Lawson another of the Commissioners of Array, who caused us to be close imprisoned and locked up the first night, and the next day committed us both to Carlisle Goale, and the more to express their cruelty and malice, Hudson another of my Adversaries, who was then Constable, having brought another Cart, they c [...]used me to be bound in i [...] on my b [...]cke with my face upwards under the horses taile, and in a most inhumane m [...]nner, caused the horses to gallop the more to torment me, and under pretence of searching for Parliament Papers, stripped my Husband to his shirt, and me to my smock, which they tare in an uncivill manner, and gave direction to lay me in irons, and both my husband and my selfe were put amongst the common Rogues and Thieves: and for pretended charges in carrying us to Prison, Hudson and the two Piersons servants, Crackplace & Leech, did take from us one Cow, & certain horse loads of Oats and Oat-meale, by warrant from Sir Wilfred Lawson, for which there is no satisfaction made to this day.
Moreover, my Adversaries forced mee to travell to Oxford to answer a Subpena at Hudsons suit; and arrested me and my Husband many times upon Writs of priviledge vexatiously, and never declared against us: Again my Adversaries caused me and my husband to bee indicted seven severall times, and six times to be bound to the good behaviour, and five times to the Peace, procuring all their Warrants from the Commissioners of Array; and vexed our children and servants, and day labourers with continuall Warrants, without cause in an illegall way; so that none durst worke for us for feare of the two Piersons, who threatened to have them in Goale in a week, if they did worke a day for us; which was the utter undoing of us and our whole Family; and the said two Piersons confederated with Crack place and Leech their two servants, to make false and feigned Articles, and swear them against mee, to prevent the hearing of my cause upon two Writs of errour, and so obtained a speciall Supplicavit against me, and cast me into New prison, where I lay twenty dayes, but when they were examined before the Commissioners of the great Seale, they were adjudged frivolous, vexatious, and malicious, and thereupon I was released of my imprisonment, but never had any satisfaction to this day: And these two Piersons procured unjust and illegall Judgements against us out of the Upper Bench, and procured the Records to be falsified, as was made appeare before Judge Bacon and [Page 5]Judge Rolls in open Court, by Affidavit of Mr. Benson, Clerke in Court, Whereupon the Judgements should have been given in, and the unjust Attorneys put out of the Rolls from ever practising more, which the Judges ought to have done; but instead thereof put mee off with Writs of Errour, and have delayed me to this day. And in conclusion, my Husband by these their cruell usages became extreame weak and diseased, and never injoyed himself, but being bereaved of common sence, died in a consuming condition.
Heere followeth a Copy of the VVarrant.
FOrasmuch as we are informd, that Mary the Wife of Henry Blaythwait, is one that doth not stand affected to his Majesties service, and is suspected to disperse scandalous Pamphlets. These are therefore to Will and Command you that you take and arrest the bodies of the said Henry Blaithwait and Mary his Wife, and them carry before the next Justice, to enter into recognizance with good Sureties, not only to appear at the next Sessions, but also not to depart this County without licence of the Commander in chiefe: Whereof faile you not.
- Philip Musgrave
- Leo Dykes.
To the Constables of Withop, Se [...]kemurther, and Embelton, and if that they shall refuse to become bound as aforesaid, that then you commit them to the Goale at Carlisle.
OH that I could come to speak with his Highnesse, that I might say unto him, My Lord Protector, doe justice for me a distressed Widdow and my fatherlesse Children, lest when your Wife is a Widdow, and Children Fatherless, they cry and bee not heard; for (my Lord) the same measures [Page 6]that men measure to others shall bee measured to them againe. O my Lord, I beseech your Highness do me justice, lest the Proverb be verified upon you, He that removeth a stone it shall fall upon him; and he that breaketh a hedge, a Serpent shall bite him.
What a sad thing is it that I have worne out my friends, and my friends friends to get justice, having spent so much, and been burdensome so long by waiting for justice, which hath made mee out of patience, and one of my countrey men (Mr. Musgrave by name) to pacifie mee wrote a letter for mee to Major Gene. Lambert, and Mr. Chidley being of a meek spirit, was prevailed with to deliver it and receive his answer, which was no way satisfactory to mee, which made me to press my Lord Lambert earnestly to doe mee justice, if not for pitty sake yet for countrey sake, who told mee that hee neither would nor could doe any thing for mee, and then I told him that not one Parliament man that came out of our Countrey did good for their countrey; so I despaired of help.
Yet by Mr. Musgraves perswasions I went once againe, and meeting Mr. Chidley at the Counsell entreated him to do me the favour as to speak once more to my Lord Lambert about mee, who was not willing, but after he spake to Mr. Musgrave and had information from him of the opinion of Pr. Bradshaw, how that I could not have remedy by Law, went to my Lord Lamberts lodgings in White Hall to informe his Lordship, but comming importunately to speake for me as one who would have no nay but would speak with that great man, was for his peremptoriness, & malipertness thrust out and threatned to be said by the heeles.
Heere followeth a Copy of Mr. Musgraves Letter.
VVHen I look upon the Lord Protectors Oath for governing the Nation according to the form of Government prescribed, and his promised with an oath to administer justice and Law equally, and consider how wee can have no accesse unto him to present either private or publick grievances [Page 6]and abuses, so as poore people are wasted and spent out with fruitlesse attendance, I nothing can admire at the universall discontents and murmurings of the people, with the highnesse of the enemies Spirits, who wait for a change, and whom no favours or preferments will bring over to you, there is an established Law, that none that have been in actuall armes against the Parliament shall bear any Office of trust or power in this Common wealth; yet I am told that you not long since sent down a Commission to your Brother Listers Brother in Law (for one Cavaleer would bring in one another) a compounded Delinquent to be a Justice of Peace, but upon Pruite of the Scots increasing, hee declined to take the oath of a Iustice of beace. I know a Delinquent Justice, an enemy to all honest men, disabled; and fined for executing that office, again put in Cōmission by the Lord Protector contrary to his oath. While the former Parliament was low in their owne eyes, observed their Oaths, their Ingagemnets; God blessed them, and gave up their Enemies unto them; but when they slighted their Declarations, Oaths, and Promises, thinking by pollicy to establish themselves, and stand by their owne strength, God stirred up their owne Servants to rise against them, and lay them aside with contempt. And if the Lord Protector walke in their paths, let him not think to be established, but expect the Lord will raise an Adversary unto him stronger then him, and his Oath will be required at his hand. Captain Howard upon the recommendation of Sir Patricius Curwen, a Colonel for the late King, in few days procured one Harberts Petition to be read, and got him reparation for the losse of his Boat, which Harbert is a notorious Delinquent, otherwise I believe Captaine Howard would not have appeared for him: This poore woman hath attended eighteen weekes for the reading of a Petition, and not yet read, nor like to bee, unlesse by your means, if the Lord Protector thus disregard his oath, the poor and oppressed, promote Cavaleers and his enemies, and thus let them passe, without giving account for their rapines and barbarous usages of your distressed friends, what may wee expect the end will bee? Read the Widdowes Papers, and if such as she complaines of shall passe without account, or be fit to govern us, tell us, and we shall forbear to trouble you. Captain Howard told the woman she would fare worse for my sake: I never had penny of her, what I doe is for her sufferings and the justness of her cause; President Bradshaw can inform you of her, if you ask him. I am perswaded if the Lord Protector do her not justice, the high Protector that rules Heaven and Earth will lay both you and him aside, as hee hath done to Kings and Parliaments, and set up others in your steads, that will regard an Oath and [Page 8]his fear; but I hope better things of you, and shall pray that God may guide and direct you with his holy Spirit, to walk in his feare, and to help the distressed. Sir, I am as I write,
A word to the Reader.
IF any man shall blame me a poor distressed VViddow for soliciting His Highness, and Petitioning the Parliament, let them know that my oppressions are so great and so insufferable, that I cannot doe lesse then crave for justice, from which I have beene so long detained.