To the Right Honble: John Barber< no role > Esqr : Lord Mayor of the City
of London And to the rest of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace
for the said City in their General Quarter Sessions of the Peace assembled

The Humble Petition & Appeal of William Martin< no role > Clk of the Compy
of Blacksmiths London on the behalf of himself & the said Compy.

Sheweth

That the Compy of Blacksmiths are an Antient Compy of this Honble
City And have for many Years last past been Yearly Rated or assessed to the Poor
for & in respect of their Hall or Mansion House Situate on Lambeth Hill in the
Parish of St: Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street Lodon in the Sume of Forty
Shillings & no more being One Shilling in the pound on Forty pound P Ann as
the said Hall hath always been & now is Charged to the Kings Tax.

That the said Wm: Martin< no role > being rated or assessed for & in respect of the sd:
Companys Hall at the rate of Four pounds for the Year 1731 Did then Appeal
to this Honble: Court against the said Poors Rate as being Excessive & Double to
what the said Hall had been Rated for many Years then last past & for that the
other Inhabitants in the sd: Parish were not raised Rated & Assessed in Reportion thereto

That the said Appeal comeing on to be finally heard & Determined the 17th: day
of October last It did then Appear by the several Books of Assessment for several Years
last past that the said Rate was Excessive & Double to what they had been usually
Rated or assessed whereupon & upon hearing what the Church Wardens their Councell
& Witnesses could alledge in the Remes It was Ordered by the Court that the said Rate or
Assessment for the Year 1781 should be reduced to the Sume of Forty Shillings
according to the former Rates & Asessments for the said Hall

That your Petr: having paid the Sume of Forty Shillings for the Poors Rate
for the Year 1731 hath in pursuance of the said Order paid the Sume of Forty Shillings in full
for the Year 1732 which the Church: Wardens accepted accordingly.

That notwithstanding the said Order the said Parish of Saint Mary Magdalen Old
Fish Street have Charged or Assessed the said Wm: Martin< no role > for this prsent Year 1733 for & in
respect of the said Companys Hall One Shilling in the Pound on the Yearly Rent of Eighty
four pounds although the Hall is Charged to the Kings Tax at Forty pounds P Ann & no
more as was made appear on the Hearing of the last Appeal which rate is more then Double
what the Hall hath been usually Rated at & Even more than the said Hall was Charged
in the Year 1781 when the same was reduced to the Sume of Forty Shillings as aforesaid
And the Inhabitants of the said Parish in General are not raised rated or assessed in
Proportion thereto, and for that the said Rate is in direct Contempt of the said Order of
Sessions so lately made as October last & purely to put your Petr. to Charge.

Your Petr: therefore humbly prays that the said Rate for the
Year 1733 may be reduced to the Sume of Forty Shillings And the
remainder of the sd: Rate may be Quashed and the said Parish
may be prevented from Oppressing your Petr: in so Vexations
a manner for the time to come And may pay the Costs of this
Appeal And that your Petrs: may have such releife in the prmes
as to your Lordship shall seem meet.

And your Petr: as in Duty bound shall ever pray Etc: