The Right Honble. The Lord Mayor & Worshipfull Aldermen
of the City of London at the General Quarter. Sessions at Guildhall
Monday 14. January 1771 .

The Petition of the Inhabitants of Lower. Thames Street

Humbly Sheweth

Your Petitioners are Informed that an Application is made to your Worships by the fellowship
of carmen for an Augmentation to the Number of Carts to Stand in Power Thames street more than What is
allow'd by Law.

Your Petitioners conceive that the Present regulations which were first established 1681. &
afterwards confirmed in 1757 are wise & proper, if they are well & regularly Obey'd, but your petitioners in Particulars
& the Publick in General have Labourd under Great difficulty & danger of their Lives Several Years past for want
of the Laws & Regulations being Strickly aburned.

Your Petitioners with reluctance have been Obliged to trouble the Lord Mayor & Aldermen
with frequent Complaints against the Carmen & their drivers & We have lately been at some trouble & Expence
in order to bring them to a due Observance of the Laws, Notwithstanding all which our Situation remains
deplorable, We could mention many particulars, but the Whole proceeds from one Great & the first cause of all
others, which is the Great Number of Empty Carts & Consequently Idle houses & Drivers that take their stands
in Lower Thames Street Contrary to the regulations of this Court which we have Placed in their View that
they may not pretend Ignorance

Your Petitioners can with truth assure your Worships that westen find Difficulty & our
servants to Get into or out of our houses the Publick in General are alarm'd & afraid of Going about their
Business towards the markets, Custom house, Keys Etc at that many Hundreds Daily Travell with
fear & more are afraid to come This & Every other Inconveniency arrises from so many Empty Carts which
cause frequent Hopages for hours, hinders trade & Business to & from the Keys & your petitioners could give
your Worships secular demonstration of their Distress if they thought it was not will known

May it therefore place your Worships to take this matter into your serious Consideration not only to refuse
an Augmentation of Carts but also to appoint a street keeper to perambulate Lower Thames Street in
order to so the Present Lane & Regulations obey'd particularly ninth regard to the Number of Empty Ca [..]
from whence every Other Evill Arises) & the publick in General & your Petitioners in Particular will
wonder Great obligations & over Pray

In behalf of our Selves & other
Inhabitants of Lower Thames Street }

Jac Wrench< no role >
Geo: Dyer< no role >
Wm. Corderoy< no role >
Keeling & Reed
Prentice [..] & Edwards
Will [..] Miles< no role >
Henry Cawling< no role >

Charles Mottley< no role >
Alex Brande< no role >
Henry Martin< no role >
John Taylor< no role >
Thos Edgley< no role >
Francis Wrightson< no role >
Chancellor Holmes< no role >