St James Clerkenwell ss.

To the Right Worll: their Majesties Justices of the Peace for the
Country of Middx

The humble Peticon of Thomas Bedford< no role > Esqr . Samuel Blackerby< no role > Esqr.
George Rogers< no role > Dr: in Phyacke Edward Norwood< no role > Gent : Thomas
Barrow< no role > Gent . Edmund Harrison< no role > Gent . Mario Kay< no role > Gents and
stephen Chace< no role > Gent . on behalfe of themselves & other Inhabitants of the
said parish.

Sheweth

That yor. Petrs have lately discovered that there have been very greate abuses of the poore of the sd. parish & alsoe of the
meaner sort of the parishioners in neglecting to releive the one & in rateing the other in an undue manner Which abuses are oweing to the
mismanagement of those who call themselves by the name of Ancient Inhabitants and assume to themselves the sold power in presenting the rates
for the releife of the poore which rates are set very partially and on equallyThis Discovery being made Complaint was made to Sr . Thomas Rowe< no role >
& a Warrt. granted by himselfe & Launcelot Johnson< no role > Esqr . & a petty Sessions held before them & Thomas Smith< no role > Esqr . and severall abuses being made appeare-
before the said Justices for preventing the like abuses for the future an Agreemt. was then drawne opp by the Sr . Tho: Rowe< no role > & afterwards agreed to in
publick Vestry a Coppy of wth. Agreemt. is hereunto annexed & the Originall ready to bee produced to yor. Worp notwithstanding wth. the parish
yet suffers by the same persons that call themselves the Ancient Inhabitants amongst many others in the particulars following.

1st: They have not provided or kept any Booke or Bookes wherein the names of all such persons within the sd. parish who doe or may receive Colleccons
are registred with the day & years when they were first admiitted to have releife & the occasion wth. brought them ender that necessity. Or if-
they have such Booke the same hath not been produced at their Vestry or any other usual place of meeting that the persons receiving
Colleccon might bee called over & the reason of their takeing releife examined & a new List made of such persons as the Parishioners shall
thinke fitt & allow to receive Colleccon.

2. That then will not make their Rates after the Pound Rate but discretionary rates onely whereby some poore menare rated to pay 12d. a monts
& very rich men not 4s. a month the poore man dwelling in a house of £8: p Ann & the rich men some renting 60 or 70. & some £200. P Ann [..]
the same Parish by meanes whereof severall of the meaner sort of the Inhitants are in danger of falling to the Parish & thereby increasing
the charge of the Parish besides other unequall Taxacons.

3. That the poore penconers are forced to give all their pencons or the greatest part thereof for Lodgings & to begg for bread And their Lodgings
taken of such Inhitants who are prsent at makeing opp their Rates.

4. That the Churchwardens & Overseers of the poore their Bookes are not audited as they ought to bee the same are audited by themselves
in secret on purpose to conceale the said abuses.

Yor: Petrs therefore doe humbly pray that yor: Worps. will Order a Booke or Bookes to bee made according to the direccons of the Act
of parliament made in the 3d & 4th: years of the reigne of this King & Queene Intituled an Act for the better explaining & supplying the
defects of the former Lawes for the setlement of the poore And that the Churchwardens & Overseers for the poore of the same parish
for 6 yeares last past may produce their Bookes to bee inspected. And that the Church wardens & Overseers for the poores bookes
for this last yeare may bee audited by a Comitted of persons who are indifferent All or some of yor. Petrs to bee prsent. And that
for this prsent yeare & for the future the Rates for the poore may bee made after the Pound Rate And that the Beadle
may Monthly give into the same Comittee the names of the poore & the placer where they dwell And that yor. Worps. will make
such other & farther Order upon the wholle matter as shall bee just.

And yor. Petrs: shall pray etc.