To the Worshipful His Majesty's
Justices of the peace for the County of
Middlesex in their General Quarter
Session of the peace Assembled

The Humble Petition and Appeal of Benjamin Gofton
Nash< no role > of the Hamlet of Mile End New Town in the parish of
Saint Dunstan Stebonheath otherwise Stepney in the
the said County Weaver

Sheweth

That on or about the Thirty first day of Octoberlast1783
your Petitioner was served with an Order of Adjudication
under the Hands and Seals of D. Wilmot and Chas. Friquet< no role >
Esquires two of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County
of Middlesex (one being of the Quorum) Inhabiting in or hear unto
the Limits of the Hamlet of Mile End New Town in the parish of
Saint Dunstan Stebonheath otherwise Stepney in the said
County Dated the said thirty first day of October [..] 1783
Stating that the said two Justices had met together on the
day last mentioned and heard the Complaint of the
Overseers of the poor of the said Hamlet concerning a Female
Bastard Child Setting forth That the said Him all Bastard
Child was Born in the said Hamlet of Mile End New Town of
the Body of Margaret Hocket< no role > Single woman on the second
day of September now last And who hath been Baptized
by the name of Sarah Ann< no role > And that the said Female Bastard
Child is now living and hath been and now is Chargeable to the
said Hamlet of Mile End New Town and is likely so to [..]
continue And Also that the said Margaret Hockett< no role > hath in her
Examination taken upon Oath Charged the said Benjamin Gofton Nash
with having begotten the said Child on her Body

That the said Benjamin Gofton Nash having been duly Summoned
to Appear before the said two Justices on the Day and Year
aforesaid at the Publick Office in Worship Street Shoreditch
to Answer the said Complaint And to show Cause why he should
not be Adjudged the putative Father of the said Female Bastard
Child And why upon the Complaint of the Overseers of the poor of
the said Hamlet of Mile End New Town as aforesaid An Order
should not be made upon him for the relief and Indemnity of
the said Hamlet touching the premises And the said Benjamin
Gofton Nash Appearing before the said two Justices And not
shewing any Cause to the contrary they the said two Justices
Did upon the Examination of the said Margaret Hockett< no role >
upon Oath before them and other Circumstances find
and Adjudge the said Complaint to be true And that
the said Female Bastard Child was born in the
said Hamlet of Mile End New Town of the Body of
the said Margaret Hockett< no role > as aforesaid and hath
been and now is Chargeable to the said Hamlet
of