Middlesex

To the Worshipfull William Mainwaring< no role >
Esqr . Chairman And the rest of the Justices in their
General Quarter Session of the Peace Assembled

The Petition of John Myers< no role >

Most humbly Sheweth

That by virtue of an Indenture bearing date the
fourth of August 1784 your Petitioner became bound an Apprentice
to William Stafford< no role > of Market Street Oxford Market in the
Parish of Saint Marylebone to learn the Art and Mystery of
Pronting for the Term of Seven Years

That your Petitioners Father was a Clergyman in the
County of Lincoln who died [..] about five years last past
and soon after the Sons of the Clergy Charitably be stowed the Sum
of Twenty Pounds which sum was Paid as an Apprentice Fee to
his said Master And an Agreement was then Entered into to pay him
the further Sum of Five Pounds making in the whole the Sum of
Twenty five Pounds

That about 2 Months after he became so bound his
Master beat him in a most Causl and unhuman manner without
any Provocation that he did not then seek for redress on account
of his friends residing in Lincolnshire a Considerable distance
from the Metropolis

That your Petitioner was not provided with Sufficient
Meat and Drink as by the Covenant in the Indre his Master have
Undertaken to do but on the Contrary Stinted him very much
in his Victuals, and made him lay on a very dirty & unwholesome
bed. on Sheets that were not Washd for Ten weeks together and
frequently Employed to run on brisling Edwards for his Mistress

That in the Month of February last your Petitioner was
again very Severely beat Kicked and Knocked down by his said Master
without any sort of reason or Colour for such treatment and about the
[..] and of March last his Master was Arrested & sent a Close
Prisoner to the Fleet during which time he has not been [..] instructed
by any Person in the Business nor had he any Work to set your
Petitioner about, and wholly negelected your Petitioner in every respect
not Providing Sufficient Victuals to Support Nature and on the 10th May
last your Petitioner Complained of such ill usage his Master again
beat him very Violently and Dawned him saying he had a right
and would beat him when he pleased by which means your Petitioner
lives a most Miserable [..] and insupportable life