Katherine Pettus, 
Novemb. 1. 1654.  plaintiff Margaret Bancroft, defendant In Chancery.  
THe plaintiff a poor Widow, oppressed in an extraordinary manner by the power of the defendant and her friends in this suit in Chancery, now of 23. years' continuance, wherein the plaintiff sueth for an orphan's portion against the defendant, the Widow and Executrix of Mr. Thomas Bancroft, the Executor that raised his whole Estate by his Executorship.  
The plaintiff through this Suit is above 2000 l. in debt, and some of her Creditors are ready to perish for want of their Moneys, is brought to sue in forma pauperis, hath sold and pawned all the Goods and means she had any ways for her subsistence, and hath been and is forced to take up money at Brokage after 20, 40, and 60. l. in the hundred, and hath nothing left to live upon, but is supported upon alms and Charity, her whole Estate, for herself, her Fatherless children, and Creditors, being in and upon this Suit.  
The orphan's portion is, by virtue of, and according to, the Orders of Court, Cast up, and Certified by a Master of Chancery, to amount unto 6720. l. upon the first of March, 1651. (and after 6. ●per Cent. since, cometh now unto 7795. l.); yet the Master hath taxed but 100 l. for the plaintiffs Costs, whereas the plaintiff, and her late Husband the Orphan have spent in this suit, near 2000 l. if not full so much.  
The sa●d Thomas Bancroft, the Executor, above 18. years ago, at his Death, and within three weeks before his death, when this Suit had continued above four years against him, left to the defendant his Wife, and their Children, being only three Daughters, whereof the two elder were richly Married before, and he had given them answerable Portions, a personal Estate of above 5000. l. and a real Estate of 300. l. a year Lands of inheritance, or thereabouts; All which he raised and bought, after he had possessed himself of the Testators estate, and this Orphans-portion.  
The defendant Margaret Bancroft, after she had stood out all process of Contempt in Chancery, and obscured herself, for almost Seven years together, was, by the plaintiffs procurement, with much trouble, searching, and charges to the plaintiff, arrested by a sergeant at arms upon the 6th day of July, 1648. and was Committed to the Fleet, where after she had been about a year Imprisoned, she removed herself from thence by a Habeas-corpus unto the Prison of the V●per-Bench, where she still remaineth, obstinately refusing to make satisfaction to the plaintiff; And the Estate of the said Thomas Bancroft, is so fraudulently passed away, by himself and the defendant, si●ce the b●ginning of this Suit, for the use of the defendant, and their Children, that the poor plaintiff can get no fruit nor benefit of her Suit, though she hath an Ordinance of Parliament of the 8th of August 1643. That she should receive the fruit and benefit of her Suit by the Ordinance and Authority of both Houses of Parliament.  
The plaintiff humbly representeth this short part of her Case to the Honourable Committee, that is to bring in a Bill for the Relief of Creditors and poor Prisoners, most humbly praying, That in the said Bill there may be some special provision made for such like Cases; And that the words in the late Act for the Relief of Creditors and poor Prison●s (But a settlement or grant made by such Prisoners of their Estates, or any part thereof, or made by any other Person, for whose debt the said Prisoner is Imprisoned of his or her Estate real or personal, or any part thereof, to any of their Children or heirs apparent, upon Marriage or otherwise, after a Debt contracted, is not to be accounted a Purchase or conveyance to be allowed, further than to cause restitution of the Money, which was really paid to, and received by, such Prisoner, or other person upon such conveyance or grant) may be put into the said Bill and like Act to be made; which Words will save much trouble in the proof of fraudulent Deeds, which the leaving out thereof in the late Ordinances would have put unto; And that there may be, Understanding, upright, and impartial Judges.