THE COMPLAINT OF MARY BLAITHWAITE WIDOW; Setting forth her sad Condition, occasioned by the late dissolution of the Parliament, and neglect of justice ever since.  
Die Veneris 10 Martii 1647.  
Ordered by the Lords in Parliament assembled, that the Petition of Mary Blaithwaite, and the Articles annexed, are hereby referred to Sir Edward Leche, to examine the business, and state the same, and make report thereof to this house with all convenient speed.  
Jo. Brown Cleric. Parl.  
OH that there were but an eminent man of power that would stand up in the gap to judge the fatherless, and hear the cause of the Widow, that I might apply myself unto him for justice; for I cry night and day, and groan under the burden of my oppressions, ●nd there is none to deliver me out of the hand of the oppressors; which maketh my heart so overwhelmed with sorrow and grief, that I cannot forbear; for my case depended before the late dissolved Parliament, and ●hey would have done me justice if they had not been interrupted, but now my case is more remediless than the poor Widow, who importuned the unjust Judge, who neither feared God, nor reverenced man, and yet did her justice, but I can have none for me; but am forced after much labour in vain, and many a weary step, to no purpose, to make myself a fool in Print, hoping hereby I by some hand, mouth, or pen, this my complaint may come to the ear of that great man, who hath taken upon him the Protection of the Common wealth. etc. to stir him up to come forth and here the Widow's complaint, and give relief unto me and my fatherless children, according unto the tenor of my Petition: a Copy whereof followeth, with the state of my case.  

To the Right Honourable the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England.  
The Humble Petition of Mary Blaithwaite of Sickmurther in the County of Cumberland Widow.  
Humbly showing,  
THat your Petitioner did exhibit her humble Petition with Articles thereunto annexed to the late House of Lords, and therein did set forth the losses, sufferings, and cruel usage of her late husband, and herself, for their fidelity to the Common wealth; by Sir Wilfred Lawson Knight, Simon Musgrave and Leonard Dikes Esquires, Sir Philip Musgrave Baronet, Henry Pierson and James Pierson Attorneys, john Hudson, Michael Croplace and William Leach, all then notorious Delinquents, which Petition was grounded upon an ordinance of the eighteenth of August 1642, whereby the well affected of the North should have reperation of their losses, out of the Estates of the Delinquents that did the wrong; upon which said Petition your Petitioner obtained an order of reference to Sir Edward Leech Knight, who issued out his summons to the several persons, some whereof were examined, but the two Persons who were the principal authors and actors in all your Petitioners sufferings, did contemn and would not be examined, by reason whereof and of Sir Edward Leech his death, (which happened soon after) the taking away of the house of Lords, dissolving of the late Parliament, your Petitioner could reap no benefit of her seven year's attendance: and forasmuch her losses, sufferings and cruel usage are set forth in the said Articles, and for that she dares not return to her Country, and children, which is more than 250 miles distant hence, unless she be by your honours relieved and secured against the oppressions of the said Persons, and the others complained of, and the rather for that your Petitioner hath attended more than eleven months upon his Highness' Proclamation or Declaration to relieve the oppressions of the poor, but could never g●t an answer from Mr. Sadler one of the Masters of Requests, nor from Mr. Ha●ter to whom M●. Saddler did deliver the Petitioners Petition, neither any answer to the Petition she delivered to Major General Lambert, to present to his Highness, and now she is remediless but by your Honours.  
May it therefore please your Honours to refer your Petitioners greivances to some Committee, or other fit Persons whom your wisdoms shall appoint to be examined and reported, that thereby she may receive a comfortable issue of her long attendance, and return to her family with relief and security.  
And she will daily pray etc.   

The state of my Case is as followeth.  
I Coming from London into my Country, to serve an Order of Parliament upon my adversaries, Henry and James Pierson, Delinquent Attorneys at large; whereupon the Commissioners of Array cast me into Prison, was several times brought before Sir Philip Musgrave, one of the Commissioners of Array, and the King's chief Commander in Cumberland, and accused for one of the Parliaments Intelligencers, and thereupon committed to the custody of the High Constable, upon which account, m● Husband had his doors broke open, and his goods to a great value taken away, and my Adversaries also procured several Watrants to bind us to our good behaviour & I was thereupon by their means dragged on the Market day through Cockermouth streets, and afterwards suggesting that we dispersed scandalous Pamphlets for the Parliament, apprehended us upon the Sabbath day in the Chapel, at the time of public worship, by a Warrant from the aforesaid Commander in chief, and the said James Pierson having brought a Cart to the Chapel door, and commanded all the people in the King's name to aid and assist them in carrying us before Sir Wilfred Lawson another of the Commissioners of Array, who caused us to be close imprisoned and locked up the first night, and the next day committed us both to Carlisle Goal, and the more to express their cruelty and malice, Hudson another of my Adversaries, who was then Constable, having brought another Cart, they c●used me to be bound in i● on my b●cke with my face upwards under the horse's tail, and in a most inhuman m●nner, caused the horses to gallop the more to torment me, and under pretence of searching for Parliament Papers, stripped my Husband to his shirt, and me to my smock, which they tore in an uncivil manner, and gave direction to lay me in irons, and both my husband and myself were put amongst the common Rogues and Thiefs: and for pretended charges in carrying us to Prison, Hudson and the two Piersons servants, Crackplace & Leech, did take from us one Cow, & certain horse loads of Oats and Oatmeal, by warrant from Sir Wilfred Lawson, for which there is no satisfaction made to this day.  
Moreover, my Adversaries forced me to travel to Oxford to answer a Subpena at Hudsons' suit; and arrested me and my Husband many times upon Writs of privilege vexatiously, and never declared against us: Again my Adversaries caused me and my husband to be indicted seven several times, and six times to be bound to the good behaviour, and five times to the Peace, procuring all their Warrants from the Commissioners of Array; and vexed our children and servants, and day labourers with continual Warrants, without cause in an illegal way; so that none durst work for us for fear of the two Piersons, who threatened to have them in Goal in a week, if they did work a day for us; which was the utter undoing of us and our whole Family; and the said two Piersons confederated with Crack place and Leech their two servants, to make false and feigned Articles, and swear them against me, to prevent the hearing of my cause upon two Writs of error, and so obtained a special Supplicavit against me, and cast me into New prison, where I lay twenty days, but when they were examined before the Commissioners of the great Seal, they were adjudged frivolous, vexatious, and malicious, and thereupon I was released of my imprisonment, but never had any satisfaction to this day: And these two Piersons procured unjust and illegal Judgements against us out of the Upper Bench, and procured the Records to be falsified, as was made appear before Judge Bacon and Judge Rolls in open Court, by Affidavit of Mr. Benson, Clerk in Court, Whereupon the Judgements should have been given in, and the unjust Attorneys put out of the Rolls from ever practising more, which the Judges ought to have done; but instead thereof put me off with Writs of Error, and have delayed me to this day. And in conclusion, my Husband by these their cruel usages became extreme weak and diseased, and never enjoyed himself, but being bereft of common sense, died in a consuming condition.  

Hear followeth a Copy of the Warrant.  
Cumb.  
FOrasmuch as we are informed, that Mary the Wife of Henry Blaythwait, is one that doth not stand affected to his Majesty's service, and is suspected to disperse scandalous Pamphlets. These are therefore to Will and Command you that you take and arrest the bodies of the said Henry Blaithwait and Mary his Wife, and them carry before the next Justice, to enter into recognizance with good Sureties, not only to appear at the next Sessions, but also not to departed this County without licence of the Commander in chief: Whereof fail you not.  
Given under our hands this 19 April, 1644. 

Philip Musgrave  
Leo Dykes.    
To the Constables of Withop, Se●kemurther, and Embelton, and if that they shall refuse to become bound as aforesaid, that then you commit them to the Goal at Carlisle.   
OH that I could come to speak with his Highness, that I might say unto him, My Lord Protector, do justice for me a distressed Widow and my fatherless Children, lest when your Wife is a Widow, and Children Fatherless, they cry and be not heard; for (my Lord) the same measures that men measure to others shall be measured to them again. O my Lord, I beseech your Highness do me justice, lest the Proverb be verified upon you, He that removeth a stone it shall fall upon him; and he that breaketh a hedge, a Serpent shall by't him.  
What a sad thing is it that I have worn out my friends, and my friends friends to get justice, having spent so much, and been burdensome so long by waiting for justice, which hath made me out of patience, and one of my country men (Mr. Musgrave by name) to pacify me wrote a letter for me to Major Gene. Lambert, and Mr. Chidley being of a meek spirit, was prevailed with to deliver it and receive his answer, which was no way satisfactory to me, which made me to press my Lord Lambert earnestly to do me justice, if not for pity sake yet for country sake, who told me that he neither would nor could do any thing for me, and then I told him that not one Parliament man that came out of our Country did good for their country; so I despaired of help.  
Yet by Mr. Musgraves persuasions I went once again, and meeting Mr. Chidley at the Counsel entreated him to do me the favour as to speak once more to my Lord Lambert about me, who was not willing, but after he spoke to Mr. Musgrave and had information from him of the opinion of Pr. Bradshaw, how that I could not have remedy by Law, went to my Lord Lambert's lodgings in White Hall to inform his Lordship, but coming importunately to speak for me as one who would have no nay but would speak with that great man, was for his peremptoriness, & malipertness thrust out and threatened to be said by the heels.  
Hear followeth a Copy of Mr. Musgraves Letter.  
SIR:  
When I look upon the Lord Protectors Oath for governing the Nation according to the form of Government prescribed, and his promised with an oath to administer justice and Law equally, and consider how we can have no access unto him to present either private or public grievances and abuses, so as poor people are wasted and spent out with fruitless attendance, I nothing can admire at the universal discontents and murmur of the people, with the highness of the enemy's Spirits, who wait for a change, and whom no favours or preferments will bring over to you, there is an established Law, that none that have been in actual arms against the Parliament shall bear any Office of trust or power in this Common wealth; yet I am told that you not long since sent down a Commission to your Brother Lister's Brother in Law (for one Cavalier would bring in one another) a compounded Delinquent to be a Justice of Peace, but upon Pruite of the Scots increasing, he declined to take the oath of a justice of beace. I know a Delinquent Justice, an enemy to all honest men, disabled; and fined for executing that office, again put in Commission by the Lord Protector contrary to his oath. While the former Parliament was low in their own eyes, observed their Oaths, their Ingagemnets; God blessed them, and gave up their Enemies unto them; but when they slighted their Declarations, Oaths, and Promises, thinking by policy to establish themselves, and stand by their own strength, God stirred up their own Servants to rise against them, and lay them aside with contempt. And if the Lord Protector walk in their paths, let him not think to be established, but expect the Lord will raise an Adversary unto him stronger than him, and his Oath will be required at his hand. Captain Howard upon the recommendation of Sir Patricius Curwen, a Colonel for the late King, in few days procured one Harberts' Petition to be read, and got him reparation for the loss of his Boat, which Harbert is a notorious Delinquent, otherwise I believe Captain Howard would not have appeared for him: This poor woman hath attended eighteen weeks for the reading of a Petition, and not yet read, nor like to be, unless by your means, if the Lord Protector thus disregard his oath, the poor and oppressed, promote Cavaliers and his enemies, and thus let them pass, without giving account for their rapines and barbarous usages of your distressed friends, what may we expect the end will be? Read the Widow's Papers, and if such as she complains of shall pass without account, or be fit to govern us, tell us, and we shall forbear to trouble you. Captain Howard told the woman she would far worse for my sake: I never had penny of her, what I do is for her sufferings and the justness of her cause; Precedent Bradshaw can inform you of her, if you ask him. I am persuaded if the Lord Protector do her not justice, the high Protector that rules Heaven and Earth will lay both you and him aside, as he hath done to Kings and Parliaments, and set up others in your steads, that will regard an Oath and his fear; but I hope better things of you, and shall pray that God may guide and direct you with his holy Spirit, to walk in his fear, and to help the distressed. Sir, I am as I writ,  
Your Servant for the Truth, Jo. Musgrave. 19 May 1654.  
For the Honourable, Major General Lambert, one of His Highness' Council, present.   

A word to the Reader.  
IF any man shall blame me a poor distressed Widow for soliciting His Highness, and Petitioning the Parliament, let them know that my oppressions are so great and so insufferable, that I cannot do less than crave for justice, from which I have been so long detained.  
Marry Blaithwait, Widow.    
FINIS.