The Humble Petition and Desires OF THE Commanders, Masters, Mariners, Younger Brothers and Seamen of the Shipping belonging to the River of Thames (whose names are subscribed to the number of 558), PRESENTED To the Right Honourable The LORDS and COMMONS assembled in PARLIAMENT, on Thursday the 29 of June, 1648.  
Together with all their Transactions concerning a Personal TREATY with His MAJESTY: And their undertaking for the timely reducing of the revolted SHIPS, etc.  
John Kersey, Clerk of Trinity-House.  
With deliberate Answers of the LORDS and COMMONS suitable to the importance of the said PETITION.  
John Browne Cler. Parliamentorum.  
Henry Elsing Cler. Parl. Dom. Com.  
London, Printed for George Lindsey, and are to be sold at his Shop at London-Stone, 1648.   

THE HUMBLE TENDER and Declaration of many well-affected Mariners and Seamen, Commanders of Ships and members of the Trinity-House, living in and about the City of LONDON,  
Presented to the Master, Wardens, and Assistants of the said Trinity-House the 21 of June, 1648.  
IT is humbly offered by us whose names are here under-written, being Mariners and Seamen, That there may be forthwith a Petition drawn in the behalf of Seamen and Mariners, and presented to the Honourable Houses of Parliament: wherein our humble desires may be represented for a personal Treaty with His Majesty, as the only remedy for the present distempers of this distressed Kingdom, and the reducing of the Shipping revolted from their trust. And that it is humbly conceived by us, that we are obliged and bound, according to the Protestation and solemn League and Covenant formerly taken by every of us, to maintain and defend with our lives, powers and estates the true reformed Protestant Religion, his Majesty's Royal Person, Honour and Estate, and also the power and Privileges of Parliament. And we do further declare, That if it shall appear that any of those revolted Ships shall endeavour to impede or hinder the King's personal Treaty with his two Houses of Parliament, that we will unanimously endeavour with our lives and fortunes to bring them to condign punishment, according to our Covenant and Protestation formerly taken as aforesaid.  
Witness our hands the day and year abovesaid. Subscribed by 90 eminent Commanders and Seamen as aforesaid.   

To the Right Worshipful the Master, Wardens, and Assistants of the Trinity-house of Debtford STRAND:  
The humble Petition of the younger Brothers of this Corporation, and the other Seamen taking charge, whose names are subscribed to the Petition annexed.  
Shows,  
THat they having a deep sense of the manifold miseries this Kingdom is like to suffer by reason of the many Armies now on foot, and the revolting of the Fleet, which might be prevented as we humbly conceive, in case the Honourable Houses of Parliament would be pleased to admit of a speedy personal Treaty to be had between his Majesty and them, which is the sum of all the pretences of all those at this time in arms against the Parliament, as also of the Fleet: We therefore the Petitioners being not of the least concernment, nor the least concerned, do earnestly desire that you will be pleased forth with to join with us in presenting the Petition herewith delivered to the Honourable Houses of Parliament; and that you will likewise be pleased to appoint some one of you to speak unto our Petition at the time of the delivery thereof, whereby the Houses may be informed how many poor in and about London subsist only by the sea-trade, who, if once necessitated by want, will know no government.  
That it cannot be imagined that the Seamen of England, who are as it were in a Fraternity will be drawn to fight one against another, since both pretend and desire one and the self same thing: The desire of a Personal Treaty by the revolted ships, being no other than is earnestly desired by the generality of all the Seamen.  
The enlarging of all which we leave to your greater wisdoms and experience.  
And we shall pray, etc.   

TO The Right Honourable The LORDS & COMMONS now Assembled in PARLIAMENT:  
The humble Petition of the Commanders, Masters and Mariners of the Shipping belonging to the River of Thames, whose names are here-under subscribed;  
Humbly showeth,  
THat your Petitioners have to this time faithfully assisted (according to their Oaths and several undertake) in the defence of this Kingdom, and for the preservation of His Majesty and both Houses of Parliament, in their just Rights and Privileges, wherein they have cheerfully adventured their lives, and spent much of their estates: And your Petitioners cannot but acquaint this Honourable Assembly, that they had of late more than hopes, that since His Majesty's evil Council were removed from him, and no face of an enemy appearing to obstruct, That by the settling of his Majesty in his just Rights, this miserable distressed Kingdom might have enjoyed a happy and lasting Peace: But to the great terror and unspeakable grief of your Petitioners, they find themselves in a far worse condition than ever, unless by the great wisdom of this grave Assembly it be timely prevented; for (when we consider the manifold dangers now upon us, and the long time like to be spent before a Personal Treaty is like to be had) we may justly fear the utter ruin of this once flourishing Kingdom, especially considering the many Armies already on foot in the several parts thereof, besides the late falling off of the Ships, which we cannot look upon but as a business of the greatest danger which hath yet happened: for besides that its a laying flat of our strong Walls, whereby we are exposed to all foreign Invasions, the loss of Trade will be of such consequence, that we shall not need to fear a second ruin, nor can your Petitioners conceive any way how those Ships may be reduced, when their pretence is that the Peace of this Kingdom may be settled by a Personal Treaty with his Majesty, which your Petitioners are bold to offer to this honourable Assembly, is the sense of all or the greatest part of the Seamen of England.  Wherefore they most humbly pray, That there may be a speedy Treaty had, with his Majesty, for the settling of the Peace of this Kingdom, and that in the mean time his Majesty may be entreated to remove to some one of his Houses, which may be most convenient, where he may be with honour, freedom & safety: And your Petitioners shall be ready with their Lives and Fortunes, to assist the honourable Houses of Parliament against all those that shall oppose the same; To all which your Petitioners humbly beg a gracious▪ and speedy Answer. Subscribed by 468 Mariners and Seamen, the major part whereof are the most eminent Commanders belonging to this Port of London and River of Thames.  

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE Lords & Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT,  
The humble Petition of the Master Wardens and Assistants of the Trinity-house;  
SHOWING,  
THat whereas they have received a Petition from the Younger Brothers of their Corporation, as also from many well-affected Seamen, Masters of Ships and others, therein expressing their desires to present their humble Petition unto this Honourable House, we do in all humble manner show our great apprehension of the many distempers both by Sea and Land, occasioned by the fomenting of a discontented party, who daily take up Arms against the Parliament and Kingdom, which, if not timely prevented by the mercies of God, and wisdom of Parliament, is like to engage the Kingdom again in a most bloody War, both by sea and Land, to the endangering of the long expected Peace of the three Kingdoms, the loss of Navigation, the obstructing of Trade, and the utter ruin of many thousands of Families, relating as well to Marine as Land affairs, whose whole subsistence depends upon trade, to and from this Kingdom.  In consideration whereof, they humbly pray This Honourable House to take the Premises into their grave Wisdoms, and that a present Personal Treaty may be had with his Majesty, which we humbly conceive, under God, is the only means for settling a wellgrounded Peace both in Church and State: And by which, with the blessing of God on your endeavours, the present distempers may be removed, and the Kingdom again restored into a flourishing condition: For which we, with the whole Kingdom, shall have great cause to acknowledge the Lords great mercy, and our thankfulness to this Honourable Assembly, for all their unwearied pains for the good of these almost undone Kingdoms; and as we have ever showed ourselves willing, with the hazard of our Lives and Fortunes, to preserve the Parliament, so we shall be always ready to the utmost of our powers, according to the Protestation and solemn League and Covenant, to assist them in all their just undertake, against their and the Kingdoms enemies: And pray etc.  

Die Jovis, 29 Junii. 1648.  
THe Lords have commanded me to return unto you their hearty thanks and acknowledgements, for the good affections you have expressed to this Parliament in many former occasions, as well as in this Petition now presented: And to your desires therein contained, for the settling of a well-grounded Peace, the Lords neither are, nor shall at any time be wanting to use their utmost endeavours for the happy and most speedy effecting thereof.  
Jo. Brown Cleric. Parliamentorum.   

Die Jovis, 29 Junii. 1648.  
THe House hath read the two Petitions presented by you to them; One of the Master Wardens and fellowship of Trinity-house; the other of the Commanders, Masters and Mariners of the Shipping belonging to the River of Thames; and a third presented by the Younger Brothers of your Corporation, and others, to yourselves▪ And as this House calling to mind your former faithful assistance in this Cause, so likewise by your Petitions they find your readiness with your Lives and Fortunes to assist the Parliament in all their just undertake, against their and the Kingdoms enemies, according to the Protestation and Solemn League and Covenant. And in answer to your desires of a Personal Treaty with his Majesty for settling a well-grounded Peace both in Church and State; The House hath commanded me to let you know, that they have the same fellow-feeling with you of the Kingdoms suffering by War, and the manifold dangers that must necessarily ensue thereupon, and to assure you that they do really desire, and shall faithfully endeavour to obtain a safe and well-grounded Peace: And in order thereunto have spent a great part of this last month in considerations of Peace, and have made some progress therein: And for the more speedy dispatch of what further remains to be done, the Houses have appointed a Committee to consider what the King hath formerly offered, and what is further to be offered to the King, for his satisfaction, for settling of a speedy and well-grounded Peace, and to consider of time, place and other circumstances for convenience of address to be made to his Majesty, which Committee are met, and are enjoined with all possible speed to make Report to this House, whereupon they intent so effectually to proceed, that by the blessing of God a safe and well-grounded Peace may be speedily settled; And they doubt not, but what they have done and shall do herein, will be fully satisfactory, as to yourselves, so to all the well-affected Seamen of this Kingdom; And for your good affections to the Parliament and Kingdom, manifested by your former actions in the late War, and in your expressions and engagements in your present Petitions, they have commanded me to give you thanks.  
H. Elsing Cler. Parl. D. Com.  
FINIS.