A Remonstrance of the Case of the late Farmers of the Customs, and their humble Petition to the Parliament;  
Humbly showing,  
THat the said Farmers about the year 1640, upon a contract with the late King for the Farms of the Customs, did advance and engage for very great sums of money for his service; Which contract could not be perfected nor enjoyed, by reason of the Parliament intervening and disposing the Revenue thereof to the then present occasions of the Public: And so their intended security was not only diverted, but the said Farmers were made more miserable, by being questioned in the House of Commons, and voted Delinquents for intermeddling in the Farming of the said Customs, as being illegal. In this great strait they were advised, and did without dispute submit themselves to the mercy of the House by Petition, and craved leave to make their composition, and expiate their faults by a present sum to be paid for the then urgent occasions of the Commonwealth; Whereupon a Committee was appointed to treat the same, who agreed that upon payment of 165000 li. from the said Farmers, they should have an Act of Oblivion passed for their Delinquency, and so was ordered by the House accordingly; The Farmers hereupon submitted themselves thereunto. But withal again petitioned the House, wherein they laid down the particulars of their great Debts and Engagements for the late King, for provisions for the Navy, and Ammunition of War for the Office of the Ordnance. All which was afterwards employed in their service; And that hereby they were so obstructed in the procuring of moneys to effect this present composition, that they could by no means raise any sum until such time the House would declare, that when they fell upon the King's Revenue, they would take care of the Farmer's said debt; And thereupon it was ordered that they would take the justness of the said Petition into consideration in due time. By which engagement of the House, the Farmer's credits were renewed, and with much speed than procured the aforesaid sum of 165000 li. and paid the same for disbanding the English and Scotch Forces then in this Nation, which with many thankful expressions from several Members, was accounted an extraordinary service, in their so sudden and timely payment thereof.  
And as the Farmers did move with the Parliament as aforesaid, so they did likewise petition the late King for his directions how they might be otherwise secured for his said Debt (their former security upon the Customs being otherwise diverted) which Petition was by the late King referred unto his then Commissioners of the 
* H: Manchester. W: Say & State. Falkland, E. Newburgh. John Culpepper, etc.  Treasury, to consider some way of satisfaction of the Debt.  
Whereupon the said Commissioners of the Treasury did by their Certificate unto the late King, dated the fifteenth of May, 1642. propose and advise him the best and most advantageous way for the satisfaction of the Farmer's said debt, to be out of the sale of such his Forest Lands, Chases and Parks, as were annual charges unto him, and served not for his disport, whereby he should not only pay his debt, but much advance his Revenue.  
And accordingly the said King by his Letter dated the first of june, 1642. from York, directed unto his said Commissioners of the Treasury, in answer to their Certificate of the fifteenth of May, 1642. aforesaid, and taking thereby consideration of a Petition then exhibited unto him at York, with a Schedule of the Farmer's debt, together with interest incurred for the same, which he sends to the Commissioners, signifying that for the reasons in the Certificate mentioned, he was very much inclined to discharge the Farmer's said debt, and resolved by all possible ways and means speedily to satisfy the same; And therefore did thereby require with all convenient speed, a List of all his Parks, Forests and Chases to be presented unto him, to the end he might speedily give further Order how to dispose of them. And his Surveyor general was for the more speedy effecting his pleasure, required thereby to give particulars and constats of the premises unto the said Commissioners: Which was done accordingly by the said Surveyor general.  
And now the Farmer's business being brought to this maturity, upon the very point of satisfaction to be settled for their debt, in the way aforesaid; the difference with the said King and Parliament then arising, and so continuing, and all addresses forbidden, did stay the Farmers from any further applications unto the said King.  
Yet notwithstanding the Farmer's groaning under so great aburden of debt, did endeavour all means before them offered, and being made more miserable by a greater composition paid by them to the Parliament as aforesaid, by reason whereof they were further engaged to sundry persons in greater sums of moneys; Hereupon the said Farmers in May, 1645. did renew their request unto the House of Commons by Petition, for Order and directions, that their debt and engagements might be discharged and satisfied.  
The House the fourteenth of May, 1645. thereupon Ordered that the said Petition should be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Navy, who were to prepare an Ordinance for relief of the Petitioners, according to the former engagements of the House, and they had power to receive such Propositions as should be tendered unto them by the Petitioners; And privilege of Parliament granted for their persons to attend the same.  
In prosecution hereof, the Farmers did attend the Committee of the Navy several days, and did by their Order present unto them an Account of the King's debt then due, (being 276146 li: 15 s. 11 d. and further did give an Account of their proceed, and former engagements of the late King, to be satisfied their debt out of his Forests, Parks and Chases, as is aforementioned; And delivered unto the said Committee a Copy of the King's Letter, of the first of june, 1642. Together with a particular List of the names of the Forests, Parks and Chases which was formerly delivered by the Surveyor general unto his Commissioners of the Treasury.  
The Committee of the Navy after serious debate of this business, did in fine come to a resolution, and Ordered this following Report to be made; viz.   

Committee, Navy & Customs.  
THe Committee have in prosecution of an Order of the House of Commons dated the fourteenth of May, 1645. taken into consideration the Petition of the late Farmers of the Customs, with the Propositions by them presented; And in regard of a former special engagement of the House of Commons unto the Petitioners, and the Kings more particular Assignation for their debt to be paid by his Parks, Forests and Chases; Are of opinion that the House be moved to give Order unto the Committee of the Revenue to cause a Survey to be made of the several Parks, Forests and Chases mentioned in the annexed Schedule; And after receipt of the particulars and constats of the premises, to enter into consideration how the same may be advanced in the Revenue, to the advantage of the Commonwealth and relief of the Petitioners.  
Notwithstanding all these preparations and hopes of relief, and solicitations daily made; yet by reason of the continuance of the troubles in this Nation, the House being taken up with general and public business, would not admit of an opportunity to hear this particular Report: And now at last, those Members who had knowledge of the Farmer's business are dissolved, and so could never since find means to be heard, nor rightly understood, in this their sad and miserable conditions; But their persons cast into prison, and Statutes of Bankrup taken out against them, to the utter ruin of all them and their Families, and death already of some, and not for their private but the general debts as aforesaid; notwithstanding the engagements of Parliament for their preservation, which they only depended upon as a sacred protection, and thereupon exhausted all their Estates to support their credits, so long and so far as they were able; And now have nothing left but hopes to find the justice of their case, by this present Power to be commiserated, the engagements of Parliament accomplished, and the poor oppressed relieved: which is the humble Petition of the said Farmers, with their Creditors; And humbly pray speedy relief, according to the truth, equity and right of their Case included in the premises.  
And now upon the whole matter of Fact herein, It is humbly desired that these following Heads may be seriously and Christianlike considered.  
First, the Farmer's fault was the Farming of the Customs. Wherein consider they were thereunto enforced by commands of a King; And then backed by an Act of State of his Ministers; And confirmed by his Council at Law, and Judges of the Land; And passed under the Great Seal of England for their Indemnity, which then was the visible Government. Make this the Case of every honest and well-minded man.  
Secondly, Their punishment. Wherein consider it was the greatest Composition that ever was paid by a Subject (the payment 165000 li.) And here further consider their voluntary submission therein; their great and grateful acceptance from the House in the sudden and timely payment thereof; And the benefit the whole Nation received in the seasonable disbanding those Armies by the means thereof.  
Thirdly, Their engagements thereupon from the Parliament. Wherein consider an Order made for an Act of Oblivion to pass for their Indemnity, and another Order, that satisfaction should be made out of the late King's Estate for the debt contracted by him. And the Order of the House of the fourteenth of May, 1645. with the Report of the Committee of the Navy; wherein is acknowledged the former engagements of the House of Commons, and the Kings more particular Assignation for their debt to be paid by his Parks, Forests and Chases, all thought just and fit to be passed for the relief of the Farmers by the Parliament.  
And lastly, consider that all the provisions of the Navy, and Ammunition, Tents, Artillery, and materials of War, for which the Farmers did pay, and are yet engaged, was employed by the Parliament to the defence and safety of this Nation and also Ireland. And the moneys procured for the payment of their Composition of 165000 li. yet owing unto sundry persons, was taken up only for that occasion, and their Creditors encouraged thereunto by the Parliaments Engagements unto the Farmers, as aforesaid: among whom are many poor Widows, Orphans, and other necessitated persons involved.  
All which is most humbly submitted to the further and more serious consideration and commiseration of this present Supreme Authority the Parliament, in and by whom is only left the expectation of their deliverance, as their only refuge in this their great extremity.  
And so shall ever pray, etc. 

John Jacob.  
Job Harby.  
Nicholas Crisp.  
John Harrison.   july. 1653.