To the Right Honourable, the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland.  
The humble Petition of Mary Countess of Sterling, and John Blount her husband, Sir Robert Croke Knight, and Dame Susan his wife, Henry Alexander, alias Zinzan, and Jacoba his wife, Sackvile Glemham, and Peter Glemham (the said Countess Dame Susan, Jacoba, Sackvile, and Peter Glemham, being grandchildren of Sir Peter Vanlore the elder, deceased; and your Petitioners the said Countess, Dame Susan, and Jacoba, being also the right Heirs of the said Sir Peter, and of Dame Mary Powel his daughter, (late the wife of Sir Edward Powel deceased) (that is to say) Daughters and Heirs of Sir Peter Vanlore the younger (deceased) only son and heir of the said Sir Peter the elder.  
SHOWETHS,  
THat the said Sir Peter Vanlore (the elder) did in his life-time settle the Castle and Parkes of the Devizes in Wiltshire (worth 600 l. yearly) and the fifth part of divers other his Manors and Lands (worth 2500 l. yearly) upon the said Lady Powel his Daughter, and the Heirs of her body; and for default of such issue, the reversion of the said Castle and Parks to his own right Heirs (which your Petitioners the said Countess, Dame Susanna, and Jacoba, are) and entailed the said fifth part of his other Manors and Lands (for default of issue of the said Lady Powel) upon all your petitioners, and divers other his Grand children, by name, and died; and the said Lady Powel about the 6 day of October, 1651. died without issue; and your petitioners (the said Countess, Dame Susan, and Jacoba) ought to be thereby initled to the said Castle and Parkes of the Devizes, as right Heirs thereunto; and all your petitioners, to their proportionable parts of the said fifth part, according to the settlement of the said Sir Peter Vanlore the elder.  
That because the said Sir Edward Powel could not prevail with his said wife (by whom he had no Issue) to disinherit her own Heirs, and to settle her Estate upon the said Sir Edward and his Kindred, He threatened, and many ways abused, and evil entreated her, and left her company, so that the differences betwixt them grew implacable, and they lived apart for about fifteen years before her death, keeping each a several house and family.  
That one Thomas Levingston having married Anne Caesar alias Adelmare (a Niece of the said Lady Powel) divers unlawful means and practices were attempted by the said Anne Levingston, and Robert Levingston (brother or kinsman of the said Thomas Levingston) and John Preston, servant of the said Thomas, to procure the said Lady Powel to dispose of her Estate to the said Anne, with purpose to share the same amongst them; as namely, tampering with a Witch, and delivery of the said Lady powel's hair, and paring of her nails, to be made use of in unlawful ways, in order to obtain the ends aforesaid: And the said Anne Levingston (having never had any issue) counterfeited herself to be with child, and bought a dead child, and solemnly lay in therewith, and sent word to the Lady Powel she was delivered of a child, whereas 'tis known the Lady Powel was so displeased with, and disaffected to the said Levingston and his wife, that she was unwilling they should come near her, and would unwillingly speak before them, saying, They came but to betray her.  
That the said Sir Edward, Tho. Levingston, and his wife, failing in their several single attempts upon the said Lady to get her estate, they then bethought themselves to join together; and the said Lady Powel about the beginning of September 1651. lying dangerously sick of her last sickness (and whereof she soon after died) at a house in Chelsey (purchased by the Lady Vanlore her Mother) wherein the said Lady Powel had long lived sole and separate) the said Sir Edward Powel, Thomas Levingston, and Anne his wife, and one William Hinson, alias Powel (a Justice of peace in Middlesex, Nephew of the said Sir Edward) knowing of the Lady powel's sickness, and that she had a great real and personal estate at her dispose (some with, and some without the consent of the said Sir Edward) they, together with the said Ro: Levingston, John Preston, Adam Brown, Honour Emet, Anne Barnes, and other their servants and confederates, did (according to a complot between them) upon, or about the 7. day of the same September, forcibly enter into, and detain the said house at Chelsey (wherein the said Lady Powel then lay dying, and whereto the said Sir Edward, and his Confederates, had no right or title) and guarded it with divers desperate persons, hired and kept in pay for that purpose, and armed with Swords, Granades, Guns, and pistols charged with bullets, and commanded to do execution upon any that should attempt to visit her without their leave; they caused all the said Ladies servants to be arrested by the then Under-Sheriff of Middlesex (whom they brought with them) upon false and feigned actions of many thousand pounds, at the suit of the said Sir Edward Powel, which they never prosecuted, but became nonsuit in, and hurried the said servants away, refusing to take bail to the pretended Actions (although sufficient bail was tendered) they fixed strong Chains, and with them chained up the doors of the said house, and in Warlike manner kept it, and kept the nearest friends and kindred of the said Lady (which came to visit her in sickness) from her, until she died, denying them access unto her, and telling them that if they would not be gone, they should be removed thence by violence, and that they should never see her face more, although the Lady much desired to see them; and Mistress Levingston told the said Lady Powel her friends might come unto her (if they would) but they had all forsaken her; they engaged their Confederates in this force to secrecy and fidelity, by Rings of gold given to them with this Motto inscribed, Never to be forgotten, nor yet requited; they discharged the said Lady powel's Apothecary (employed by Sir The odour Myhern her physician) and brought her a new physician and Apothecary (whom she never saw before, and which were no ways acquainted with her many infirmities) and fearing this new physician (being an honest man) should dislike or discover their deal, they engaged him by his promise before ever he came thither, to intermeddle with nothing (whatsoever he should see or hear) but his physic; they placed new and strange servants upon her, whom she never saw before, against her will; one to attend her person, and another to be her Chamber maid, and which were no ways acquainted with her many Diseases; and promised and gave the said servants (being both of mean, and one of them of infamous relations) extraordinary wages and gifts for this service, and brought them from Mr. Levingstons' own house in London into the said Lady powel's house at Midnight; and fearing lest the said Lady Powel should find means to make known their inhuman usage of her from her Chamber window (which opened into a Neighbour's ground adjoining) they made shuts to her Chamber window, and forbade that neighbour to permit any of the said Ladies friends to come into that ground, or stand near the house; and upon the arrest and removal of the said Ladies servants by the said Under-Sheriff, Mrs. Levingston in great joy cried out the plot bathe taken, the plot hath taken.  
That having thus by force and practice secluded all but themselves, and an old infirm woman lately deceased, (which they then kept locked up in the house, and ever after till her death kept close, for some bad purposes, as your petitioners suspect) they (upon the 18 day of the same September, brought the late Judge Warburton, than one of the Judges of the Common-pleas (who knew not the said Lady Powel) from London, unto the said house at Chelsey, then chained up and kept guarded with the said armed men, and then and there procured the said Lady (as the said late Judge certifies) to levy 7 several Fines of the said Castle, parks, and fifth part of the said Manors and lands unto one Anthony Basset an Apothecary, a Recusant papist of Mrs. Levingstons' acquaintance, but a meet stranger to the said Lady Powel; which Fines (as the said Complotters affirm) were declared by some Writing (pretended to be about the same time sealed by the said Lady Powel) to the use of the said Sir Ed. Powel, Levingston and his wife; whereas the said Lady Powel never directed the drawing of the said Writings, nor had them read unto her. And the said Tho. Levingston did at the same time also (without any direction of the said Lady Powel) frame another Writing, whereby as he pretends the said Lady Powel gave unto the said Mrs. Levingston and her Confederates a personal estate, to the value of forty thousand pounds, which was your petitioners ●aid Grandfathers, excluding your petitioners from any benefit therein who are of nearest Kindred to the said Lady Powel; whereas in truth the said Lady in her life-time utterly detested the said Levingston and his wife, as persons of an evil and dangerous conversation, and ofttimes hath been heard to wish the said Anne Levingston were not of her kindred; and it was so far from the said Lady powel's purpose to disinherit your Petitioners, that even in that her last sickness she was heard to express herself with much affection in particular to your Petitioner the Lady Croke, saying, She must and would do well for her Niece Croke, for she had been ever loving to her, and had many children.  
That the said Confederates suspecting (as they had cause): he sudden death of the Lady Powel (who died thus imprisoned upon the sixth day of Octob. following) might render all their fines ineffectual; they (by practice with one William Gardiner an Attorney) procured several Writs of Covenant, and Dedimus potestatem, for passing the said fines, to be made out with Antedates of the first and second days of Trinity Term before, and made returnable the same Trinity Term: And to deprive your petitioners of all possibility of relief by Writ of Error, or otherwise; they caused the same fines to be enroled of Record, as acknowledged and levied in the said Trinity Term (about four months before themselves pretend they were acknowledged) and contrary to the intent of the Statute made in the three and twentieth year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, and ancient practice; which course is so dangerous (if admitted) as tendeth to the deceiving of all such as shall purchase any Land, and may tend to the disinherison of many more.  
That to put a mask of Godliness upon their wicked designs, they procured one Thorold (a sequestered Divine, of Mr. Levingstons' acquaintance, but a mere stranger to the Lady Powel) to come into the house, and reside there with them during these transactions; forbidding and excluding the Minister of the parish, his Wife, and Family, to come there, although the Lady Powel much affected the said Minister of the parish, and his Wife (his said Wife having long lived with the Lady Vanlore her mother;) Nor would they suffer the said Minister of the parish, but caused the said Thorold to preach the Lady's funeral Sermon, and in the Pulpit to publish her recorcilement to the said Sir Edward before her death, and that she had made Mrs. Levingston her heir, according to her former purposes; whereof he (being a stranger) could have no knowledge (if any such purposes had been) and they afterwards gratified the said Thorold for so doing.  
That Mr. Levingston with his own hand wrote a Certificate of Sir Edward powel's kindness to his Lady, and got the said Lady (as he pr●tends) to subscribe it with her name, to this effect, That although it might be conceived by some illaffected persons, that she was under a force and restraint, yet in truth she was not, but was kindly used by Sir Edward, and that she was well pleased with her condition, Whereas the very next day after the Certificate bears date, the Lady Powel did much complain of this usage of her, and deploring her condition, cried out for relief, and said▪ That their plot was to make her disinherit the right heirs, but that she would be torn in pieces with wild horses before she would do it; and publicly told Mrs. Levingston, That it was her do to have he● thus used, but (that notwithstanding) she should not be at all the better for her Estate; and the said Certificate (being publicly produced by the said Mr. Levingston, and read in the Court of Common Pleas before the Judges there) did appear to them to be of so strange a nature. that they openly told the said Mr. Levingston, he had overacted his part therein.  
That the said Mr. Hynson alias Powel, during all these forcible transactions, being a Justice of Peace for the County of Middlesex, by reputation thereof procured the assistance of the under Sheriff, and the rest of his confederates, and that he, and his Uncle Sir Edward Powel were bound by Recognizance, to some persons in trust for the Lady powel's sole and private benefit, in the sum of Eight thousand pounds with defeasance to be void by payment of Four thousand pounds, and that Two thousand pounds, (part thereof) was to have been paid by the said Sir Edward, and Mr. Hynson (for the Lady's benefit) in that very month wherein the said Lady Powel died thus imprisoned: By which it is evident they sought their own gain and advantage in helping Mr. Levinston and his Wife to get this Estate, who have the power to discharge the said debt of Eight thousand pounds (if the writings thus unduly obtained by them shall be upheld.  
That your petitioners so soon as they had notice of the said fines so taken as aforesaid, (which was about four days after) did by advice of learned Council, address themselves to the said Judge Warburton to stop the passing of them, which the said Judge would not do, but said, That if he had known so much before he had taken the said fines as he had done since, he you'd not have taken them; and thereupon the first day of the next ensuing Term (which was so soon as possibly they could) they complained of the said force and practice to the Court of Common-Pleas, where the Chief Justice thereof did openly affirm, That he knew not what was force and fraud, if these actions of the confederates were not; and Judge Puliston, and Judge Atkins (two other of the then Judges) did also in open Court several times vehemently express themselves against the foulness of the said practice in obtaining the said fines; but said, that they were so far proceeded in, that it was past their ●ower to relieve your petitioners, but there was a Parliament then sitting that might, and they believed would relieve them.  
That your petitioners have addressed themselves to the two late Parliaments for relief, the first whereof was so far sensible of the foulness of the crime, that they particularly excepted it out of the Act of General Pardon, but had no leisure time for the hearing of your petitioners Cause, or giving them relief before their dissolution. And the Committee for petitions of the lat● Parliament were pleased to hear their Case at large by Examinations on both parts taken upon Oath, wherein the several practices before mentioned were made appear unto them; and they gave order for 〈◊〉 thereof to the Parliament by Mr. Rous then Chairman, and now a Member of this Honourable Court: but before the report was made, the said Parliament did dissolve, so that your petitioners (after a g●●at expense in attendance upon both the said late Parliaments) do still remain without report or relief.  
That Mr. Levingston and his Wife (in the Lady powel's life time) desired one Mr. Vandenbemden, a Grandchild interessed in the Lands in question (and a late petitioner against these fines) to have joined with them in this practice, and shared with them in the gain, but he refused so to do: And the said Mr. Levingston and his wife being conscious to themselves of their evil do, and little right unto this Estate have (since the Lady powel's death) by Articles in writing under their Hands and Seals (ready to be produced) agreed with the said Mr. Vandenbemdon, to reconvey unto him (or to his use) his share of the lands in question.  
Your petitioners therefore (who are the parents of above twenty children, and this Estate whereof they are deprived by the said Levingston and his wife (who have no issue) being the best part of your petitioners livelihood to maintain themselves and their said children,) being by the Court of Common-Pleas declared remediless elsewhere then in Parliament, Do humbly beseech your Honours to vouchsafe them some peedy relief, either upon Report of the truth of the particulars herein alleged, to be made by the said Mr. Rous or otherwise. And that the said fines and all the said Deeds (so unduly obtained) may be nulled and vacated, Offenders punished, and like fraud and injustice for the future by some good means prevented, to the discouragement of all such as may hereafter attempt a Deathbed disinherison by so foul a practice. 
Note by old Sir Peter's settlement of his Estate, Mistress Levingston (although she hath no child) is to have a fourth of the fifth part of the Lands in question, although the Fines be vacated,