The great and grievous oppression of the subject; exhibited in a remonstrance to the Parliament

For the Right Honorable The Supreme Authority of the Nation, the Commons assembled in Parliament,

The humble Petition of Robert Raikes of Headon, Gent.

Humbly sheweth unto your Honors,

THat your Petitioner having been at all times, and in all changes a constant adherer to this present Parliament and Common∣wealth, and by reason thereof hath suffered and sustained great loss and damage in his Estate, partly by reason of his goods the Soldiers under the Lord Fairfax took, used and burned of your petitioners, both at Selby and Hull; but more especially by the violent and injust dealing of divers Malignants and Presbyterians in the town of Hull, and the base carriage and continual injust and illegal vexations of the Cavaliers and the drunken Aldermen of the town of Headon, these of Headon having from time to time sought and laid wait for the life of your petitioner, and many times not only driven his goods, but lamed and spoiled his goods so driven, and in the night-time broken his fences, stollen his goods both cows and mare off his ground, and being so stollen have laid actions on them, and forced extraordinary and extrajudicial compositions. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…anting any Replevin for the goods so surreptiously stollen and take ••…••…y, threatning those that came to meat the goods, seising and imprisoning of their persons, and milking the cows and spoil∣ing them, and countenancing the persons that so did: Being a Town guilty of supposed murder, and of much bloodshed, rapine, spoil, and per∣verting of Justice; the Magistrates drunken, idle and vicious persons, and all the Corporation for the most part little better, being a nest of Cava∣liers, Tinkers, drunken and malignant men, as your Petitioner doubteth not to make apparent to all the world, they having been along-customed to much mischief, and likely they are to commit more, threatning your Petitioner they will make the town of Headon too hot for him; having besides lying in wait to kill him, assaulted him in his own house, wound∣ed and beat him down in his own court-yard with halberts, dragged him out of his own house-porch and all along to prison, refusing Bail proffered by better men then any the drunken Aldermen his prosecutors, to the great hazard of his life, as may more plainly and sully appear in a Dis∣course called The transcendent vilany of Headon; as also by the malicious Malignants and Presbyterians of Hull, who have by their clandestine dealing, and after by open force and combination, without and against all law and equity and good conscience, put your Petitioner out of a

certain House-lease granted unto him formerly under the Hospital com∣mon seal and the Masters hand, witnessed by the Mayor and six Aldermen, to his damage in his trade and calling to the value of Three thousand pounds, even to his utter undoing.

May it therefore please your Honors to refer your Petitioner to some Committee, who may order the Justices and others whom they think fit in the Country; to take the Grievances aforesaid into examination, that upon enquiry the honorable House may be certi∣fied in the truth of the premisses, and thereupon order relief to your Petitioner as they shall see cause; and your Petitioner doubteth not but to make apparent his wrongs aforesaid, and that the Commonwealth will receive profit by examining the Charters of the town of Hull, upon which your Petitioners Lease is grounded, and so much land concealed given for the maintenance of their Block-houses, now a daily and great charge to the Commonwealth: But also a great deal of honor to your selves, and security to the Country, in binding to the Peace and Good-behaviour such idle and evil disposed persons who shall appear guilty of such crimes, and also in restoring the oppressed Inhabitants into the freedom of the rest of the Country, to be governed by the Justices, and free from the vilanous extortions and oppressions of those vitious and idle drunken lewd people, the Major and Aldermen of Headon, who neither know how to do right, or able to satisfie for the wrongs and in∣justice they daily commit. And your Petitioner, as formerly, shall be ever ready to serve you and the Commonwealth with his life and estate, and shall ever pray for the continuance of your health, and your in∣crease of honor, &c.