The history and antiquities of Boston, and the villages of Skirbeck, Fishtoft, Freiston, Butterwick, Benington, Leverton, Leake, and Wrangle; comprising the hundred of Skirbeck, in the county of Lincoln. Including also a history of the East, West, and Wildmore fens, and copious notices of the Holland or Haut-Huntre fen ... sketches of the geology, natural history, botany, and agriculture of the district; a very extensive collection of archaisms and provincial words, local dialect, phrases, proverbs, omens, superstitions, etc. By Pishey Thompson. Illustrated with one hundred engravings.

CASE OF THE EARL OF LINDSEY'S PARTICIPANTS, 1652. 635
beneficial to the publike; which this Parliament hath settled by an act, in which are provisoes to redresse all injuries done, or to be done on either side; the like act, with the
like provisoes, is humbly desired. "WM. KILLIGRFW.'
"March 29th, 1652."
The petition of the participants to Parliament was little more than an elaborate
extension of the statements and arguments of the preceding document. It urged,
however, that those persons who encouraged the rioters, and those
"who have for thirteen years past received profit by the riot, or who do now justify the
riot, or hold possession of the fruits of the riot, ought not to be heard in opposition to the
drayners, until the latter are restored to their possessions, and the works repaired by the
rioters. Because by their illegal conduct the rioters have endeavoured to destroy the
foundations of justice, and, by just retaliation, can expect none until they have made
reparation."
In August 1654, the " Dreyners of Lindsey Level" made another attempt to
arrange the business, by proposing terms of "reconcilement" or compromise to
their opponents. In their proposal they say,"the dispute was occasioned, and is maintained by some few persons out of envy and
malice, hoping by the unjust complaints of some misled persons among the commoners to
asperse the dreyners and their works, and to become dreyners themselves, and to reap the
advantage after the original dreyners had done the work at a vast expense. They would
have thrown the guilt of their injustice at the doors of the owners and commoners had they
succeeded.
"'There is also,' say the dreyners,'a second sort of rich men who encourage the comnmoners to opposition, who with their great stocks do eat up the best of the commons, yet
do no way ease the country by any payment more than the poorest commoner.'
"' And there is also,' they add,' a third class of men, from the adjacent parts, who encourage the dispute, fearing that the improvements in the fenn should cry down their uplands and invite away their tenants."'
"The dreyners" think the commoners will not be led away by any of these
classes of persons, when they consider how much better their condition was
before the destruction of the works, which they (the dreyners) had constructed.
The dreyners proceed to say
" that nothing is so strange to them as to see so many men so wilfully abused as the commoners have been by the misrepresentations of the parties alluded to."
They declare that
"they are still ready to meet the commoners in friendship, to serve them in all they can,
and to satisfy all men in any particular that can in justice be demanded."
They, therefore, proposed that the commoners should
"become purchasers of any lands they sell, or tenants unto the land they let, at cheaper
rates than other men will give.
"' To admit any of the commoners to become adventurers with them in their second
level."
"The dreyners " further proposed
"that from this Michaelmas next, until Lady-Day next following, all lord owners and commoners shall put their stock into our 14,000 acres, between Bourne and Kyme Eau, at such
easy rates as shall make appear our real affection to you, —which affection, if you value not,
you shall never more be troubled with the proffer of it from us, who are willing to forgive
you your high injuries, to forget our great losses, and to meet you as friends. Which, if
any among you have power to make you refuse, let God judge between you and us."2
From a printed handbill, signed and dated by 2 From the original, in the possession of the
Sir W. Killigrew. Society of Antiquaries.