Peticon of Richard Battye of Kilnsey to the magistrates at Skipton, 1675,-"Losse of goods by a sudaine accident of fire which happened unfortunately for to burne all the dwellinghouse wherein he inhabited, and barne together with much of his household stuffe and other goods whereby yor. petr. was quite beggerd and ever since hath suffered great misery for want of some residence;" petitions for relief against winter.

On Thursday, April 1st, there hapned a sudden, sad, and lamentable fire at Snaith, betwixt the houres of twelve and one of the clock in the night, wch, in two houres time, burnt and consumed eight dwelling-houses with sevrall barnes, stables, kilnes, and other outhouses, together with the goods and chattels of yor. petitioners, the losse whereof doth amount unto £1002 11s. 6d., as shown to the Hon. Ld. Visct. Downe. Petition, Pontefract, April 1686, that justices present the same to his Matie and his honourable Councill to the end yor. petitioners may obteyne his Matie's Gratious lettrs Pattern [patent,] for the gathering the charity of all well disposed persons in the countyes of Yorke, Lincoln and Nottingham.

Doncaster, January 1682, vpon consideracon had of ye humble petticon of Thomas Gervas of Whiston setting forth That vpon Sonday the nyneteenth day of November last, between the houres of eleaven and twelve of the clock in the night tyme, there happened a soddayne and lamentable fyre in said Towne of Whiston first beginning in the dwelling-house of the said Thomas Gervas without any propr. fault or negligence of his owne and by reason of a great wynd in a short time burnt to the ground the dwelling-house of the said Thomas Gervas with all the out-houses, kilne, corne chambers, and other buildings conteyneing nyneteen bages and consumed most of his corne, hay and other goods whieh did amount in the whole to £150. Ordered a collection to be made in all parish churches and chappells in the riding, and the ministers there are desyred to stirr upp their people to contribute freely to soe pyous a work.

Skipton, July, 1684; petition for the King's letters patent on account of loss by fire at Sicklinghall in Kirby Overblow of 23 houses, 2 barns, kilns, &c., valued at £1180 05 00. and value of goods lost £843 12 00.

Skipton, July, 1690; fire at Ffollyfoot, four houses, four barns, &c., value £516 17 06.

Pontefract, April, 1696: the value of the losse of ffewston Church viewed and vallued by substantiall workmen whose names are hereunder written:

Imp. the value of the stone worke, plasteringe, leading and glasse £355; for the roofe, £249 18s.; sleepers, boards and seats in ye church £110; ye pulpit, reading Box and

bannisters betwixt ye church and Quire and four doores £9 00 09; whole losse is £728 18 09.

The Justices sent an address to the Lord Keeper of the Great Seale respecting the great and suddain fire at ffewston Church through the negligence of the plumber who was repairing the leads.

WITCHCRAFT.-Whereas Michael Woodhouse of Wadsley, Tayler, for professing to declare where stolen goods were to be found-being a breach of the Statute concerning Witchcraft, has failed to find sureties for good behaviour, ordered to be sent to York gaol till he find such sureties. Barnsley, Oct. 1677.

Margaret Reyner, of Wentworth, went to Michael Woodhouse (just mentioned,) to know who had stolen a spoon, and he described a young man. He demanded a shilling; she gave him fourpence, all she had. Oct. 1677.

William Wilkinson, of Parkgate in Ecclesfield, bound to answer for goeinge to a Wizard or Wiseman to enquire for a shirt which hee had lost. Doncaster, 1677.

SCOLDS. Whereas Ann wife of Henry Greene of Cudworth, and Ann Anderson of the same, stand sevrally indicted these Sess. for common scowlds and disturbers of his Mats. peace and being called in open corte to plead to the said Indictment did both of them enter their travrses but did not fynd suertyes for ther good behavyer wch they refused to doe. These are therefore in his Mats. name to will and require you to receave into yr Gaole (York Castle) the bodyes of the said Ann Greene and Ann Anderson till they fynd sufficient suertyes. Barnsley, Oct. 1677.

Eliza wife of Joshua Rhodes, of Earlsheaton, tried for a comon scould. 1678.

Whereas Sarah wife of Mathew Lund, of Wakefield, stands Indicted and convicted at these Sess. for a comon Skowld, a great Disturber of her neighbours: It is therefore ordered by this Corte that the said Sarah Lund bee sett vpon the markett Crosse at Wakefield the next friday being the Markett Day there to remayne by the space of one hour with a papr. signifyinge her offence. Pontefract, Apr. 1680.

TREASON AND OATHS.-Your petitioner (Robert Rainer, Master of the House of Correction at Wakefield,) was ordered by Sir John Kay and Mr. Horton to maintayne one James Trenchard committ to yor petticonr. for beeing suspected to have been in

the late plott, yor petticonr. hath kept him a quarter of a yeare which cost him 20s. Pontefract, April, 1686.

Robert Reyner, of Wakefield, gent., Keeper of the Prison, took the sacrament, 1675.

1693. Henry Hemingway gives information, saying that, being sent for by Mr. Edward Deane, Vicar of Batley, to the house of Michael Parker, in Dewsbury, alehouse keeper, Nathaniel Burd, gent., of Dewsbury, talking about the B. of Boyne, said that King William was but a rebel.

1692. John Barton, of Kighley, bound to appear for drinking King James' health.

Magistrates had to produce periodically certificates from the vicar, churchwardens, and two other witnesses, that they took the sacrament as administered at the Church of England. They were also required to deny the doctrine of transubstantiation. John Gibson, minister of the Parish Church of Hartshead, and others testify that Sir John Armytage received the sacrament of the Lord's Supper there, 1677.

John Ellis of Burnsall, charged with uttering treasonable words. Knaresborough, Oct,, 1677.

The Battle of Mons was much talked about. A carrier is charged with saying that he knew where £700 was held for King James. Leeds, July, 1691.

Thomas Bentley, constable, of Southowram, indicted Thomas Wakefield for not going to the Parish Church at Halifax, calling the constable a fforsworne rogue, and saying the king's precept was a ffratching paper; and others of the locality indicted for not receiving the sacrament. 1675.

The collectors of the "ffire-hearth tax" were required to take the oath.

1675.

William Woofenden, constable, of Quarmby, on oath, 1677, gave information, as collector of H. Maties revenue of hearthmoney, against William Hirst, of Quarmby, for saying, when arrested for hearth-dues, that Woofenden was a knave, and Sir John Kaye was a knave, and said that soon one could not let a f-rt but a Justice of Peace was ready to send out his warrant. Fined £10. Leeds, 1677.

William Wilson, of Linton, for speaking scandalous and seditious words that ye king was a knave and a theife. Wetherby, January, 1677.

Christopher Lancaster, minister of Burnsall, and the churchwardens certify that Ambrose Bland, of Burnsall, M.A., took the sacrament. 1678.

We doe hereby certifie that Alexander Stileman, at Turnebridge, this day, before us, two of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the Ridd., tooke the several oathes of allegeance and

supremacy, as alsoe the oath of a gager. burgh, J. Boynton.

1677.-Thomas Yar

To certifie yt, Thomas Smith, officer of ye Excise, received ye sacrament ye 30th of Sept., 1677, at ye Parish Church of Badsworth, according to the custom of ye Church of England. Edward Dodsworthe, rect.

Richard Oddie, of Meagill, and Chr. Brayshaw, of Skipton, leade miner, gave information on oath, before Mr. Cuth. Wade, J.P., that "This psent morneing they heard one Henrie Slater, of Thorp, a collier, say yt all cavalears weare roagues, and yt the king was no better, and further sayth not." Skipton, 1677. John Buck and five others, of Sheffield, bound to appear for beinge unlawfully assembled in the towne of Sheffield with drum, guns, swords, and other weapons. Exonerated afterwards. 1677. A number of Burstall men indicted for drinking King James' health. 1693.

The chief constables issued orders to bring Papists before justices to take the oaths; also to disarm them, to seize their horses, if above the value of £5, and sell them. The arms to be taken for their Majesties' use. Skipton, July, 1691.

Mary Coppley, of Harrigate, widdow, being suppressed from keeping a comon tipleing house, because she was a Catholic, petitions to have it restored on account of her poverty. Wetherby, January, 1691.

Tempest Illingworth, of Tong, labr., indicted for speaking severall maliciouse and oprobious words in contempt and derogation of the Booke of Comon Prayer. Leeds, July, 1687.

REVOLUTION. "Yorke, October ye 2d, 88. [1688]. Gentlemen, Haueing heere recd his Maties pclamacon, Insinuateing that an Invasion of this Kingdom is designed from beyond the seas and the vsuall way for giueing notice of such Invasion to the people of the Kingdom to rise for the defence thereof is by fireing of the Beacons in Every place where they were sett up. Now being given to vnderstand that the Beacons in most places are either quite pulld down, or rendred vseless, I desire that at this time of yr Sessions (The prsent Juncture of affairs requireing it), you will take effectuall order that they bee forthwith repaired and made vsefull if there shall be need to vse them. I hope you will looke upon this as a reasonable thing to bee done at this time and therefore doe recommend it to you, and remain Gentlemen, Yr most humble Sernt, T. ROKEBY."

PRETENDER. A particular list of the names of all persons within the township of that are lyable to take the oath to his Majesty and Government according to the present Act,

1715:

WYKE. Mr. John Empson, sick, Mr. William Richardson, jur., Wm. Pollard, Wm. Law, Wm. Ashley, Wm. Brook, jur., Isaac Holdroyd.

THORNETON.-Abraham Brooksbank Schoolemaster, jur., William Hyrd, Quaker, Jeremy Gleydhill, Joshua Firth, Timothy Horsfall, Thomas Short, William Pearson, Jonas Pearson, John Jennings, John Shackleton.

SHELF.-Mr. Wm. Clifford, clergyman, Wm. Holmes, quaker [and others].

PUDSEY.-John Milner, gent., Dr. of phisick, Mr. Elcana Berry, dissenting minister, &c.

HEATON.-Joseph Kittson, Quaker, &c.
HECKMONDWIKE.-John Lister, clerk, &c.

HORTON.-Isaac Sharp, Abraham Sharp, Mr. Eli Dawson, Dissenting Preacher, &c.

DRIGHLINGTON-CUM-GILDERSOME.- Sam Dickinson, John Thac

kerah, Wm. Reyner, quakers, &c.

IDLE.-John Swaine, Nehemiah Sandall, quakers, Mr. John Wilson, preacher Dissr., and many others.

J.H.T.

THE RICHEST LIVINGS IN YORKSHIRE.

There are ten livings in the diocese of York over £1000 a year, and nine in that of Ripon, making a total of 19 livings in Yorkshire of £1000 each and upwards :

A BRIEF HISTORY OF QUAKERISM IN SED-
BERGH AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD.

The meeting house of the Friends is at Brig Flat over a mile on the west of Sedbergh, and on the north of the river Rawthy. It is pleasantly situated in a fertile plain with romantic hills on the north, east and south. It is said to be the oldest Friends' meeting house in England with one exception. The edifice is plain and substantial and void of all architectural adornments.