272 A HISTORY OF LONGBIDGE. 



APPENDIX A. 



Chubch Brief.— Dilworth.' 

 George the Fourth, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain 

 and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith. To all and singiJar Archbishops, Bishops, 

 Archdeacons, Deans and their officials. Parsons, Vicars, Curates, and all other 

 Spiritual Persons, and to all Teachers and Preachers of every separate congregation, 

 and also to all Justices of the Peace, Mayors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables, Church- 

 wardens, Ghapelwardens, Headboroughs, Collectors for the Poor and their Overseers, 

 and also to all officers of Cities, Boroughs, and Towiis-corporate, and to all other our 

 Officers, Ministers and Suljjects whomsoever they be as well vrithin Liberties as without 

 to whom these Presents shall come, greeting. Whereas it hath been^represented unto 

 us as well upon the humble Petition of Wiliam Strickland, Richard Pinder, John 

 Bennett, and William Bennett, of Dilworth, in our County Palatine of Lancaster, as 

 by Certificate under the hands of Our trusty and weU-beloved Justices uf the Paace for 

 Our County Palatine of Lancaster assembled at their General Quarter Sessions of the 

 Peace held at Preston in and for Our said County on the Twelfth Day of January in 

 the Sixth year of our Reign. That on the Thirteenth day of October in the Fifth year 

 of our Reign, a sudden and terrible Fire Ijroke out in the Building used as Turners' 

 Workshop and Premises situate in Dilworth, in Our County Palatine of Ijancaster, 

 which, in a short space of time, destroyed the entire Building with the whole of the 

 Machinery, going Gear, Work Tools, Tijnber, and other Things which were therein the 

 said Building, being the Property of William Strickland, and the said Machinery, 

 going Gear, Work Tools, Timber and other Articles being the property of Richard 

 Pinder, John Bennett, and William Bennett, the Occupiers of the .said Building, by 

 which dreadful Calamity the said William Strickland, Richard Pinder, John Bennett, 

 and William Bennett are respectively reduced to great difficulty and distress, the truth 

 of which was shewn to Our Justices at their General Quai-ter Sessions held at Preston 

 on the Day aforesaid by the Oaths of the poor Sufferers and also of Robert Strickland 

 and Thomas Wilcock, credible and experienced persons, who were well acqu.ainted with 

 the Premises at tlie time this misfortune happened, and who have made an estimate of 

 the loss sustained, which under a moderate computation amounts to the sum of Three 

 hundred and forty-eight pounds seventeen shillings and fourpence. The said poor 

 sufferers have most humbly besought us to grant unto them Our most gracious Letters 

 Patent, Licence and Protection, under our Great Seal of Great Britain, to empo%ver 

 them to ask, collect, and receive the Alms, Benevolence, and charitable Contributions of 

 all Our loving Subjects throughout England, Our Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and 

 Our Counties of Flint, Denbigh, and Radnor, in Wales, and from House to House 

 throughout our Counties Palatine of Lancaster and Chester and Our Counties of York 

 and Derby, for the relief of the said poor Sufferers. Unto which their humble 

 Request We have graciously condescended not doubting but that when these Presents 



'From the original in Biit. Museum. great abuse, and were finally abolished 



Briefs at one time were very common ; in 1828. The copy of the brief here 



and appear to have had their origin in given would be one of the latest issued. 



the Papal briefs. They were subject to 



