360 A PETITION FBOM ST. MAWES. 



" welle. They caulle this Sainet there S. Mat ....(? Machutus), 

 *' he was a bishop in Britain (? Bretayne), and [was] paintid as a 

 "scholemaster." The petition is subjoined. 



"The Fisher Town of St. Mawes, wherein there are 300 

 inhabitants and more, and whereto do belong 30 ships and botes, 

 had a chapel of ease, in which divine service was wont to be 

 said in Queen Elizabeth's time, and before, which now is not 

 employed to that purpose. The townsmen and neighbours 

 thereto humbly desire that they may have leave and authority 

 to re-edifye the chapel for service there to be read weekly and 

 sermons to be had monthly at their own costs and charges. 



The reasons why they desire it are : — 



1. — Their town standeth about two miles from Saint Just 

 their parish church, by reason whereof some old and impotent 

 persons (who cannot goe on foote and are not of abilitye to get 

 horses) have not been at church these 3 years, which they are 

 desirous to doe, if service were read at home in their own towne. 



2. — The seate of the chapel is almost in the middle of the 

 towne and near to the harborough or key, where the ships and 

 botes lye, so that the fishermen will be willing on wick days to 

 come thither to divine service, when had or whether doth keepe 

 them at home, which they cannot doe at St. Just being so remote 

 and they bound to attend their times at sea. 



3. — The fishermen and merchants would be glad to pray in 



publique for good ( ) when they go out to sea and likewise 



to give God thanks for their prosperity, when they returne, if 

 the chapel were fitted and licensed for their steady repair, which 

 they cannot do, the church being so far off. 



4. — Sometimes about the herring fishing time many mer- 

 chantes, savers, and other takers and savers of fish to the 

 number of 500 at least are long resident in the town, which 

 would com to divine service, if any were publiquely celebrated 

 in or near the towne, which they seldom or never go to St. Just 

 for the length of the way. 



5. — There is at the towne end of St. Mawes, the king's 

 castell, whence the soldiers cannot well go to the mother church 



on weeke days or ( ) or holy dayes, which they would 



willingly doe to the towne chapel, especially on sermon dayes. 



