Copy of the
Petition by the Sufferers from the Great Flood in the year 1720 to Quarter Sessions
for a Brief:
To the Worshipfull his Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County
Palatine of Lancaster at the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace to be held at
Preston in & for the said County on Thursday the 12th day of January 1720.
The humble Petition of Robert Bawbell, Richard Gerrard, Thomas Wilkinson, James
Carter, Thomas Ball, Robert Bennet, Thomas Dewhurst, Robert Hardman, John Ball,
John Heys and Richard Fisher, Inhabitants farmers and Tenants within the Townships
of Lytham, Warton, and Westby cum Plumpton within the County Palatine abovesaid,
Sufferers by a dreadfull inundacion of the Sea.
Sheweth
That upon Sunday & Munday the eighteenth & nineteenth days of December last
past at the Change of the Moon & very height of the Spring Tyde there happened
a violent Tempest of Wind which occasioned such an extraordinary & uncommon
Flood that it broak down & washed away the Banks Rampets & Sea
Fences in the said Towns & overflowed the greatest part of the Land lying
there utterly destroying all their winter Corn thereon growing & doeing
very great damadge to all their Lands & Grounds and washed down &
carryed away above forty dwelling houses with the barns &
outhouseing thereto belonging and all their Corn hay and household Goods and
a great number of their Cattle, And your Peticioners being ready to make appear
to your Worships not only by their own oaths but also by the oath of severall
credible persons who have viewed the premisses that the damadges done to your
Peticioners by the said Inundacion amounts to £2055. and upwards.
Your Peticioners humbly pray that your Worships will be pleased to grant your
Peticioners a prop per Certiflicate under your hands with a Due Representacion of
their said Losses in order to obtain his Majesties most Gracious Letters Patents
for the collecting and receiving the Charitable Contribucions of all such disposed
Christians as shall be duly touched with a sence of human Misfortune &
therefore be Ready and willing in some Measure to Contribute to such an unexampled
Losse, And your poor Peticioners shall pray…
Jur. Robertt. Bawbell …£10.
Richard Gerrard ………£50
Thomas Wilkinson ……£31. 5s.
…………………………..£20
Robert Ball …………….£12
Robert Bawbell
Richard Gerrard
Thomas Ball
Robert Bennet
Robert Hardman
Thomas Dewhurst
John Heys
Thomas Wilkinson
James Carter
John Ball
Richard Fisher
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