"To the Kings most excellent Majestie: The humble peticon of Robert Long and John Gibbon shewing that after the draining of the Levell of Hatfeild Chace in the countie of York, most of the participants, being Dutch, brought over divers French families out of Normandy and other parts of France being all protestants, and planted them as undertenants in the greatest part of the said levell, where they have since continued, and are very honest and industrious people and very good tenants." "The petitioners shew further that they are by purchase become your Majesty's feefarmers of the lands of the late disafforested forrest of Gualtres in the said county of York, and that the same being wild barren and unmanured they can make no considerable benefit thereof but by leasing it to undertenants that will bestow charges and use industry to reduce those lands to tillage, and that the people of the county adjacent either out of combination or wilfulness will not take the same to pay any considerable rent for that they say the same have been their Commons, though your Majesty hath allowed them great proportions in lieu of their commons." "Wherefore your petitioners are constrained to bring some of the french tenants out of the said levell of Hatfeild Chace who being industrious men and skilful in the manuring of grounds doe offer such rates to the petitioners for the land as are reasonable, and because of the lands of the said forrest ly remote from all townes the petitioners intend at their own charge to erect convenient houses for the tenants, and to build a church for them, if they may obtaine such authority from your Majesty as shall be necessary in this behalfe; and because none of the said french doe yet understand English perfectly the petitioners have found out a minister who is beneficed in this countrey who speaketh good french and is willing to do all divine offices in that language to the said tenants and shall therein conforme himselfe to the laudable discipline ceremonies and government of the Church of England, and use no other forme of praier there but the Common prayer of the Ch. of England but in the french tongue, and the petitioners will endow the said Church with the annual revenue of 100.li for ever." "The petitioners therefore humbly beseech yor Majesty to grant unto them license to found a Church there which may be presentative for ever in which divine service & sermons may be exercized in the french tongue, and to settle lands & tythes in mortmain to the person and his successors there to be presented, and to signifie your royall pleasure to the Lo. Archbp. of Yorke his Grace that such a minister may be admitted for the present to use the french tongue in the exercise of his said function according to the institution of the Church of England, until those french which shall inhabit there shall by their conversacon attayne to the perfect understanding of the English." "And your petitioners shall ever pray &c." "This last without a date. It was probably presented on the same day that the ...order was made." [6 June 1637] "At the Court at Whitehall. 6 June 1637." "His Majesty approving the good intentions of the petitioners in the building of the Church in the place proposed is pleased that Mr. Attorney General prepare such licinces for the erecting thereof and settling a provision of maintenance in mortmaine of 100li per ann. to the parson & his successors to be presented by his Majesty and his successors for ever as may be fit for his royal signature. And his Majesty holding it fit to allow the inhabitants the celebration of Divine Service in a language they understand, is likewise pleased to grant license that it shalbe read in the french tongue, but in the forme of the liturgy of the Church of England, and likewise that they may have sermons in the french language according to the Articles & Canons of the Church of England till the inhabitants shall attaine to the understanding of English, and then the said service & sermons to be in the English tongue according to the forme articles & canons aforesaid. And the Lo. Archbp. of Yorke his grace is to give allowance and institution to such a minister, he finding him conformable to the religion and discipline here established." - From FENLAND NOTES & QUERIES, vol? page 56-57 article 706 by L. GACHES - [copied for research purposes only] ------------------------------------ <******** Created 21-April-2006 **********>