But the Justices and some of the preists haue Bought theire goods for halfe that they were worth and drunkards and swearers runs away with the rest they sweare men are at the meeting when they are not & by false sweareinge the Compasse mens goods into theire hands which is theft; and soe theiues and Robbers haue entered vpon our goods And men weomen and Children are by this meanes driuen to great want; They haueing within some few months enough & to releiue others Soe if you consider not these things in time it will Bring A ruination both vpon the King and Countrey, Soe its good for you to consider it in time before it be to late And take of this Act and make better Lawes Least you ruinate all.
This is done in the Countrey besides all bodyly Abuses consider what they doe in this citty they pull downe our houses the[y] Batter and bruise men And weomen with theire Swords with theire guns with theire hallbards & with pikes & Staues runing vpon them with horses what may wee expect But yᵗ many of these are papists and outlandish men yᵗ doth it. Jf such wicked things as these bee Tollerated to destroy honest people who serues the Lord with all theire harts and great companys that follows Mountebancks play houses & other vaine pastimes that are vpheld in this Citty what may wee expect But yᵗ the hand of yᵉ Lord may fall sodainely vpon you.
Therefore in time repent and take heed and doe Justice and loue mercy And walke humbly with your god that you may find a place of repentance Least you be shutt out for ever J am a louer of yoʳ soules who would not haue you to perish,
Elisabeth Hooton.
Elizabeth Hooton also made a point of informing the King as to what was taking place in Nottinghamshire. In one of these letters, after stating that she, an aged woman, had travelled over a hundred miles, and recounting the “greuieous havock” under the “New Act”[109] caused to Friends in London, she continues:[110] “I Brought you A Letter from Nottingham shire to the Kings hall; which sett forth how Greate oppresshon one side of the shier had suffered Amounting to a Boue three hundred pounds, beeing att one meeting....” Apparently there were only two others present besides the family at whose house the meeting was held, and £12 and £15 were taken from them in fines. “They make noe Conscience what they take,” she continues; and she also tells how one magistrate had fined a man twenty pounds for “worshipping of god” and then had ordered his officers to take three or four times as much “beecause they might Sell good peny worthes, and They Tooke Thirty pownds worth of Goods and sent to the same man for Titth wooll and Lambe After they had taken away his sheep.” She tells also of the loss of her own cows.
In another letter to the King, she writes:[111]
They have taken to Prisson both Men & Boyes in yᵉ Country & brought yᵐ to Nottingham Prisson Contrary to yᵉ Act & yᵉ Country is against itt and Jtt brings a Ruination.
And again, to King and Parliament, she writes:[112]
They took from one man for heaueing of 3 meetings in his house 150ˡⁱ pounds & Ruined him his wife and Children by penniston Whally Justice & Waker yᵉ informer And Ruined other to younge men at farnsfeild.