And Now it is Reported yᵗ thou hast Gotten a Judgmᵗ against thy Syce to Sweep away all yᵗ shee hath, boath goods, & Land, wᵗ a Rebellious Daughter in law art thou.
The rest of the letter consists of warnings and predictions of what will befall if such unjust conduct is persisted in. It concludes:
Soe to yᵉ light of Xᵗ in thy Conscience Returne, wᶜʰ will lett the see all thy wayes; J am a lover of thy Soule
Elizabeth Hooten.
Her intervention did not end here, for we find her writing to the King and Council on behalf of Margaret Fox. In an undated letter, after calling their attention to the great distress caused by the Act “which hath ruined many hundred of famylies which cannot now pay Rents taxes nor sesments which did releiue many poore and now is not able to releiue them selues,” she continues:[129]
Shee yᵗ was Judge ffells wife had a rebellious and disobedient sonn which sought the ruination of his own mother the Lord Cutt him of by Death and now her sonnes wife seekes to ruinate her mother in Law by getting a Judgmᵗ against her att this Size at Lancaster to dispossesse her of her proper right and soe both ruinate her and her children if shee can: Lett the King and Councill Consider this and holpe the widow and the fatherlesse. That which her husband left her, her daughter in Law seekes to ruinate her of. Soe I beseech you consider it in tyme and send some thing speedily to yᵉ Judges yᵗ Justice may be administred.
I am a louer of your Soules
Elizabeth Hooton.
Undeterred by age, the perils and discomforts of the voyage, or the prospect of bonds and imprisonment which it was possible would be her portion, Elizabeth Hooton, in a letter written from London in conjunction with Hannah Salter[130] to Margaret Fox, a prisoner in Lancaster Castle, speaks of the call she had received to proceed with George Fox and the party of Friends who were intending to visit their brothers and sisters in the faith beyond the seas:[131]
Deare Margret who Art faithfull and in the wisdome of god and art A sufferer for god and his Truth and thy sufferings hath been many and great and thou art A Mother in Jsraele god is thy witnese thou hast suffered more then many haue Expected, yet hath yᵉ Lord deliuered thee, Euerlasting praises to his name for euer, bee thou of good Cumfort yᵉ Lord will Deliuer thee still and they that seeke to Ruinate thee will yᵉ Lord Ruinate, Jf they doe not Speedely Repent and Amend: there is no way but to trust in yᵉ Lord for hee is A true deliuerer.