"The humble petition and appeal of Josiah Prymat of London, Leatherseller, sheweth,
"That your Petitioner, by his under-tenants, George Lilburn Esquire, and George Gray the younger, Gentleman, both of the County of Durham, being in the years 1647, 1648, and 1649, in a just and quiet possession of the Collieries, or Seams of Cole, in Harraton, in the County aforesaid, called the Five-quarter and Nine-quarter Cole, (and having spent near £2000 to win the same), which lay drowned and lost, from 1642 to 1647; Sir Arthur Haslerig, in September, 1649, procuring Colonel Francis Wren, one of the Committee of that County, and Colonel George Fenwick, to joyn with him, made an Order, (against which the rest of the said Committee present protested) to sequester the said Collieries, under colour of an untrue suggestion that Sir Wm. Armyn had sequestred the same in 1644, as belonging to one Thomas Wray, a Papist Delinquent: and thereupon the said Sir Arthur violently dispossessed your Petitioner's tenants, and seized their goods; and lett the said Collieries to Colonel Francis Hacker, and several of the Officers of his own Regiment.
"That your Petitioner hath petitioned to the Commissioners for compounding for relief; but, by the power and influence of the said Sir Arthur, upon most of the said Commissioners, your Petitioner hath been delayed, and denied the ordinary course of proceedings in all Courts of Justice: and at last, coming to hearing, the said Sir Arthur appeared every Day of the hearing; and took upon him, not only to plead against your Petitioner (which is humbly conceived to be contrary to Law, he being a Member of the Supream Authority) but also Authoritatively to prejudge your Petitioner's case, and to direct the said Commissioners what to judge therein; and by his power and influence upon the said Commissioners, he over-awed most of them, and after full hearing, judgment being respited from day to day, the said Sir Arthur kept private correspondence with some of the said Commissioners, about finding some new colour or pretences to detain your petitioner's possession from him, whereupon he produced new pretended evidence after full hearing; and thereupon the major part of the said Commissioners, not daring (as is humbly conceived) to oppose the will and pleasure of the said Sir Arthur, have contrary to clear evidence before them for your petitioner, refused to relieve him; and have punctually pursued in their Judgment, the directions publickly given by the said Sir Arthur.
"That the said Commissioners being the onely persons authorized by the Parliament to hear and determine all cases about sequestred estates, your Petitioner cannot be relieved from the oppression and tyranny of the said Sir Arthur, save by the Parliament or their special Order and Directions: And your Petitioner hath been kept from his Possession above two years, and the said Sir Arthur hath declared the said Collieries to be worth, at least, £5000 per annum.
"May it therefore please the Parliament, in respect
to the Public Justice of the Commonwealth, to cause
the truth of the Premises to be speedily examined,
and to provide for your Petitioner's relief from the
oppression and Tyranny of the said Sir Arthur Haslerigg,
and for the dispensation of Justice, without fear
or favour; as to your Wisdoms shall seem most just.
"And your Petitioner shall pray, &c.
"Joseph Primatt."
On January 15th, 1651/52, the Parliament approved and affirmed the judgment and resolutions of the Commissioners for compounding in the case of Josiah Prymate, and after having proceeded with the matter of crime charged in the petition, it was resolved that this petition was false, malicious, and scandalous, and that the printing, publishing, and dispersing of the same was a high breach of privilege of Parliament; and also that all the printed copies should be burned by the Common Hangman at the Old Exchange, London, and in the New Palace, Westminster, on Tuesday and Wednesday next, also that Prymate should be fined £3000, to be paid to the use of the Commonwealth; also £2000 more, to be paid to Sir Arthur Haslerig; also £2000 more to be paid to James Russells, Edward Winslow, William Molins, and Arthur Squibb, Esquires, four of the Commissioners for compounding. It was then ordered that Prymat should be committed to the Fleet till the aforesaid sums were paid. The House then proceeded against Lieutenant Colonel John Lilburne, who confessed that he had dispersed several of the printed copies of this petition, and similar fines were imposed upon him, as well as perpetual banishment from the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.[158]
A copy is preserved in the British Museum Library.