THat the Tennants and their Ancestors have for many hundreds of years en­joyed their respective Farmes under the Prior and Covent of Durham, and after the dissolution in Henry the Eight his time, under the Dean and Chap­ter of Durham, by certain Customary Tenures and Services to be per­formed by them upon the Borders of England, against the Frontiers of Scot­land.

That in Queen Elizabeths time they were prevailed withall to take Leases, which was setled by Decree by Consent, between the then Dean and Chapter, and the afore­said Tennants of Durham, That they should receive Leases according to the form prescribed in that Decree, paying Three years Fine at the renewal of their Leases, after the expiration of One and twenty years.

That when the Surveyors came down to Survey their Estates in pursuance of a Bill of Sale, the said Tenants made their right as aforesaid unto the premisses to ap­pear; whereupon the Surveyors made a large and ample Certificate on their behalf, and returned the same in the Survey of their respective Farms.

That the said Tenants did addresse themselves to the Committee for Removing Obstructions in the Sale of Deane and Chapters Lands, who upon mature de­liberation, did allow of the said Tennants Claim as aforesaid, and Ordered a Reprize to the said Tennants in the purchase of their several Farmes, in pursu­ance of the Decree, as by the Order of that Committee more fully appears; which Order of Allowance was left at Gurney-house for the Contractors and Pur­chasers to take notice of.

That the said Tennants being miserably impoverished by reason of the late Warrs having Armies quartered upon them for the most part of five years, and most of their Farmes being not above the value of three pounds per Annum, were not able to come up to London, and to bear the Charge of passing Conveyances for their re­spective Farms, and therefore resolved to submit to whosoever should purchase their Estates, and become their Landlords, resting confident that according to their said Claims and Orders of Reprizal, they would allow the said Tennants to renew their Leases under them, as formerly they did in the time of the Dean and Chap­ter; But the said Tenants do find the contrary; and notwithstanding that they and their Ancestors have for these 400 years enjoyed their respective F [...]rmes upon the Tenures and Services aforesaid; and notwithstanding that their Case is different from the Case of all other Tennants to Deane and Chapters in other parts of the Nation, yet are many of them thrown out of their antient Possessions, and left in the Streets in a miserable Condition, with their Wives and Children to begg their Bread; there being such instances to be given of the Inhumanity of some of the Purchasers to the said Tennants, that it is incredible what unchristian-like hardship hath been done unto them.

The Tennants do most humbly pray, That their Petition (remaining in the hands of a Member of Parliament) Remonstrating their Sad and La­mentable Condition, may be Call'd for, and Read in Parliament; that the Oppressed may be relieved, and that so many Families may not be left to perish, for want of seasonable relief.