The case of the petitioners, William Strode and John Speke, Esquires This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription B01921 of text R171018 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing C1135B). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 3 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 B01921 Wing C1135B ESTC R171018 52211964 ocm 52211964 175533 2248529393

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. B01921) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 175533) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English Books, 1641-1700 ; 2739:43) The case of the petitioners, William Strode and John Speke, Esquires Strode, William, Esq. Speke, John. 1 sheet ([1] p.) s.n., [London : 1689] Caption title. Publication data suggested by Wing. Imperfect: one line blacked out in ms. Reproduction of the original in the Lincoln's Inn Library. eng England and Wales. -- Parliament. -- House of Commons -- Contested elections -- Early works to 1800. Elections -- Corrupt practices -- England -- Somerset -- Early works to 1800. Somerset (England) -- Politics and government -- 17th century -- Early works to 1800. Broadsides -- England -- 17th century. eebo The case of the petitioners, William Strode and John Speke, Esquires. [no entry] 1688 1 437 0 0 0 0 1 0 228.83 F The rate of 228.83 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the F category of texts with 100 or more defects per 10,000 words. 2008-03 Assigned for keying and markup 2008-06 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-07 Sampled and proofread 2008-07 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
THE CASE Of the Petitioners , William Strode and John Speke , Esquires .

IN the Burrough of Ivelchester , in Somerset , it hath been the Custom and Usage , for only all House-keepers , to give Votes for choosing Members to serve in Parliament .

Joseph Winter , a Barber , being Baliff on the Election Day , did partially , contrary to the Custom , when he had Polled himself , and called for all that were Polled for Sir Edward Wyndham , Baronet , and Mr , William Helyar , admitted of several Non-residents , Tablers and Lodgers , amongst them , whereas they were all severally excepted against , by some of the Inhabitants , to have no right ; alledging , that they did not Rent Houses , and could not be called House-keepers . Whereupon , the Petitioners Clerk marked the Names of fifteen of that Poll he took when they were thus objected against : So afterwards , Mr. Strode and Mr. Spekes , Voters , waiting in the Hall , at length were allowed to Poll for Mr. Strode . There were fifty two unquesionable House-keepers , whereof fifty were also for Mr. Speke ; but then , at Last , some real House-keepers , who offered to Poll for the Petitioners , were refused .

There are but fifty eight , on the Poll , for Sir Edward Wyndham and Mr. Helyar , whereof not above forty three are House-keepers Neither have they there any Freemen , or other Electors , then House-keepers , who are not effectively one hundred in all the Burrough ; so that the Petitioners will plainly prove , a good Majority of the said House-keepers , as they now stand on the Poll , without adding those who were refused them ; and consequently , the Petitioners are duely chosen .

As for the Charter , it gives none any right to choose Members for Parliament , it only makes a Corporation consisting of a Baliff and twelve Capital Burgesses : and by the express words of the said Charter , the Baliff , and said Capital Burgesses , upon Death or removal of any , they are required to go to a new choice of some Inhabitant to be a Capital Burgess : Altho' , contrary hereunto , the Balisf and Burgesses of late years , have Elected four Gentlemen , Non-residents , and did allow one of those Gentlemen to be their Baliff , for some years successively whilst living at least three miles then out of their Burrough .