Listers -- Here are the contents of two of the pages (petitions) from the records of the Malthouse Chapel in Canterbury (ENG), both dated September 1709. I find this fascinating stuff and hope others feel the same. If anyone finds ancestors attending this Chapel, copies of these pages would be a wonderful addition to the family history. As a reminder and for those subscribers who've recently joined us, this Chapel was established after disagreements with the main Walloon Church in Canterbury. This topic was discussed in several posts at the end of September and the beginning of this month. They can be viewed in the list archives. The first petition (below) is in English and the second (after the first) is in French. Note that most of the same people signed both of them. Obviously, they were prominent members of that group, and other pages in these records show that some were later chosen as elders. All spelling and punctuation has been left "as is". Here is the first page. It's a request for a grant establish a new French church in Canterbury. The Queen (ie. Elizabeth I) is mentioned but it seems to be directed to an intermediary (the Archibishop of Canterbury?) or possibly someone in her court, who is unnamed but addressed as "My Lord" or "your Grace". La Requeste Suivante presentee a My Lord dans le mois de Septemb. 1709. May it please your Grace, As it hath Graciously pleased her Majesty our Sovereign of Great Brittain, france & Ireland, Queen, Defender of ye faith, With The Lords Spirituall and Temporall assembled in Parliament to have done us ye Honour to acknowledge us for her own Subjects, and To lett us enjoy the same Priviledges as her other Naturall Born Subjects of Greatt Brittain by an act passed in Parliament ye Seventh year of her Majesty's Reign, Intitled, an act for naturalising all foreign Protestants, out of a Due Consideration of those great advantages granted to us, and not to be Guilty of ye greatest Ingratitude, Wee here underneath Written have resolved for a token of our acknowledgement (hoping it will be acceptable to her Majesty) to Conform ourselves as Well to ye Customs, manners and Rules of this Kingdom, as to ye Religion established by ye Laws of this Realm, & Wherefore Wee most humbly beseech your Grace to be pleased to grant us a Licence to make a french Church according to ye Rites of ye Church of England for this City of Canterbury, ye place of our abode and wch. is under ye Jurisdiction of your Diocess, Wee hope, My lord youl. be pleased to grant us this favour; In order that Wee being so united and protected May Continue to pray the Almighty that he will be pleased to bless more and more her Majesty our most Gracious Sovereign, and your Grace with ye Choycest of his Blessing, being Your most humble and most obedient servants, My Lord. It was signed by Jean DE CLEVE, Abraham DE LA NEUVEMAISON, Jean DE LON, Gabriel PAIN, Paschal LARDEAU, and By above Six and thirty Hands more. A true Copy of ye Original. At the bottom left corner were the initials P.L., presumably those of Pierre LE SUEUR who became minister of the Malthouse Chapel a few years later. Here is the second page. I believe it's directed to the ministers and elders of the Church of the Savoy in London, although they aren't mentioned until the very end. Please correct me on any of this if I'm wrong here but I think they are asking, among others things, for advice ("Vos bons et sages advis"), for help in their request to establish a new church ("aussy tous les secours qui sont en Vostre pouvoir pour nous faire obtenir..... ", etc.) and for help in choosing a Minister ("ayder a trouver un Ministre, qui soit honneste homme....", etc.) Messieurs Nous soussigner Esperons que Vous aurés labonté de nous donner non Seulement Vos bons & sages advis, mais aussy tous les secours qui sont en Vostre pouvoir pour nous faire obtenir de Monseigneur Archevesque De Canterbury la permission de faire une Eglise avec les prieres Communer que nous suhaittons tous pour nostre Commune Edification, nous sommes un tres grand Nombres de Chefs de familles (outre les veuves & filles) Qui sommes Resolus de nous Conformer a L'Eglise Anglicane, en Consideration des Grands advantages, que sa Majesté nostre Illustre Souveraine & son Parlement nous on accordés en nous faisant l'honneur De nous Recognoistre pour Ses propres Subjects, et de nous faire Jouir Des mesmes Privileges que les Naturells du Pays & comme la plus grande partie, d'entre nous n'entendent L'Anglois, nous Accorder cette faveur & de Vouloir bien avoir La bonté de nous ayder a trouver un Ministre, qui soit honneste homme & qui presche bien et une bonne Doctrine, vous nous Rendrés, Messieurs En tout cela un grand Service, qui nous Remplire d'une Vive Recognoissance, et nous obigera a prier Dieu pour la prosperité de vostre Eglise, & nous fera dire a Jamais et nous en particuliers au nom de tous Vos tres humbles & tres obeissants serviteurs, Messieurs Jean DE CLEVE, Abraham DIDIER, Gabriel PAIN, Jean DE LON, Jean DE L'EPLUQUE, Paschal LARDEAU. A Messieurs Les Ministres & Anciens de L'Eglise de La Savoye. Hope this has been of interest. More on this Chapel in future posts. Andrea