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The estates of parliament, taking into their consideration a supplication given in to them by Gillian Wilkie, spouse to George Wood of Colpnay†, showing that upon the petitioner's last supplication, holding forth to the said estates of parliament her husband's and her own sad sufferings, to the utter ruin of both, by the enemies of this kingdom arising in the north, and that because of her husband's constant adherence to the covenant and refusing to comply in such wicked and destructive courses, which he would never countenance (notwithstanding of many allurements offered to him to go on in those designs), withal representing to the said estates of parliament her husband's necessitous desertion with her own with the burden of five young children and the sixth in her belly, whom, according to that tie of duty by the law of God and nature, she has nothing to administer to them for their corporal sustenance nor for their education in virtue and literature, neither for their souls' good, besides her sad and heavy thoughts by the loss and ruin of that ancient (although mean) estate which God had called her husband to and which his predecessors had these many years bygone. The said estates of parliament, upon knowledge of their great and pitiful extremity with their poor young children, have looked several times upon their miserable crying for help at their hands and support in their starving condition; not only did they most liberally acquiesce them to some present relief (for which now our prayers shall not cease to call to the heavens for a blessing upon them in remuneration of so great favours) but also the said estates were pleased to recommend their deplorable condition to the committee of monies, that an effectual means might be used for supporting their necessities and reparation of their great sufferings, that such a competency might be bestowed upon them as might be judged fit and nearly to repair their great losses; and that in consideration of a recommendation of the provincial synod of Lothian by many reverend ministers and many honourable lay elders, witnessing their notoriety of their low and pitiful condition and the cause thereof, as is formerly expressed in their late supplications and several other testificates presented in the committees, witnessing that for her husband's faithful carriage they lost their ancient (although mean) estate and are far in debt above the worth thereof for the cause aforesaid, and are driven from any being of their own and were forced to take themselves to several quarters of this kingdom, fearing if her husband should stay with them that they should be pursued and would lose their lives for his sake, as a sufficient testificate for witnessing the verity hereof sent to the said estates of parliament under the hand of Mr David Lindsay, minister of the Gospel at Belhelvie, and upon the 15 of this instant approved by the committee of the shire of Aberdeen, more amply purports. Therefore humbly craving the said estates of parliament in the bowels of mercy and pity to take the premises into consideration and vouchsafe such a measure of favour upon them as may merely balance the loss of their estate and put them from this continual begging and continual troubling of the said estates in this pitiful extremity and want, to which they are reduced; for as she is a Christian, they have nothing in the world, neither present nor to be a constant life, but what it pleases God to move the said estates' hearts graciously to bestow upon them, for the committee of monies, to whom the said estates did recommend them, did remit them back again to the said estates of parliament in respect the parliament was at the down-sitting and could hardly have so many of their number together as would be a quorum; and withal the said estates were graciously pleased to give them something to live on until they should take course with them or otherwise they would have starved, it being true and of verity (which is well-known) that her said husband was not indebted before these troubles began except in only the sum of 5,000 merks and had for taking course for payment thereof the sum of 8,000 merks of her dowry good. Therefore humbly supplicating the said estates of parliament again and again that they would be graciously pleased, after considering their extremity occasioned by their sufferings and losses in the public cause, to fall upon some course in the deepness of their judgments for repairing their losses in the public cause, that so they may relieve their overburdened estate and be released from under the heavy weight of penury where they are presently affected; and being confident of the said estates' charity in such a great extremity, it shall be had in perpetual remembrance by their prayers to God for their prosperity, as at more length is contained in the said supplication. Which being taken into consideration by the said estates of parliament, they have recommended and recommend seriously the supplication, with the supplicant and her family's hard condition, to the committee of monies, and ordain the said committee with all diligence to pay the said supplicant the sum of 1,000 merks Scots for present subsistence to her and her family.