To Every Individuall Member of the Supream Authority of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England. The Humble Addresse of Lieu. Col. John Lilburn, by way of answer to a most false and scandalous Printed Petition, delivered at the House door against him, by one William Huntington, upon Wednesday the 26 of November. 1651

Bound in new marble paper covers with string. Binding and pamphlet fine / fine.

John Lilburne (c. 1614 – 29 August 1657), also known as Freeborn John, was an English political Leveller before, during and after the English Civil Wars 1642–1650. He coined the term “freeborn rights”, defining them as rights with which every human being is born, as opposed to rights bestowed by government or human law.[1] In his early life he was a Puritan, though towards the end of his life he became a Quaker. His works have been cited in opinions by the United States Supreme Court.[2]

John Lilburne; His Route to Banishment.

Per Wikipedia; “Much more serious in its consequences was Lilburne’s adoption of the quarrel of his uncle, George Lilburne, with Sir Arthur Hesilrige. In 1649, Lilburne had published a violent attack on Hesilrige, whom he accused of obstructing the payment of the money granted him by the parliamentary ordinance of 28 Dec. 1648 (‘A Preparative to an Hue and Cry after Sir Arthur Haslerig,’ 18 Aug. 1649). George Lilburne’s quarrel with Hesilrige was caused by a dispute about the possession of certain collieries in Durham—also originally the property of royalist delinquents—from which he had been ejected by Hesilrige in 1649. In 1651 the committee for compounding delinquents’ estates had confirmed Hesilrige’s decision. John Lilburne intervened with a violent attack on Hesilrige and the committee, terming them ‘unjust and unworthy men, fit to be spewed out of all human society, and deserving worse than to be hanged’ (‘A just Reproof to Haberdashers’ Hall,’ 30 July 1651).”

Well not as well known, John Lilburne’s petition of 28 Nov. 1651, (To Every Individuall Member of the Supream Authority of the Parliament…), continued the quarrel between Lilburne and Sir Arthur Hesilrige and serves as an important bridge between July and December, 1651. Lilburne accuses Hesilrige of directing Huntington to make trouble for him. Hutington was a Farm Tenant on a piece of land that Lilburne owned and was refusing to pay taxes to lilburne, accusing him of stealing a cow and treating him and his family unfairly. Hesilrige took up the cause of Huntington as part of his larger feud with Lilburne over the collieries in Durham, which are mentioned specifically in this piece. He finishes his grievances with a plea and promise that he will bring detailed charges against Hesilrige soon, which he would do so, on 23 Dec. 1651.

“That Sir Arthur Hesilrigge who I do verily believe either by himself in person, or some of his Agents, incouraged the said Hun­tington or his wife to come to London, to complain, and drew the fore­mentioned false and lying Petition for him.”

“And therefore (Right Honorable) to conclude all, give me leave to make this Proposition to you, seeing sir Arthur indirectly struggles so to maintain his guilt; That if you please to declare, That I may have as free liberty, and the same priviledges against sir Arthur Ha­slerig, as your selves had against the Earl of Strafford, I do hereby engage my Life against his, in the behalf of the Commonwealth of England, to pre­pare and bring into your House, in a very short time, as formal a charge in the ey of the Law, as high and criminal in its nature, against sir Arthur Haselrig, as ever yours was against Strafford; and before you openly, by legal and good testimony to prove it, or otherwise let my life go for his.”

Per Wikipedia; He next joined with Josiah Primat—the person from whom George Lilburne asserted that he had bought the collieries—and presented to parliament, on 23 Dec. 1651, a petition repeating and specifying the charges against Hesilrige. Parliament thereupon appointed a committee of fifty members to examine witnesses and documents; who reported on 16 Jan. 1653, that the petition was ‘false, malicious, and scandalous.’ Lilburne was sentenced to pay a fine of 3,000l. to the state, and damages of 2,000l. to Hesilrige, and 500l. apiece to four members of the committee for compounding. In addition he was sentenced to be banished for life, and an act of parliament for that purpose was passed on 30 Jan. (Commons’ Journals, vii. 55, 71, 78; Calendar of the Proceedings of the Committee for compounding, pp. 1917, 2127. An Anatomy of Lieutenant-colonel J. Lilburne’s Spirit, by T. M. 1649; Lieutenant-colonel J. Lilburne Tried and Cast, 1653; A True Narrative concerning Sir A. Haslerig’s possessing of Lieutenant-colonel J. Lilburne’s estate, 1653).