Dunstable,
Barton, Amersley, Bedford, Kempson, North Crawley, Cranfield,
Newport, Stony Stratford, Winslow, Wendover, Wickham, Windsor,
Cobham, London, Whetston, Mine, Wellin, Dunton, Putney, Royston,
St. Needs, Godmanchester, Wetne, Stanton, Warbays, Kimolton, from
Kimolton to Wellingborrow.”

Before this date, however, some of the inhabitants of Wellingborrow had followed the example of their brothers in Surrey.  From a beautifully printed broadsheet,[150:1] bearing date March 12th, 1649 (1650), and issued by Giles Calvert, we find the following account of their doings, which incidentally reveals the terrible state of the rural working population at the time it was written: 

“A DECLARATION OF THE GROUNDS AND REASONS why we the poor
inhabitants of the Town of Wellinborrow, in the County of
Northampton, have begun and give consent to dig up, manure and
sow corn upon the Commons and Waste Ground called Bareshanke,
belonging to the inhabitants of Wellinborrow, by those that
have subscribed and hundreds more that give consent.

“1.  We find in the word of God that God made the Earth for the use and comfort of all mankind, and sat him in it to till and dress it, and said, That in the sweat of his brow he should eat his bread.  And also we find that God never gave it to any sort of people that they should have it all to themselves, and shut out all the rest, but He saith, The Earth hath He given to the children of men, which is every man.

“2.  We find that no creature that ever God made was ever deprived of the benefit of the Earth, but Mankind; and that it is nothing but covetousness, pride and hardness of heart that hath caused man so far to degenerate.

“3.  We find in the Scriptures, that the Prophets and Apostles have left it upon record, That in the last day the oppressor and proud man shall cease, and God will restore the waste places of the Earth to the use and comfort of man, and that none shall hurt nor destroy in all His Holy Mountain.

     “4.  We have great encouragement from these two righteous Acts,
     which the Parliament of England have set forth, the one against
     Kingly Power and the other to make England a Free Common-wealth.

     “5.  We are necessitated from our present necessity to do this, and
     we hope that our actions will justify us in the gate, when all men
     shall know the truth of our necessity: 

“We are in Wellinborrow in one parish 1169 persons that receive alms, as the Officers have made it appear at the Quarter Sessions last.  We have made our case known to the Justices; the Justices have given order that the Town should raise a stock to set us on work, and that the Hundred should be enjoyned to assist them.  But as yet we see nothing is done, nor any man that goeth about it.  We have spent all we have; our trading is decayed; our wives and children