| certificate by the inhabitants of Earls Colne that Wm Prentice of Colne Engaine yeoman is of very bad behaviour and hath divers times been found very disordered in the parish of Earls Colne viz on thursday 2.9. he was seen in the street drunk and all bloody in the face with quarrelling on sunday 12.9. in the forenoon in the sermon time he was found drinking in an outhouse on the back side of an alehouse with five or six companions viz Wm Prior Hen Prior Luke Benall Jn Hudson Thos Freeman all of Earls Colne who on the coming of the officers ran all out into the field and being there bade that five of the best men in Earls Colne should if they durst come and meet with five of them in that place in the afternoon of the same day (12.9. ) being apprehended by the constable by warrant from the justice he was by the way very disordered in swearing railing reviling and giving out threatening words to the constable and such as assisted him and spared not such speeches before the justice himself (sig or mark) Thos Smith Rich Kemp constables Thos Fanning churchwarden Wm Cosin Jn Bettes Hen Abbutt junior Dan Lea sidesman | |
| against the five or six companions | a warrant to bring these persons to the next justice to be bound to their good behaviour |