The petition of Richard Rickards of East Knoyle, Wiltshire, Trinity 1649
<Wilts[hire] s[ession]s>
To ye wo[rshipfu]ll Justices of ye Peace for ye County of Wilts[hire] afores[ai]d sittinge at Marlborough
The humble Petic[i]on of Richard Rickards of East Knoyell
Sheweth
That oftentymes yo[u]r poore Petic[i]on[e]r, hath beene driuen from Sessions to Sessions to complayne to this Wo[rshipfu]ll Bench for Justice, that an order might be fullfilled, w[hi]ch was graunted at Warminster Sessions An[n]o 1648 by ye Justices then sittinge
That yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r should receaue by ye s[ai]d Order, from ye Tythinge of Rudge in ye p[ar]ish of Chilmarke in ye County afores[ai]d, from ye Ou[er]seers xviii d. p[er] Weeke: w[hi]ch xviii d. p[er] weeke was iustly p[ai]d by ye s[ai]d Ouerseers till Easter last: And since w[hi]ch tyme yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r cannot receaue one penny: w[hi]ch is the vtter vndoinge & staruinge of yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[e]r:
Yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r Liuinge at East Knoyell afores[ai]d, & beinge by Trade a Carpenter, beinge at Worke at Rudge afores[ai]d was from thence prest A Soldier into ye Garrison of [illegible] Langford where in yt service he hath vtterly lost ye vse of his Right hand And was then by ye Tythingman porposely prest to saue One of theire owne Tythinge at home: As by ye Order more at large appeareth:
The s[ai]d Order at Warminster Sessions last was agayne by Mr Hussy & ye rest of ye Justices confirmed, & that it should stand, but ye said Ou[er]seers hath not p[ai]d yo[u]r poore Petic[i]on[e]r One penny euer since Easter last to this day; whereby yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r is most miserably distressed.
May it please yo[u]r wor[shi]ps absolutely to [illegible] confirme yo[u]r poore Petic[i]on[e]rs Order this Sessions as in yo[u]r Wisdomes shall seeme meete, whereby he may foorthw[i]th receaue his Areres & future paym[en]t to mainteyne life.
For w[hi]ch yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r shal be in duty bound to pray &c.