The certificate for John Coward of Chichester, Sussex, 21 September 1677
Deare Cousin.
The bearer hereof John Coward, borne in Chichester, was in the yeere 1643, a Corporall in my Troope of horse in his late Ma[jes]tys Army, wherein hee behaued himselfe faythfully and like a good soldio[u]r, for about a yeere vnder my com[m]and; and after of Maior John Marsh, to whom I transferred that Troope: wherein the bearer served long after, and very well; and receiued many wounds, some of them in his hands, w[hi]ch hath disabled him to vse his Trade of a Glover, and others in his head w[hi]ch haue much impayred his brayne, & vnderstanding. Hee being now growne aged, & less able to shift for himselfe, and haueing first taken Armes for the Crowne in Sussex to w[hi]ch hee hath ever since continued loyall: And I being informed that the stock for mayhemd soldio[u]rs in the west of Sussex is overcharged w[i]th Pentioners, but that the stock of the East part hath a great deale yett yeerely vncharged: And considering that in law the East & west is all but one County, and the stock but one intire stock; I doe heartyly and earnestly recommend him to the charitable care of the Justices of Peace of the East part, (to most of whom I haue the hono[u]r to bee well known) And doe more particularly make this address to you on his behalfe, as my neere Kinsman, to sollicite yo[u]r Bench at the next Quarter Sessions to bestow a Pention vpon him out of your stock, wherein you & they all will doe an act of great charity, and very pursuant to the intent of the Act of Parliam[en]t in that behalfe. And w[ha]t shall bee done for his reliefe herein, I shall take from you and all them as a great obligation layed on
Yo[u]r very affectionate Kinsman and yo[u]r and their most humble serv[an]t
Jo[hn] Heath
<Halnaker.>
<21th Sept[em]b[e]r 1677.>
For Nizell Rivers Esq[ui]r[e]
Theise
[Symbol: seal of John Heath]