The petition of Andrew Heywood of Okehampton, Devon, 11 January 1687
Janu[ary] 11th [16]86
To the right wor[shi]p[fu]ll his Ma[jes]ties Justices of the peace for the county of Deuon now assembled in their gen[er]all Sessions
The humble petition of Andrew Heywood of Oakhampton in the county of Devon
<Sheweth>
That y[ou]r poor petitioner served his late Ma[jes]tie King Charles the first of euer blessed memory in the late vnhappy warrs as a foot soldier vnder the com[m]and of Capt[ain] Gidley, S[i]r Nicholas Slanning S[i]r Tho[mas] Basset and Col[onel] Acland being successiuely Col[one]ls from the beginning of the said wars, and manifested all possible courage and Loyalty therein, and chearfully vnderwent all the hazzards and hards[hi]pps incident to the said service not only in the seiges and skirmishes at the vizes Bristoll Exeter and Plymoth but alsoe for seu[er]all yeares togeather manifested to the utmost of his skill and power all possible and constant Loyalty and courage therein, neuer neglecting or deserting his said Ma[jes]ties service, But soe it hapned yt at the seige ag[ains]t Plymouth y[ou]r Petition[e]r with many others vnd[e]r the same Captaine minding more the discharge of their duty and Alleagiance to their Ma[jes]tie than their owne safety, and encountring with a fair greater number of the enemies who on a sudden sallied out from the towne after they had made as great resistance and defence as possibly they could was with some others taken a prisoner, And in that condic[i]on the knowne enemies of the Church and King and of the peace and tranquility of the Kingdome used the utmost p[er]swasions threats and hard usage that their subtilty could suggest or their treasonable principles and cruelty put in practice but finding y[ou]r petitioner still resolued not to quit his Loyalty tho hee had lost his liberty, they in a barbarous manner, sold y[ou]r petition[e]r as a slaue into a certaine Island called Nevus in w[hi]ch strang & forreigne country hee continued for the space of ten yeares, And haueing formerly in his said Ma[jes]ties service rec[eive]d a shot in his arme & y[ou]r petition[e]r being thereby disabled to labour as others was for a long time in much distresse and misery in the Island aforsaid And hath eu[er] since his returne by meanes of the said wound rec[eive]d in his Ma[jes]ties service as aforsaid disabled to get his like liuelihood at his calling yet hath hitherto forborne to supplicate the benevolence of this C[ou]rt
Now y[ou]r petition[e]r being not only maimed as afors[ai]d but growne aged humbly desires this honn[ou]rable C[ou]rt of their wonted clemency the pr[e]misses considered to graunt y[ou]r petition[e]r an yearly penc[i]on & y[ou]r petition[e]r as in duty bound shall eu[er] pray &c.
<30 s. p[er] ann[um] & 10 s. in hand>
Wee the Major Justices & Burgesses of the Burrough of Okehampton doe hereby c[er]tifie that wee are well assured of the truth of this petic[i]on & yt the Petic[i]on[e]r is a p[er]son of honest & peaceable demeanour And doe p[ro]mise that the benevolence of the Justices of the peace of this County shal be noe ease to o[u]r p[ar]ish or Corporac[i]on or cause any abatem[en]t of such other releife as this peticon[e]r or any other maimed Soldier shall or may receive
Robert Rattenbury Major John Shebbeare Richard Shebbeare
John Gayer Am: Cuningham Benjamjn Gayer
J. Northman Christopher Yendall
[Overleaf:]
30 s. p[er] annum & 5 s. in hand