The petition of Edward Addams of Okehampton, Devon, 1696
To the Right wor[shi]p[fu]ll his Ma[jes]ties Justices of the peace for the county of Devon now assembled in their gen[er]all Sessions
The humble petition of Thomas Edward Addams of Oakhampton in the county aforsaid Cordwainder
<Sheweth> That y[ou]r poor petition[e]r serued his late Ma[jes]tie King Charles the first of ever blessed memory in the then unhappy warrs under the com[m]and of Captaine Gidley and afterwards under Captaine Grose at the seiges ag[ains]t plymouth Dartmouth & in many other places in w[hi]ch service y[ou]r poor petition[e]r behaved himselfe with all possible Loyalty & chearfully underwent all the hards[hi]pps and suffarings incident to a warr & rec[eive]d seu[er]all considerable wounds & hurts manifestly visible w[hi]ch togeather with the other hards[hi]pps & other suffarings y[ou]r petition[e]r rec[eive]d in the said service render him in his old age much more infirme and impotent
May it therefore please y[ou]r wor[shi]pps of y[ou]r wonted clemency to graunt unto y[ou]r poor petition[e]r a penc[i]on out of the county stock in the roome of seu[er]all of his neighbours & fellow soldiers & sufferrers lately dec[ease]d and y[ou]r petition[e]r as in duty bound shall euer pray &c.
<Wee beleiue this petition to bee true>
<Benjamjn Gayer Mayor>
<Jo[hn] Hussey vic[ar]>
<John Ellicott>
<John Northmore>
<Nic[hola]s Pope>
Wee are credibly informed of the truth hereof
John Burrington
John Quicke
Will[iam] Cary
Wee the Churchwardens and Ou[er]seers of the poor of Oakhampton doe hereby certify that the petition[e]r Thomas Edward Addams is a poor man & receiues weekly relief from us And Doe promise that the benevolence w[hi]ch hee shall receiue from the gen[er]all Sessions shall not bee any abatem[en]t of this weekly releif fro[m] us
Jonathan Hussey } Churchwardons
Peter Crosman }
Geo[rge] Best } Ouerseers
Jacob Palmer }
[Overleaf:]
5 s. in hand & 20 s. p[er] ann[um]