The first petition of Elizabeth Cary, residence unknown, May 1660
To the Kings most Excellent Majesty.
The humble Petition of Elizabeth Cary an Aged Widow.
Most humbly sheweth,
That your Peticon[e]r in the late generall Calamity hath (amongst others) suffered deeply for her great fidelity & constant Loyalty to your Ma[jes]ties late Royall father of glorious memory, and that your Peticon[e]r for her faithfull adhering as well to yo[u]r Royall father as also to your Ma[jes]tie hath endured many great and greevous afflictions by persecution, oppression ye breaking of her Back at Henley upon Thames & a Gibbet erected to take away her life with many other Cruelties inflicted on her. Besides her seuerall Imprisonme[n]ts in Windsor Castle, in Newgate, in Bridewell in ye Bishop of Londons house, and lastly her Imprisonment in the Mewes at the time of his Ma[jes]ties glorious martirdome for her peculiar service to his Majesty in conveying and bringing of his Majesties Proclamations and Declar[ati]ons from Oxford to London, and was at last forced to flee into her owne Countrey for her safety, and by that meanes escaped with her life.
Now in as much as your Peticon[e]r is very antient, weake and sickly being destitute of any Subsistance, and not likely to liue long in this World.
Shee most humbly supplicates your Sacred Majesty in tender consideration of the premisses to commiserate her sad and wofull condition by preferring her Sonne Peter Cary to bee a Page of your Ma[jes]ties privy Chamber, as well for ye support of him as of your Peticon[e]r whiles shee lives.
And your Peticon[e]r shall ever pray &c.
Pencon 40 s. a year
Barth[olomew] Dukes Esq[uire]
out of the P[rivy] Seale Dorm[an]t