The petition of Elizabeth Harison of Nantwich, Cheshire, 16 April 1661
To the Right Worshipfull his Ma[jes]ties Justices of the peace at the Quarter Sessions Asembled at Medlwc[i]ch ye 16 day of Aprill.
The humble petic[i]on of Elizabeth Harison of Namptw[i]ch her husb[an]d haveing bin a souldier for his Ma[jes]tie of ever blessed memorie vnder the Comand of Col[one]l Rich[ard] Greene,
Humbly Sheweth
That whereas your poore petic[i]on[ers] husband hath bin a true and faithfull Souldier for his late Ma[jes]tie of ever blessed memorie both in England and Scotland ever since the begining of the late warres and did Continue in s[ai]d Ma[jes]t[y]s service as a faithfull Souldier and never deserted his Ma[jes]t[y]s service at all but manfully fought as longe as he had life and many great feights he [illegible] ventered himselfe in for his Ma[jes]tie, first at Edge Hill Glocster, Banger, Readinge, Bowton & Edge Hill there he lost his life to the vtter vndoeing of yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[e]r and her children yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[e]r was forced to after the decease of her husb[an]d to goe and begge for releife in the Cuntrey for her selfe and Childeren her neighbores would not allow nor giue her noe mayntenance because her husb[an]d went as a faithfull Souldier for the kinge And her childeren being soe young she could not leave them she sould all she had her clothes and when all was sould and gone she tooke her childeren and went a begginge for some maynenance wherby to releue her selfe and smale Childeren.
The Pr[e]misses tend[e]rly Consid[e]red yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[e]r humbly prayes yo[u]r worshippes to take her miserable and needy Condition into yo[u]r benificious and Charitable Consideration and admitt her sel to be one of yo[u]r [illegible] pentic[i]on[e]rs she being an obiect of much pity and Charity She being not any wayes able to sustayne and liue being yt she hath nothing but what she getts by her one hard labor and she being now disabled to worke by reason of greifes and old age is likely to fall into great poverty and want unles by your worships favors releued and yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[e]r & her Children as in duty bound shall euer pray for yo[u]r hon[ou]rs health and hapines &c
[Illegible]
James Smith
Tho[mas] Mainwaring
M. Walley
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