The petition of Henry Crooke of Marlborough, Wiltshire, September 1660
To the Kinges most excellent Ma[jes]tie
The humble petic[i]on of Captaine Henry Crooke.
Sheweth
That ye pet[itione]r in ye late vnhappie warrs had the com[m]and of a foote company about 5 yeares, vnder ye com[m]and of the Lord Hopton, duringe w[hi]ch tyme, he was an Actor in those memorable & greate Actions, at the fight at Lansdowne, the freeinge of the Devizes, the takeing in of Bristoll, the beseiging of Gloucester, Newburrye wash, Cheriton by Alisford, Taking of Arundell, & Arundell castle, Removinge ye siege at Oxford, and Basing, Marching with the King to Worcester, and into Cornwall, and thence to the takeinge of Iford Combe;
In w[hi]ch service two of the pet[itione]rs sonnes sacrificed theire lives and ye pet[itione]rs deare wife (beinge the staie & comfort of his life) deceased, And after this, in that late fatall fier at Marleburgh ye pet[itione]r lost: 3: houses, whereby he is become, harbourles, freindles, and comfortles.
And besides, ye pet[itione]r in those services received divers woundes in his head, body, and lymbes, whereby he is become a most impotent Criple; and is thereby compelled to goe vppon Crutches with much paine.
Wherefore he humbly implores yo[u]r sacred Ma[jes]tie he beinge very aged, impotent, & indigent, to be gratiously pleased, to assigne vnto him some shor small penc[i]on for the short remnaunt of his life, such as vnto yo[u]r Ma[jes]ties greate wisdome shall seeme meet, That soe he maye be kept from perishing and starvinge
And ye petic[i]oner shall ever praie &c