The petition of Henry Elking of Kingswood, Wiltshire, 23 April 1661
<Com[itatus] Wiltes[hire]>
To the Right Wo[rshipfu]ll His Ma[jesty]s Justices of the peace at the Generall Quarter Sessions holden for the s[ai]d Com[itatus] in the City of New Sarum or els where this 23th day of Aprill in the yeare of o[u]r Lord 1661 Annoq[ue] R[egni] R[egis] Carol[i] ii di nunc Angl[iae] &c xiiio The Humble Petition of Henry Elking of Kingswood in the s[ai]d Com[itatus] of Wilts[hire] Taylor, as Followeth.
<Sheweth to yo[u]r Wo[rshi]pps:> That yo[u]r poore pet[itio]ner having for divers yeares during the begining of the late unhappy warres served as a souldier under the Com[m]aund of the Right Ho[noura]ble George Lord Digby in the service of his late Ma[jes]tie Kinge Charles the first of ever blessed memory, At Marleborough, Edgehill, Newbery, Vpton upon Seaverne, Stow on the Would, and at diverse other places under severall other of his s[ai]d Ma[jesty]s Com[m]anders, as it is manifestly knowne & wil be easily made evident to yo[u]r Wo[shi]pps if occasion so require, In w[hi]ch severall services yo[u]r s[ai]d poore pet[itione]r hath bin severall times wounded & hurte, And yo[u]r pet[itione]r having a wife and seaven small children to maintaine now at this time, wherby he is driven to very hard straights to gett a poore maintenance for his s[ai]d poore wife and family, Hath made bold, to desire yo[u]r Wo[rshi]pps (the pr[e]mises considered) to afford yo[u]r pet[itione]r for his better maintenance, as to yo[u]r Wo[rshi]pps shall seeme meete, wherby he may be the better enabled to releeve his s[ai]d poore wife and children, And yo[u]r pet[itione]r shall ever pray (as by duty he stands bound) for yo[u]r Wo[rshi]pps health & p[ro]sperity.
Wee whose names are hereunto subscribed do hereby certify [illegible] to all whom this may concerne, that the bearer hereof Henry Elking hath bin a souldior in the service of o[u]r late soveraigne Lord King Charles the first, to o[u]r knowledge, neyther did he ever forsake the s[ai]d service by going over to the other side as ever we have heard or do beleeve, And wee do further certify that ye substance of the matter in the petition above written contayned is true so farre forth as wee know and do beleeve. And therfore wee desire that all lawfull favo[u]r may be extended to ye s[ai]d pet[itione]r and wee shall rest very thankfull dated under our hands this fifth day of Aprill Anno D[o]m[in]i supadict[i]
Robert Webb
Joseph Bowden
Tho[mas] Winston
Edward Wallington
John Trotman
Robert Harpur
Gabriell Lowe
Thom[as] Veel
Rob[er]t Oldisworth
Thomas Veel Jun[ior]
Nicholas Veel
Morgan Pullen
<allow[e]d xl s. p[er] ann[um] North p[ar]te>