The petition of Humpherey Walley of Melling, Lancashire, 23 April 1683
To the Wor[shi]p[fu]ll his Ma[jes]t[y]s Justices of peace and Quoru[m] att there Quarter sessions held att Ormsk[irk]e the three and twentith [sic.] of Aprill 1683:
The humble petic[i]on of Humpherey Walley a poore Indigent man aged about 72 yeares:
Humbly Sheweth
That yo[u]r petitioner about thirtie yeares since in the tyme of the late warrs was press[e]d for a souldier to serve in Irish Warrs for the towne of Mellinge where hee was borne and had till then euer liued and was sent ouer togethar with 120 more souldiers out of this [?County] vnder the Comand of Col[one]l Muncke (aftt[e]rwards generall Muncke) In w[hi]ch said Irish seruice yo[u]r petic[i]oner continewed till the disbandinge of the Armie att which tyme yo[u]r petic[i]oner returned into his owne Contrie a very poore ould man yett neuer the lesse hee hath euer since (w[hi]ch is about fiue yeares agoe) wrought for to mantayne himselfe after a very poore maner; But now soe it is that by reson of his great age hee is not able to worke for his liueing any longer but of necessitie must bee eythar Compelled to begg or starue now in his ould age except yo[u]r Wor[shi]ps will bee pleased to order some way for his releeife
May it therefore please yo[u]r wor[shi]ps to order the towne of Mellinge (where yo[u]r petic[i]oner was borne and from whence hee was sent into wars) to provide a beeinge and som allowance for a liuelyhood out of the s[ai]d towne And your poore petic[i]oner as in dutie bound will pray &c
vi d. a weeke till further order & habitac[i]on
[Illegible]
Here begins Ormskirk s[ession]s
23 Apr[il] 1683.