The petition of Jane Hart of Wellington, Somerset, ?c. 12 July 1653
To the r[igh]t wor[shipfu]ll the Justices of the peace now assembled in Sessions at Bridgwater for the county of Som[er]s[et]
The humble petic[i]on of Jane Hart of Wellington
Sheweth
That Thomas Hart yo[u]r pet[itione]rs husband was ever faithfull & serviceable vnto the State & hath manifested the same as a Souldier vnder the com[m]aund of Capt[ain] John Colborne not onlie in Cornewall ag[ains]t Dunster Castle & Barnestable but alsoe in the 3 seiges of Taunton in w[hi]ch service he rec[eived] a shott from the enemy in the Shoulder whereby he was vtterly disenabled to get any maintaynance for yo[u]r pet[itione]r & her poore 2 small children, And your pet[itione]r alsoe sheweth that about 3 yeeres sithence her s[ai]d husband went for the service of Ireland leaving yo[u]r pet[itione]r & her s[ai]d poore children destitute of any succo[u]r or releife; & yo[u]r pet[itione]r hath often made her addresses vnto yo[u]r Wor[shi]pps for some releife but could not hithervnto rec[eive] any: shee once more emboldens herselfe humbly desiring
That yo[u]r Wor[shi]pps would be mercifully pleased to take her distressed condic[i]on into considerac[i]on & vouchsafe to he order her such releife heerin, as yo[u]r Wor[shi]pps shall thinke fitt & as the lord in mercy shall move pitty in yo[u]r breasts
And yo[u]r pet[itione]r as in duty bound shall ever praye &c
The contents in this peticion is true:
Rich[ard] Bovett:
Sam[uel] Whetcombe
<Your peticioners Husband Was a faiethfull soldier in all the actions aboue specified>
<Jo[hn] Colborne>
[Reverse:]
Hart denied Nothinge till further examinacion xii d. p[er] weeke by the p[ar]ish unles cause to the contrary