The petition of John Fletcher of Prestwich, Lancashire, 6 May 1647
To the honorable Bench the humble petition of John Fletcher in the p[ar]ish of Prestwich this 6th of May 1647
humblie sheweth
That for as much as your petitioner hath serued in the ware euer since the Earle of Derbie Came against Manchester in which time hee hath not beene Chargable to the stat for either horse or armes but either bought or mad vse of such as was taken by hime from the enimie denying hire from men, but serueing freely for the stats alowance, for which serues he is in areare about 62 pound vpon true accounte & in which serues he hath been shot through the left arme & right shoulder so that he is maimed one both, haueing a wife & 4 small Children, & not any thing to liue on in this world wherby he may maintaine himselfe & his wife & Children, but only dependanth vpon gods prouidance not able of himselfe to labour with his hands, haueing not house to liue in, but oweth for that he is in since {th}eis times begane
{You}r petitioner therefore desireth this hon[our]able Bench that {th}ey would be pleased to Consider his low Condition (as {he} is a poore Cristian and bereth in his bodie the markes of our lord Jesus Christ for whose Cause I haue sufered theise things, and by the asistance of gods grace ame still readie to sufer) & to alow him sume place & timber in Pilkington where hee may liue with his wife & Children at the sight of such as your worshipes shall thinke fitte and so your petitioner shall euer pray &c
Ch[urchwardens] to take care to p[ro]uid him a ha{bitation}
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