The petition of John Howard of Spreyton, Devon, 10 January 1688
To the right wor[shipfu]ll his Ma[jes]ties Justices of the peace of & for the County of Devon att this pr[e]sent Sessions held for the said County att ye Castle of Exon
The humble petic[i]on of John Howard of Spreaton in the s[ai]d County
Sheweth that yo[u]r petit[ione]r in the late vnhappy warr in the Raigne of our late Sou[e]raigne L[or]d King Charles the first of ever blessed memory, served his Ma[jes]tie as a Sould[ie]r vnd[e]r the Comaund of S[i]r Christopher Abdy Captain in Scotland, And afterward vnder the Com[m]aund of Captain Bartholomew Gidleigh Esq[ui]r[e] for the space of Four yeares, & was att the Siedge ag[ai]n[s]t Lyme, and Plymouth, Dureing w[hi]ch tyme of soe being a Sould[ie]r he Endured very great Hardshipp, by means whereof he is now altogeath[e]r vnable to gett his Liveing, but is forced to begg releif from the p[ar]ish.
Wherefore yo[u]r Petit[ione]r most humbly prayes yo[u]r Wor[shi]ps to take the pr[e]misses into Considerac[i]on & to afford him a Pension as for a Poore Sould[ie]r for his bett[e]r Livelihood & maintenance
And yo[u]r petit[ione]r shall ever pray &c
<I beleive this petition to be true>
<Rowland Whiddon>
<Hugh Stafford>
Thomas Hore Con[sta]ble
John Battishill
<30 s. p[er] ann[um] soe yt ye p[ar]ish offic[e]rs afford him a sufficient liuelihood & p[ro]ducing a certificate thereof vnd[e]r the hands of themselues & und[e]r the hand of a Justice of ye peace at next Sessions & then to receiue 1 q[ua]rt[er’s] pay [illegible] &c.>
<Jan[uary] 10th 1687>
[Overleaf:]
30 s. p[er] ann[um] to Howard