The petition of John Kay, West Riding of Yorkshire, April 1680
To the Hono[ura]ble his ma[jes]ties Justices of the Peace for the West riding of the County of Yorke.
The humble petic[i]on of John Kay
<Sheweth>
That yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r in the yeare (42) when the late King of ever blessed memory sett vp his standard att Nottingham went a Trooper in the then [illegible] Lord Savils Troop vnd[er] the Command of Capt[ain] Thomas Sheldon, Mr John Copley of Batley being then his Leivten[an]t, & afterwards yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r before the Batle at Edghill was a souldier in Prince Ruperts Regiment, And that yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r ever was a true & faithfull Soldier & subiect to his Said late Ma[jes]tie & never deserted his Service, and hath Continued the same to his Ma[jes]tie that now is (whom God preserve with long life) And that yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r was dureing the late vsurped times imployed & intrusted in the management & Carryinge on of sev[er]all plotts then in agitac[i]on against the Grand vsurper, And also was intrusted to goe to his Ma[jes]tie that now is when he was vpon his march to Worster. But now being growne old & what with the wounds he received, & the Imprisonm[en]ts he Suffered, incapacitated to worke or Act for his subsistence, & having not wherewithall to Subsist or releive himselfe.
Yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]rs most humble request is the pr[e]misses Considered that you would take the same into yo[u]r Serious Considerac[i]ons & that this Hono[ura]ble Bench would please to admitt yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r a Penconer for Lame Souldiers & to grant him Such a Penc[i]on as to yo[u]r wisdomes shall seeme meete.
And yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r shall ev[er] pray &c.
Wee whose names are hereto subscribed {illegible}