The petition of John Langworthy of Bridford, Devon, 1685
<Devon S[ession]s>
To ye wor[shi]p[fu]ll John Beare Esq[uire] and the rest of his Maj[es]ties Justices of ye peace at the Castle of Exon assembled.
The humble petic[i]on of John Langworthy of Bridford in the County of Devon hus[band]man.
Humbly Sheweth, That whereas your poore petic[i]on[e]r heretofore served his late Maj[es]ty King Charles the first (of ever blessed Memory) in the late unhappy Civill Warrs under the command of Captaine Michaell Cove and therein received diverse wounds & bruises & endured sundry other great hardships, by meanes whereof yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r (who is now growne aged & Infirme) is become wholly unable to worke for his maintenance as hee wisheth hee were able to doe, And forasmuch as yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r never served the late Parliam[en]t or any other usurpers of the Governm[en]t of the Realme.
Yo[u]r poore petic[i]oner therefore prayes yo[u]r wor[shi]ps to grant him such yearely pension out of the County Stocke as to yo[u]r wor[shi]ps clemency and yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[er’]s great necessity shall seeme most consonant.
And yo[u]r petic[ione]r shall ever pray &c
Wee believe ye contents of this Petition to be true.
Hen[ry] Northleigh
Will[iam] Stawell
[Overleaf:]
Pet[itioner] resp. till next sessions