The petition of John Locke of Bratton Clovelly, Devon, 1663
<Devon S[ession]s>
To the Right wor[shipfu]ll his Ma[jes]t[y’]s Justices of the peace of the County aforesaid assembled at the Castle of Exon
The humble petic[i]on of John Locke of the p[ar]ishe of Bratton Clovelly.
<Sheweth>
That yo[u]r Petic[ioner] was a souldyer in his late Ma[jes]t[y’]s service of blessed memory, under the Com[m]aunde of S[i]r Thomas Hele Bar[one]t untill such tyme as he was maymed, and thereby rendred unable to live w[i]thout the Charity of wel disposed people; wherefore he implores the Hono[ura]ble Bench that he may be allowed some comfortable subsistence by way of Pension as a maymed souldyer, he not at any tyme diserted his Ma[jes]t[y’s]s service.
And yo[u]r poore pet[itioner] as duty oblidgeth him shall ever pray, &c.
I doe attest the truth of this petic[i]on, and that he was grievously maymed.
Richard Mervine
[On the reverse:]
Jo[hn] Locke 50 s. p[er] Ann[um] at next sessions