The petition of John Marchant of Sheldon, Devon, 31 December 1680
<Deuon s[ession]s>
To The Right Wor[shi]p[fu]ll the Justices of the peace at ye Generall Sessions held for the said County of Deuon
The humble petition of John Marchant of Sheldon in ye said County of Deuon
Sheweth
That yo[u]r petition[e]r in obedience & loyall affection to his Sou[er]aigne Lord King Charles the first of blessed memory Aduentured himselfe with all Alacrity and true fidelity as A Trooper vnder the Command of Captaine Pomery in the Regiment of Horse of S[i]r Ralph Hopton wherein he Continued for a long tyme, And afterwards serued vnder the Command of Capt[ain] Powell who are both deceased, And soe continued faithfull in his said Ma[jes]ties Seruice vntill the tyme of layeing downe of Armes. During which said seruice yo[u]r petition[e]r suffered very much, And often Imprisoned, and receiued diuers shots and wounds in his body. And hath been left in the field for dead as by a Certificate appeareth, And still remaines a faithfull loyall subject to the Kings Ma[jes]ties Royall Gouernment that now is to ye vtmost of his power. And by reason of his said Wounds soe Receiued yo[u]r petition[e]r is disabled to p[er]forme any seruice or to worke in his ymployment (being by p[ro]fession a husbandman) whereby to keepe and pr[e]serue himselfe and poore wife (being decreped) from perishing. And therefore yo[u]r petition[e]r is by necessitie in all humillity compelled to supplicate yo[u]r Wor[shi]pps & this Hon[ou]rable Bench for some Reliefe.
May it therefore graciously please yo[u]r Wor[shi]pps to consider the sad & most deplorable Condic[i]on of yo[u]r poore petition[e]r. And to be pleased to Admitt him to bee one of the poore maymed pention[e]rs Or to giue him such Reliefe as in yo[u]r Wor[shi]pps wise & serious Considerac[i]on shall seeme meete & Conuenient Soe as that he & his poore wife may be pr[e]serued from perishing. And yo[u]r petition[e]r shall be euer bound to pray &c.
Wee whose names are here vnder subscribed, p[ar]ishon[e]rs of Sheldon aforesaid, doe beleeue that the case of the petition[e]r as is aboue set forth is true. And we humbly recommend him as a p[er]son fitt to be releiued.
<December last 1680>
<I doe beleeve ye petic[i]oner deserves a Penc[i]on>
<Jo[hn] Willoughby>
<January 3rd 1680>
<I doe beleiue this petic[i]on to be true.>
<Pet[er] Prideaux>
John Pratt
Nicholas Shallis
John Blackmore Constable
Francis Blackmore
Ambrose Pring Churchwarden
Clement Ackland Ouerseer
John Baker
[Overleaf:]
30 s. p[er] Ann[um]