The petition of John Ridman of Malham, West Riding of Yorkshire, 28 May 1673
To the right worship[fu]ll his ma[jest]ies Justices of peace within Staincl[iffe] &c.
The humble petic[i]on of John Ridman of Malham.
Sheweth
That your petic[i]oner was a soldier vnder Capt[ain] Will[iam] Ridman in ye right honourable ye Earle of newcastle Regim[en]t in the service of his late ma[jes]tie of blessed memory continueing very faithfull & Loyall ev[er] since was a man of a very considerable estate when he tooke up armes for his s[ai]d Ma[jes]tie, but now is brought very Low & in a poore Condic[i]on, & in respect of his old age not fitt to Labour nor take paynes, haueing received many bruises & wounds in the sayd service yo[u]r petic[i]oner haueing demonstrated these matt[e]rs & things to yo[u]r good wor[shi]pps at the Quart[e]r Sess[ion]s holden at Skipton about four yeares agoe & his name inserted in a List w[i]th some of yo[u]r wor[shi]pps p[ro]mise yt he should be admitted penc[i]on[e]r vpon the first vacancie. Now may it please yo[u]r good wor[shi]pps there is one John Morphet of Litton Late deceased who was a Penc[i]oner & rec[eived] Quarterly 13 s. 4 d.
Your Pettic[i]oner therfore humbly desires he may be admitted penc[i]oner in his stead & place & for the future may rec[eive] the s[ai]d penc[i]on
And yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r as in duty bound shall eu[er] pray for you:
We conceiue this petic[i]on[e]r deserues to be admitted penc[i]on[e]r in ye roome of John Morphett now Lately deceased Wher[e]fore we refer him to the Considerac[i]on of the Court at Pontefract the next Quart[e]r Sessions for their allowance & approbac[i]on of this petic[i]on & in the meane tyme we doe Order Mr Treasurer for Lame soldiers doe pay the s[ai]d Morphetts penc[i]on of 13 s. 4 d. p[er] Quart[e]r to the petic[i]oner till the s[ai]d Sess[ion]s at Pontefract as all ye incouragem[en]t we can doe for the petic[i]oner at pr[e]sent. Giuen vnder our hands the 28th of May. 1673.
Jo[hn] Ashton
Will[iam] Drake
Henry Marsden