The petition of John Skutt of Warminster, Wiltshire, 11 January 1659
To the right Wor[shipfu]ll ye Justices of the peace assembled at this g[ene]rall q[ua]rter Sessions holden for ye publiq[ue] peace at New Sarum in ye County of Wilts[hire] the 11th day of January 1658.
The humble petic[i]on of John Skutt of Warminster in the County aforesaid Shoemaker.
Humbly sheweth
To yo[u]r good Wor[shi]ps: That whereas yo[u]r petic[i]oner was a Souldier in the States service a long time vntill he rec[eive]d a greate wound in fight by musket shott from the Enemy by w[hi]ch he was not only disabled to continue the service longer but also disabled to labour in his Calling or Trade of a Shoemaker as this his humble Certificate vnder the hands of diu[er]s Master workmen of that trade doe most humbly make appeare, And whereas yo[u]r Wor[shi]ps poore petic[i]oner pr[e]sented his humble petic[i]on to this Wor[shipfu]ll Court for some yeares past, by w[hi]ch he obteyned an Order of Sessions for a pension of forty shillings by the yeare w[hi]ch was a greate Comfort to yo[u]r poore petic[i]oner in his sad condic[i]on; w[hi]ch said Order yo[u]r Wor[shi]ps petic[i]oner is ready to p[ro]duce to yo[u]r Wor[shi]ps view: But so it may it please yo[u]r Wor[shi]ps that yo[u]r petic[i]oner is a very poore man & hath nothing to maineteyne him but his labour & his pension w[hi]ch is but little & his labour lesse, being soe disabled as aforesaid yo[u]r petic[i]oner is now in a very miserable Condic[i]on.
Therefore yo[u]r petic[i]oner humbly desires yo[u]r Wor[shi]ps to take ye pr[e]misses into yo[u]r most grave wise & charitable charitable [sic.] considerac[i]on & out of yo[u]r clemency goodnesse & mercy be favourably & charitably pleased to graunt & order by the power of this Court that yo[u]r petic[i]oners pension may be enlarged to a greater p[ro]porc[i]on answereable to his said miserable condic[i]on as yo[u]r Wor[shi]ps in yo[u]r wisdome & piety shall thinke most fitt to keepe yo[u]r poore petic[i]oner from p[e]rishing the through want.
And yo[u]r petic[i]oner shall pray &c
Mr Barnaby add 26 s. 8 d. more to the petic[i]oners former penc[i]on, w[hi]ch in toto wil be 3 li. 6 s. 8 d. yt beinge the sense of all the Justices.
Fra[ncis] Swanton