The petition of John Stringer of Crewe, Cheshire, Trinity 1650
{To the} right wor[shipfu]ll the Justices of peace w[i]thin the Countie of Chester at the Sessions assembled
{T}he humble petition of John Stringer nowe inhabitant in Crewe in the p[ar]ishe of Bartomley
{Shew}eth
{That your petitioner} from the begineinge of theise times of trouble and distractions hath adventured {illegible} diligence in the defence and service of the Parliam[en]t it beinge his lot to be one of {illegible} cruellie butchard by the bloud thirstie enimie in the Church of Bartomley (vizt) after {illegible} were stript naked, driven into the Church portch like sheepe to the slaughter, some beinge {illegible} the bodie w[i]th swordes, others w[i]th hallbeards, others beinge Hewen to death w[i]th Poulaxes, that {illegible} that yo[u]r petiti[o]n[e]r beinge stroken and wounded one of the first fallinge downe for dead {illegible} smeared w[i]th his one bloud and the rest fallinge vpon him in that straite place (by gods {illegible} spared his life but was cloven through the scull of the heath w[i]th a Pollaxe insoemuch that his braines appeared to the viewe of many, had fower more disperate woundes giuen him but beinge past sence knewe not w[i]th w[ha]t and beinge in that condic[i]on groaneine one vpon another till about the middle of the night yo[u]r petiti[o]n[e]r was inforced to travell towards Naptwich throughe frost and snowe w[hi]ch had soe perished his bodie that his woundes were thought vncurable, yet in length of time throughe much paine and sorrowe and likewayse to his great cost and charges his woundes were healled. Neuerthelesse &c. Yo[u]r petition[e]r vpon his recou[e]rie became a trained souldier vnder Colonel Massie and in that servise contineued the remainder of theise times, vnder whom it pleased god that at the first siege of Beeston Castle yo[u]r petition[er] was shotte throught the Arme in soe much that to keepe him from perishinge hee was forced not onelie to spend his portion bequeathed to him by his Parents but allsoe was occationed to runne into debte to severall well affected p[er]sons deploreinge his condic[i]on since w[hi]ch time yo[u]r petition[er] in his vocation & by his panefull labour hath maintained himselfe, wife and children from beinge burthen some to any; till this pr[e]sent yeere, but nowe through the ake and paine & infirmities of his hurt and maimed members, his bodie is soe disinabled that his strength fayles him & he can doe soe noe longer. May it therefore please yo[u]r hono[u]rs (the p[re]mises considered) to assigne yo[u]r poore petition[e]r such a portion of reliefe as in yo[u]r wise discretions shall seeme meete and convenient for his pr[e]sent necessitie that soe others thereby may be encoraged to vse the like endeavors and yo[u]r petit[ioner] be p[re]serued from beinge a spectacle of want and indigency.
And hee shall euer pray for yo[u]r health & happiness etc.
Will[iam] Massie
G[eorge] Malbon
<These vnder written beinge inhabitance in Bartomley can testifie the truth hereof some beinge eye wittnesses there of>
Tho[mas] Turner Mathew Wakin
John Smyth Thomas Basford
Thomas Steele de Lane Thomas Buckleton
Tho[mas] Steele de Greene Richard Paratt
Robert Lunte John Noden
Robert Hollis William Oulton
Robert Steele de claye John Parratt
Rob[er]t: Buckley
Tho[mas] Rieve
Roger Asburie
Robert Poole
George Steele
John Halse
<Ordered to bee a penc[i]on[e]r & haue 30 s. a yeare p[ai]d q[ua]rterly till farther order.>