The petition of John Thomas of Hereford, Herefordshire, 1662 to 1663
To the Right Wor[shi]ppfull Thomas Holmes Esq[ui]r[e] Maior of the Citty of Herefford & others the w[o]r[shi]ppfull the Steward Magistrates and Justices of the peace of the said Citty;
The humble Petic[i]on of John Thomas a poore darke man;
Humbly Craveinge, in regard and for that your poore distressed petic[ione]r in the time of Thomas Davies gent[leman] late Maior of the said Citty exhibiteinge his Petic[i]on for the graunte of the next vacant Hospitall happening within this Citty; had then, and sithence from time to time, & sessions to sessions a graunte by the whole Court & Com[m]on Councell of the said Citty to haue the next Hospitall house of any deceaseing within the said Citty with the meanes p[ar]ticularly therevnto app[ur]tenant, in respect & for that yo[u]r petic[ione]r was formerly an imprest souldier out of this Citty for & in his late Ma[jes]t[y]s seruice of blessed memory dec[eased] both in the kingdome of Ireland, & in this kingdome wherein by hard dures & drifts of seruice yo[u]r petic[ione]r vtterly lost his sight & driven to implore & begge the Charity of good disposed people for his relief, & being now driuen to a very hard exigent, noe way able to pay rent for the least harbour to shelter in; or succour his poore guide beseecheth yo[u]r wor[shi]pps Confirmac[i]on of a present graunte for his settlement forthwith without further delay in the next vacant Hospitall; (according to their former orders already filed or some certaine weekely allowance out of this Citty, whence yo[u]r petic[ione]r was imprest, as yo[u]r wor[shi]pps thinke meete.)
And yo[u]r poore petic[ione]r as bounden to yo[u]r wor[shi]pps therefore shall daily pray for yo[u]r wor[shi]pps &c.