The petition of Lieutenant John Dowthwayte, royalist officer, July 1660
To the kings most exilent maiestie.
The humble peticion of John Dowthwayte gent[leman].
<Humbly sheweth>
That yo[u]r pet[itione]r did serue in the Late Warrs fro[m] the first begininge vntill the end thereof, in the quallety of a Leiuetenant of horse, & in that seruice rec[eive]d seu[er]all wounds, That he hath ben imployed in the affaires of yo[u]r Ma[jes]ties Royall Father, & in yo[u]r Ma[jes]ties affaires since, & p[ar]ticulerly in conveying Intelligence & Com[m]issions, & to that end made seu[er]all voyages into Flanders, France, Holland, & Jersey; That he hath ben in all attempts to p[ro]mote yo[u]r Ma[jes]ties interest, hath suffered diu[er]s Imprisonm[en]ts & great hardships both by Sea & Land. That being engaged in the Ryseing at Salisbury & escaping was forced to fly beyond Sea, where he trayled a Pyke two Campanias in Col[one]l Slingsbyes Companie, was taken at the Battle of Dunkerke, & after eight moneths imprisonm[en]t in the Castle of Boavais, made his escape by A Roape of Straw, Came to Bruxells, was imployed into England vpon the accompt of S[i]r Geo[rge] Boothes ryseing, & acted therein, was taken Prisoner, & hath since indured many miseries;
Wherefore he doth most humbly implore yo[u]r ma[jes]ties fauour towards him, that haueing spent his tyme & a younger Brothers fortune, in his constant p[er]seuerance in Loyalty, yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie would be graciously pleased to recomend yo[u]r Peticioner to the imploym[en]t of A Land waiter at the Customes house in London;
And he shall euer pray &c.