The petition of Margaret Bulkley of Nantwich, Cheshire, Trinity 1657
<County of Chester>
To the right wor[shipfu]ll the Justices of Peace at this pr[e]sent Quarter sessions assembled.
The humble petic[i]on of Margaret Bulkley of Namptw[i]ch wid[ow]
<Humblie sheweth,> that yo[u]r petic[i]o[ne]rs late husband Richard Bulkley deceased beinge borne in the Namptw[i]ch [sic.], and one knowne to stand well affected to the p[ar]liam[en]t p[ar]tye beinge a soldier in the late warrs, and beinge also a man verie servizeable and vsefull to diu[er]s gent[lemen] and others of the neighbo[u]rhood in his fidelity in goeinge vpon Messages for them, And beinge a lysted soldier vnd[e]r the Comand of Captaine Malbon at Worcester battel (as both his Captaine and other officers and soldiers whose names are subscribed can testify) was at that tyme shott throw the shold[e]r with a bullett w[hi]ch proued a verie dangerous wound, had seuerall bones taken out of his sholder, and had extreame great paine of it and afterwards proued to bee the occasion of his death as Mr Yates his surgeon can make it to appeare. And that the payne of his sholder was soe greate, as that it did disinable him to follow his Callinge of a shoomaker as form[er]ly, but was forced to goe of [sic.] errands for gent[lemen] & others to gett a poore Liuelihood till hee dyed by reason of the great swellinge of his sholder, and hauenge a hott pultis layd to it the swellinge remoued into his side and soe ascended vpward to his harte wherevpon hee dyed; and soe lefte yo[u]r poore petic[i]o[ne]r haueinge beene his wife about 4 yeares in a destitute & forlorne Condic[i]on, and nothinge to Liue vpon but her owne hard Labo[u]r.
The pr[e]misses beinge duely Considered yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[e]r humbly beggs of your wor[shi]ps to comisserate a poore widowes condic[i]on and to grante yo[u]r ord[e]r that as her husband had in his life tyme soe she may haue a yearely pension of xx s. allowed her and to bee paid her by the Treasu[re]r of the County quarterly For w[hi]ch yo[u]r petic[i]o[ne]r will bee eu[er] bound to pray &c
Wee whose names are subscribed doe knowe and beleiue the Contents of this petic[i]on to bee true and therefore humbly pray yo[u]r wor[shi]ps it may bee granted accordingly
Thomas Malbon
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