The petition of Mary Pugh of Bloxwich, Staffordshire, 5 November 1649
To the right hon[oura]ble his Exellency the Lord Generall Fairefax
The humble petic[i]on of Mary Pugh wife of John Pugh.
Humbly sheweth vnto yo[u]r Excellency that yo[u]r pet[itione]rs said husband hath beene a souldier for ye good & welfare of the Com[m]onwealth as well vnder the late Earle of Essex as yo[u]r Excellency belonging to the Trayne of Artillery & p[er]formed his duty w[i]th app[er]ed fidelity & trust.
That yo[u]r poore pet[itione]r having a greate charge of small Children repaired out of Stafford thither to London in expectac[i]on to see her said husband & to reveaue some reliefe from him for her & her poore Children (w[hi]ch it appears is now {illegible} transported for Ireland w[i]th that Famous Commander Colo[ne]ll Cromwell.
May it ther[e]fore please yo[u]r exc[e]ll[en]cy out of yo[u]r accustomed Clemency (& in relation to the worke in hand) & ye seruice heretofore done by her said husband to extend yo[u]r ex[cellen]ys fauo[u]r towards her by adding some reliefe to her pr[e]sent necessity to carry her home to her poore Infants, in w[hi]ch mann[e]r as shall consist w[i]th the pious Condic[i]on & quallity of yo[u]r excel[en]cy.
And yo[u]r poor pet[itioner] & hers shal be eu[er] ingaged to pray &c.
Whereas the pet[itione]rs sayd husband is now vpon the seruice of Ireland and as yet cannott conueniently retorne monyes to supply the pet[itione]rs wants I desire ye Maior Justices and Co[mm]i[n]al[i]ty of Wasall in the County of Staff[ord] wil bee pleased to allowe a competent mainteynance to ye pet[itione]r & her Children & in ye conclusion to bee defalted out of her s[ai]d husbands pay.
Nov[embe]r 5 1649 Fairfax