The petition of Nicholas Bennett of Widecombe, Devon, 1669
<Devon s[ession]s>
To the right Wor[shipfu]ll the Justices of the Peace att this pr[e]sent Generall Sessions Assembled,
The humble Petic[i]on of Captayne Nicholas Bennett of Widicombe in ye County aforesaid,
<Sheweth>
vnto yo[u]r Wor[shi]ps that whereas yo[u]r Petitioner (during all the time of the late Warre, in the reigne of o[u]r late Soveraigne Lord King Charles the First of Blessed memory) hath beene Continually a Constant Souldier in Actuall Service for the saide late kings Ma[jes]tie In w[hi]ch Service yo[u]r wor[shi]ps Petic[i]oner by reason of a Shott, received a wound, Whereby he is very much disabled in getting his mayneteynance and liveleyhood: The want whereof hath beene hitherto, very well supplyed by the Assestance of Livetenant Collonell Prouz and yo[u]r Petic[i]oners Brother Mr Matthew Bennett, a Priest vicar of the Church of Exeter, and some other Friends, whilest they lived; By reason whereof yo[u]r Petic[i]oner hath not hitherto made any Complaint, to be relieved heerein. But Now, so it is, May it please yo[u]r wor[shi]ps, that those his good Freinds being dead, and he himselfe not able to gett his liveleyhood, And his wife (whose Industry hath beene formerly vnto him much availeable) Shee now being lame, and almost blind, and thereby disabled to help her selfe, much lesse her Husband, Hee is become an Humble Suitor vnto yo[u]r wor[shi]ps that you wil be pleased to Commiserate his deplorable Condic[i]on, and so to order the Matter as that yo[u]r Petic[i]oner may haue some Pension yeerely, as other Souldiers haue in like Case, whereby he may Subsist whilest it shall please the Almighty to lend him this Naturall life, And yo[u]r Petic[i]oner shall dayly pray for yo[u]r wor[shi]ps long life and happines
Yo[u]r Wor[shi]ps Humble Petic[i]oner
Nicholas Bennett
<10 li. p[er] ann[um]>
[Overleaf:]
Nicho[las] Bennetts petition