The petition of Peter Hatton of Hatton, Cheshire, Epiphany 1664
To the Right Wor[shi]p[fu]ll his Ma[jes]t[y]s Justices of the Peace & Quorum now sitting at the Gen[era]ll Quarter Sessions held in the Castle of Chester for the County Pallatine of Chester.
The humble petic[i]on of Peter Hatton gentl[eman] a distressed prison[e]r for debt in the abouesaid Castle of Chester.
Humbly sheweth
That yo[u]r pet[itione]r in the late times of Rebellion and vsurpac[i]on actually served his most sacred Ma[jes]tie, and his royall father (of ever blessed memory) and never revolted nor deserted their services in w[hi]ch he was shott in one of his shoulders, & wounded in his left hand of w[hi]ch he is impotent & cannot p[er]fectly vse the same to his great losse & impoverishment.
That yo[u]r pet[itione]r further sheweth that for his good affecc[i]on and loyall service had his goods plundered, his body oftentimes imprisoned & his lands sequestred, & in fine enforced to sell the same to cleere his sequestrac[i]on & to relieue his wants and now in his decrepit old age hath languished in prison neere two yeares being not able to relieue or mainteyne himselfe w[i]thout the charitable benevolences of the truely noble & well affected Gentry of this County & my worthy good freind Capt[ain] Hunt Constable of the Castle of Chester.
He therefore humbly supplicates yo[u]r Wor[shi]pps to take his most sad & deplorable condic[i]on into yo[u]r most pious & iudicious considerac[i]ons, and yt yow wil be pleased to admitt him one of his Ma[jes]t[y]s poore pention[e]rs in this County, and further to relieve yo[u]r pet[itione]r as to yo[u]r wisedomes shall seeme meet, otherwise yo[u]r pet[itione]r will vndoubtedly perish for want in prison.
And yo[u]r pet[itione]r (as in duty bound) shall ever pray for yo[u]r Wor[shi]ps welfare.
<referred to the Justices of the hundred to exam[in]e &>