The petition of Phillipp Jones of Hereford (St Peter’s Parish), Herefordshire, 1680
To the Right Wor[shipf]ull James Prise Esq[ui]r[e] Maior of the Cittie of Hereff[ord] and to the rest of the Justices of the Peace of the said Citty
The Humble Petic[i]on of Phillipp Jones of the p[ar]ishe of S[ain]t Peters a poore man both Lame and impotent
Shewe
That yo[u]r poore pet[itione]r hath served severall p[ar]ties of Creditt w[i]thin the s[ai]d Cittie, and ever demeaned himself Civilly in his service as a true servant ought to doe in any trust that was reposed in him to doe for his Masters or M[ist]r[es]s whom hee served vnder besides he w[as] a true Denison borne of the s[ai]d Citty, and hath served his Ma[jes]tie Charles the first of ever blessed memorie in his service as a true Subiect or Souldier, where for testimony whereof he is admitted vnto a smale penc[i]on of 4or nobles a yeare whereof the one half of it is now taken from him (being hee hath received it not had as yet ye benifitt of ye same penc[i]on but for ye space of 1 [illegible] yeare past & w[i]thin the Circumference of ye same yeare his penc[i]on was abated & reduced to the half of it; And now his worke being done & his wife being infirme alsoe (whoe was wont as long as she [several illegible words] was able) to worke for to support him, but now her worke is almost done alsoe) soe that in p[ro]ces of time (if not releeved herein speedily) yo[u]r pet[itione]r & his poore wife is like to be destitute of succor in this their old & declining yeares.
And therefore for ye reasones afores[ai]d yo[u]r poore pet[itione]r humbly prayes [illegible] yo[u]r good wor[shi]pps to take his indeplorable Condic[i]on into yo[u]r Cerious Considerac[i]on and Order that some Almes place may be allotted to him or eles some weekely relieff out of the s[ai]d p[ar]ishe such as yo[u]r good wor[shi]pps shall best seeme meete. And yo[u]r pet[itione]r shall dayly pray &c