The petition of Richard Ricketts of East Knoyle, Wiltshire, Trinity 1648
Honourable Bench of Justices in this pr[e]sent Sessions at Warminster.
The humble petition of Richard Ricketts of Knoyle Magna in Wilts[hire]:
{Shewet}h
That your humble Petitioner in ye yeare 1644 beeing called from his owne Parrish to the Tything of Rudge in ye Parrish of Chillmarke, for the worke of his Trade beeing a Carpenter, was there impressed a Souldier, by John Fezard Tythingman, for the service of Langford Garrison, where your Petitioner was dangerouslie wounded in the saide Service, and hath thereby left irrecoverable the vse of one of his Armes, And soe, disabled for all future Service or labour in his Calling; by meanes whereof your Petitioner is quite destitute of all meanes of Livelyhoode and left wholly to the Charitie of his neighbo[u]rs for his relieffe and Sustenance.
May it therefore please this hon[oura]ble Court to take the Premisses into yo[u]r tender Consideration, And to Order, that some Allowance According as your wisdomes shall thinke meete, for the time past and for a future Subsistance, bee made to yo[u]r poore Petitioner, from the sayd Tything of Rudge for his maintenance; who hath hitherto subsisted in these hard times of dearth, meerly by ye voluntary Charity of neighbo[u]rs without w[hi]ch hee had long since p[er]ished.
And your Peti[ti]on[e]r shall ever pray &c
setled at Knoyle beinge maymed at Rudge the ou[er]seers of Rudge to pay 18 d. p[er] weeke ex hoc from the time the petic[i]on[er] was referd to the Judges & vpon refusall the next Justice to bynd them over to the next Sessions.