The petition of Richard Ridley of Preston, Lancashire, Michaelmas 1661
To the wor[shi]pp[fu]ll his Ma[jes]tys Justices of peace and Quor[um] at the Quart[e]r Sessions held at Preston for the hundreds of Amound[e]rnes & Blackburne
The humble Petic[i]on of Richard Ridley of Preston
Sheweth
That yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r in the begineinge of ye Raigne of our late Sou[erai]gne Lord Kinge Charles ye first of ever blessed Memory was A Souldier in his Ma[jes]tys service in Ireland vnd[e]r the Comand of S[i]r Henery Titchburne and Continued in that service for the terme of twenty yeares seu[er]all of which yeares yo[u]r petic[ione]r was in Actuall service ag[ain]ste the Rebells in that Notorious Rebellion in Ireland again[st]e his said Sacred Ma[jes]ty and had there Continued & Resided had not ye death of yo[u]r petic[ione]rs Moth[e]r given Incouragm[en]t to yo[u]r Petic[ione]r to Returne to his Native Country of England in hopes and expectac[i]on to have entered upon & enioyed 2 seu[er]all messuages & tenam[en]ts within ye towneshipps of Ribleton and Preston where your petic[i]oner was borne which discended vnto your petit[ione]r by her death but yo[u]r petic[ion]er at his comeinge over was not onely (for want of his evidence) strypped of his Birthright but alsoe not longe aft[e]r that as to say aboute 17 yeares since totally lost his sight soe that yo[u]r Petic[ione]r hath beinge thereby made altog[ethe]r incapable to get A lyvelyhood by his owne Industry hee did vpon ye first day of Sept[ember] in ye 23 yeare of the said late Kinge Charles Petic[i]on at ye sherriffs table in the Assize weeke at Lanc[aste]r and therevpon obtained an allowance or penc[i]on of 5 li. p[e]r annu[m] as by an ord[e]r then made Ready to bee p[ro]duced to yo[u]r wor[shi]pps may appeare which was Constantly paid vnto yo[u]r petic[ione]r vntill for about 3 yeares nowe last past but since yo[u]r petic[ione]r hath not Rece[iue]d any peny thereof but lives in want and neccessity for ye same wherefore the pr[e]misses Consider[e]d
Yo[u]r petic[ione]r humbly Prayeth yo[u]r worr[shi]pps seriously to Consid[e]r ye Indigencye and disabillities of yo[u]r petic[ione]r and to ord[e]r ye Arreares of ye said pe[n]c[i]on to bee paid to yo[u]r petic[ione]r with A Continuance thereof for ye future or that some other p[ro]vision may bee made For yo[u]r petic[one]rs livelyhood and mantaynance And yo[u]r petic[ione]r shall ever pray for yo[u]r wor[shi]pps: