The petition of Richard Yeamans, City and County of Bristol, 9 June 1660
To the Kings most Excellent Ma[jes]tie.
The humble petic[i]on of Captain Richard Yeamans
Humbly sheweth.
That yo[u]r pet[itione]rs relac[i]ons and brothers lost their liues & estates, his brother Robert cruelly murdered by the Co[u]rt Martiall at Bristoll, his other brother cutt in peices, yo[u]r pet[itione]r Banished and his estate confiscate [sic.] to the value of at least 2000 li. and all for their fidelity to yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie and yo[u]r Royall father of glorious memory. That he hath been oft wounded and imprisoned and w[i]th much difficulty escaped ye danger his brothers vnderwent, being the eldest of the three.
Hee most humbly prayeth his age & losses considered that yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie would bee graciously pleased to conferr on him the office of surveyor of the Customes att Bristoll or any other place yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie shall thinke fitt.
And hee shall pray &c.
A Perticuler of the sufferings losses and Chardges of Capt[ain] Richard Yeamans of Bristoll for and in his late Ma[jes]ties service
That vpon takeinge of Mr Rob[er]t Yeamans & Mr Will[ia]m Yeamans his brothers att Bristoll, hee fledd to his Ma[jes]tie to Oxford and there actually entered into his service, & there his Ma[jes]tie gaue him a Com[m]ission vnder his sigen-manuall to bee Quartemaster vnto S[i]r Baynham Throgmorton his Regiment of horse, in w[hi]ch place hee served vntill Bristoll was taken for his Ma[jes]tie dureing w[hi]ch time of service hee was plundered by his Ma[jes]ties enemies of 56 fatt Oxen worth 550 li. 300 fatt sheepe worth 300 li. 10 Geldings 2 stone Colts & one Mare worth in all 200 li. Besids his howse plundered in Bristoll of all his Goods & howsehold stuffe to the vallue of 150 li., whereof 50 li. was in plate. And alsoe his wife for visittinge him att Cirencester whiles hee was in that service att her retourne to Bristoll was imprisoned, & deteyned close prisoner about 2 Monthes.
That after the takeinge of Bristoll beinge willinge to reside in Bristoll & doe his Ma[jes]tie service there, hee had a Com[m]ission to bee Capt[ain] of a foote Company by him to bee raised there for his Ma[jes]ties service And there vpon hee raised a Company of 128 able men, & well armed for his Ma[jes]ties service, all w[hi]ch was done att his owne p[ro]per Chardges, And hee Continued with them in his said Ma[jes]ties service till Bristoll was retaken by the Kings enemyes.
That hee held a liveinge of 60 li. p[er] ann[um] for 3 lives whereof the lives of Mr Rob[er]t Yeamans that was murdered by the Co[u]rt martiall & Mr Will[ia]m Yeamans that was cruelly slaine when the Citty was retaken by the Kings enemyes (both beinge his brothers) were twoe soe that by their vntimely deathes hee lost therein 400 li. att least.
That after the losse of Bristoll hee fledde to Ragland Castle & there as a volunteire served his Ma[jes]tie in that Castle till it was deliu[er]ed upp to the enemyes that beseiged it, w[hi]ch was about a yeare after his comeinge thither.
That after the deliu[er]y of Ragland hee fledd into Ireland for safety & by stealth retourned into England againe, & gott into Chepstowes Castle vnder the Com[m]and of S[i]r Nich[olas] Kemish Governor thereof, for & vnder his Ma[jes]tie where hee was made Capt[ain] of the Ordnance & traine of Artillery, & served his Ma[jes]tie in that Com[m]and till the Castle was taken by his Ma[jes]ties enemyes. In that service hee was shott through the body with a Muskett Bullett, runn through the arme, & greivously wounded in the head & other places of the body, lost in gold & silver 80 li. w[hi]ch hee brought out of Ireland, & his horse worth 6 li. & was stript of all his Cloathes & had almost p[er]isht of his wounds, for cure whereof hee suffered most greivous torments & was deteyned about 6 Monthes prisoner, & then banished for 2 yeares. All w[hi]ch hee suffered for his service & loyalty to his sacred Ma[jes]tie.
That after the expirac[i]on of the Twoe yeares of his banishm[en]t by vertue of Cromwells passe for England retourneinge & arriveinge att Bristoll, Scroope that kept the Castle there tooke & kept him prisoner in the said Castle 7 weeks for refuseinge to take the damn’d Ingagement.
That seu[er]all other times hee hath had his howse plundered pr[e]sently after hee had gotten anythinge of worth together And his wife stript of all her Cloathes. Soe that what hee hath lost by beinge soe plundered (beinge att least 3 or 4 times) amounts to att least 150 li. Besids the losse hee susteyned when hee was first plundered.
That the Chardges of raiseinge and often recruiteinge of his Company of foote their armes, & other disbursem[en]ts in & about the service dureinge his Continuance in Bristoll cost him att least 100 li.
The Chardges of his Banishment cost him att least 50 li. beside many other losses &Chardges w[hi]ch hee hath susteyned, and expended in his late Ma[jes]ties service.
And for all his Chardges losses and service hee never receaued but only 25 li. pay.
Petition of [illegible] Cap[tain] Richard Yeomans to be Surveyor of the Customes at Bristoll.
Rec[eive]d 9th June 1660.
To his Majesty