The petition of Rowland Humfrey of Devizes, Wiltshire, 23 April 1661
To the Right Wor[shi]p[fu]ll the kings Ma[jes]ties Justices of the Peace now sitting att their Quarter Sessions in the Devizes for the County of Wilts[hire].
The humble Petic[i]on of Rowland Humfrey of the p[ar]ish of St Mary w[i]thin the Burrough of the Devizes aforesaid yeoman:
Humbly Sheweth
That yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r was long before the Battaile att Edgehill a foote Souldier in the Service of the late Kings ma[jes]ties Charles the first in the late Warrs in a Regim[en]t vnder the Commaund of the then Col[one]l S[i]r Thomas Salisbury vntill his death And afterwards in the same Regiment vnder S[i]r Charles Lloyd where yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r was made a Corporall & was sometymes in the foote Company of Capt[ain] Robert Chaloner & sometymes of Capt[ain] John Edwards in the same Regim[en]t, and soe contynued in the same service for the space of three yeares & vpwards & vntill after the Devizes Garrison was taken from the said S[i]r Charles Lloyd shortly after w[hi]ch yo[u]r pet[itione]r was forced to leave the same service by reason of the Great Losse of bloud w[hi]ch he had susteyned to the great weakening of his body through ye meanes of seaven seu[er]all wounds w[hi]ch yo[u]r pet[itione]r had before that tyme received in the said service, vid[elice]t One wound w[i]th a sword in the head in ye First Fight att Newberry; one shott through the hand in the same fight, one shott through the Legg att Killington Greene betweene Oxford & Woodstocke, one wound w[i]th a sword in the knee att Banbury, one wound in the Arme left Arme in Cornwall whereby he hath allmost lost the vse of it, one great blow w[i]th muskett in the mouth w[hi]ch beate out allmost all his teeth before besides the Cutting of his Lippes Att the sedge att Readinge, All w[hi]ch s[ai]d wounds & blows hath soe much decayed yo[u]r pet[itione]rs body that he is thereby made allmost vnfitt for any bodily Labo[u]r & soe vnable to worke to gayne a Livelihood & meyneteynance for himselfe wife & two children Yo[u]r pet[itione]r being growne poore & lost his estate he then had by reason of his being in the s[ai]d service
The pr[e]misses therefore Considered by yo[u]r good wor[shi]pps, yo[u]r pet[itione]r humbly prayeth yo[u]r wor[shi]pps to settle a pension [illegible] vppon him for his life out of the County stocke p[ro]vided by the Statute for the releife & meynteynance of Maymed souldiers and marriners to be payd vnto yo[u]r pet[itione]r in such manner As by yo[u]r wor[shi]pps shal be thought fitt and appointed.
And yo[u]r poore pet[itione]r shall pray &c
23 Aprilis 1661
Theise are humbly to certifie the Right wor[shi]p[fu]ll the Justices abovesaid that the Pet[itione]r Rowland Humfry was to o[u]r knowledges a souldier & Corporall in the service of his s[ai]d late ma[jes]tie in the s[ai]d late warrs in the Regim[en]t of S[i]r Charles Lloyd all ye tyme whiles the s[ai]d S[i]r Charles Lloyd was Governor of the Devizes & afterwards and have heard & doe beleive that he faythfully served his sayd Ma[jes]tie dureing all the rest of the tyme in the s[ai]d petic[i]on menc[i]oned In witnes wherof wee subscribe o[u]r selves
Yo[u]r wor[shi]pps humble servants
Frances Paradice
Ambras Sely
Philip Strong
Richard Pierce
Edward Bryant
John Willis
Richard Bristow
allowe him 3 li. p[e]r ann[um] North p[ar]te.