The petition of Thomas Biffen of Fittleton, Wiltshire, Michaelmas 1670
To the R[igh]t Wor[shi]ppfull his Ma[jes]t[y’]s Justices of the Peace now sittinge att the Gen[er]all Quarter Sessions of the Peace in Marlebrough in and for the County of Wiltes[hire]
The humble Petic[i]on of Thomas Biffen of Fittleton in the said County Labourer
Most humbly sheweth
That yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r was a Souldier in the Service of his late Ma[jes]ty King Charles the first of ever blessed memorye wherein he rec[eive]d seu[er]all wounds in his bodye By meanes whereof he hath beene ever since very much disabled for worke & Labour to maintaine himselfe his wife & family – consisting of fower small Children Butt is likely to Perish if not relieved by yo[u]r Wor[shi]pps Care & Order
And yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r further sheweth that about five yeares & a halfe since vppon his humble supplicac[i]on to yo[u]r Bench then sitting at the Gen[er]all Quarter Sessions of the Peace held att New Sarum in this County he was by the Co[u]rt Ordered to be p[ai]d an yearely pension of forty shillinges p[er] Ann[um] Quarterly by the Treasurer for the North p[ar]te of this County for maimed Souldiers & Mariners which yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r duely rec[eive]d vntill last Mich[aelm]as Sessions as by the same Order hereunto annexed appeareth
But now soe it is may it please yo[u]r Wor[shi]pps that the nowe Treasurer refuseth to pay the same vnto yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r vntill he obteyneth a new Order of this Co[u]rt for the same
May it therefore please yo[u]r Wor[shi]pps the pr[e]misses considdered to graunt vnto yo[u]r poore petic[i]oner yo[u]r further order for his Reliefe & pension afores[ai]d as to yo[u]r wor[shi]pps shall seeme suteable to your Petic[i]on[e]rs s[a]d & deplorable Condic[i]on And that the same may be entred on Record Accordingly. And yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r have his pension that is nowe arreare & behind being twenty shillinges for a yeare ended this pr[e]sent Mich[aelm]as p[ai]d by the Treasurer for the North p[ar]te of this County
Or to p[ro]vide some other Reliefe vnto yo[u]r Poore Petic[i]on[e]r As to yo[u]r wor[shi]pps shall seeme meete
And yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r as in duty bound shall ever pray &c
Graunted
N[orth] 20 s. p[er] Ann[um]