The petition of Thomas Clarke of Cockerham, Lancashire, 13 January 1674
To the Right Worshipp[fu]ll his Ma[jes]ties Justices of Peace & Quoru[m] assembled at the Sessions of peace holden at Lanc[aste]r the 13th day of January 1673
The humble petition of Thomas Clarke of Cockerham in the County of Lanc[aste]r aforesaid
Sheweth
That whereas yo[u]r poore petition[e]r having been A Souldier in the service of his late Ma[jes]tie of blessed memory, Vnder the Com[m]and of Collonell Thomas Dalton of Thurnham in his owne Troope, and that vntill the death of his said Collonell, Then being by his Comanders disbanded, and having received an hurt in the said service whereby he lost the vse of two of his fingers, be tooke himselfe to his Native Towne, whither being come could not there live quietly for the contrary partie, but was tossed to & fro, for ye space of three or fower yeares at after, Soe that he could not follow any imployment, Whereby yo[u]r poore petition[e]r with his wife & children were sore impoverished, And after he had libertie continued a true & Loyall subiect to his late Ma[jes]tie and to his Ma[jest]ie that now is, and never deserted them at all. And whereas yo[u]r said petition[e]r having for seu[e]rall yeares been a sharer in that gracious allowance Provided for the reliefe of such Maimed & indigent souldiers as faithfully served his late Ma[jes]tie in the late wars, till the last yeare yt he was denyed thereof, but for what cause yo[u]r poore petition[e]r is denyed the continuance thereof he knows not, hee being now grown ould and not having any thing scarcely towards relieveing himselfe [illegible] withall.
May it therefore please yo[u]r good Worshipps to take the pr[e]misses into yo[u]r Juditious and serious considerac[i]ons and to grant order that yo[u]r poore peition[e]r may be continued A sharer in the aforesaid alowance, and that in each wise as yo[u]r Wor[shi]pps wisdom shall seeme meet and convenient and yo[u]r petition[e]r will ever pray as in duty bound &c
Wee whose names are here subscribed are humbly bold to certifie that this poore petition[e]r is ould & very indigent, and withall wee belieue that the rest of the pr[e]misses are t{rue}
Lawrence Shawe minister Robert Tomson
John Carter Churchwarden Tho[mas] Curwen
John Clarkson Peter Corles } ou[erseers]
Thomas {Illegible}