The petition of Thomas Dod of Harthill, Cheshire, Trinity 1676
To the R[igh]t Ho[noura]ble Bench ye Quarter Sessions of the Peace held at Namptwich for ye Countie of Chester.
The humble Petic[i]on of Thomas Dod of Harthill in the said Countie of Chest[e]r & hundred of Broxton.
<Humblie Sheweth>
That wee whose names are vnd[e]rwritten doe certifie this ho[noura]ble Bench, That yo[u]r Petic[i]oner was borne & bred w[i]thin the towne of Harthill aforesaid, who hath beene (dureing theise vnhappy tymes of warre by past) a man yt deported himselfe in all reall Integritie both towards o[u]r Sov[e]raigne Lord King Charles the first of nev[e]r dying memory, as alsoe towards o[u]r gracyous Sov[e]raigne that now is, And therefore to Instance thereto; yo[u]r Petic[i]oner was a souldier in the Seige of Beeston Castle vnd[e]r Gov[e]rnour Valent, S[i]r High Calvelay, Lord Byron, and Colonel Greene, where & w[i]th whom hee behaued himselfe a loyall souldyer and ev[e]r since hath p[er]sisted in his Realitie & loyalty, as often as occasyon was offered; for the w[hi]ch Loyalty yo[u]r poore Petic[i]oner hath beene sev[e]rall tymes wounded and Plundered & hath suffered great Losses & detrim[en]ts to the vtt[e]r vndooeing of him, his poore wyfe & children and lykely soe to continue to the last Period of their lingering dayes, vnlesse this sayd Ho[noura]ble Bench will in their wisdome & charitable consid[er]ac[i]on in some measure alleviate and Redresse yo[u]r poore Petic[i]oners weak Condityon.
May it therefore please this Ho[noura]ble Bench (for gods cause) to comiserate yo[u]re poore Petic[i]oners sad & weake estate & distressed Condition as to admitt yo[u]r poore Petic[i]oner a Penc[i]oner in the Roome of some Penc[i]oner or Penc[i]oners yt are lately deceased, whereof your Petic[i]oner can rend[e]r an Accompt of two or three at this Instant, and that yo[u]r Petic[i]oner may be enrolled in the Catalogue of oth[e]r Penc[i]oners, and soe receiue such Penc[i]on as this Ho[noura]ble Bench shall in their grave wisdome p[ro]portionably allow, and yo[u]r Peit[i]oner will (as in duety bound) ever pray &c
Samuell Catherall Reator of Hanley
John Dod
Owen Dod
the marke [symbol: mark] of Richard Preese
the mark of [symbol: mark] Richard Woodfen
John Bebington
Philip Jonson
Randle Walker
Will[iam]Tanat
William Ratclife
Richard Hodkesson
<Hugh Ratcliffe>
<Robart Smyth>
<Randle Piggatt>
<John Edge>
<Daniell Smith>
these were fellow souldiers with mee and Can Testifie how and where I was wounded
<done If a vacancy>