The petition of Thomas Halfeyard of Broad Clyst, Devon, 1687
To the right worshipfull Justice Bare & the rest of his Ma[jes]tys Justices of the peace of the Countye of Devon.
The humbell peticion of Thomas Halfeyard of Broadclist Laborer.
Sheweth that yo[u]r peti[ci]on[e]r was for divers yeares A soldier in the service of his late Ma[jes]tye Kinge Charles the first of ever blessed Memory in the late unhappy warres first under the com[m]and of S[i]r Nicholas Slanninge under whose command y[ou]r peticon[er] was in sev[er]all fights and after the fight at Straton this peticon[e]r beinge then wounded & disabled for the service had libertye to goe home and in short tyme recovered then went out agayne under S[i]r Richard Chamly & in divers other fights in his Ma[jes]tyes Service against Lyme & there was taken pryson[e]r and carried into Lyme & almost starved and after A Long Imprys[on]m[en]t there y[ou]r peticon[e]r escaped & went agayne to his Collonell & was in sev[er]all fights in the sighte [sic.] of Lyme & in sev[er]all other places & after the warr was ended yo[u]r peticon[er] returned home & hath contynewed ever since and hath benn A hard laboringe man & hath honestly gott his livinge thereby, but now age coming upon him & infirmity of his body and Eaches & paynes by reason of the wounds & hardship he indured in the said warr in his Ma[jes]tyes service, yo[u]r peticion[er] not beinge Able to labor as formerly to gett his living: Humbly prayes yo[u]r worshipps wil bee pleased to take his sad condicon into yo[u]r Consideracion & to order him some reliefe out of the stoke for Maymed Soldiers w[hi]ch yo[u]r peticon[e]r hopes you will the rather doe for that [he] hath forborne to seeke such reliefe till his necessitie nowe inforces him thereunto, and yo[u]r petitioner shall ever pray &c.
Your peticon[er] was alwayes in his Magistyes service as is genneryly beleaved and credited by us
We believe ye contents of this petition to be true
Bampfylde
Acland
30 s. p[er] ann[um
[Overleaf:]
The Peticion of Thomas Halfeyarde of Broadclist. 30 s. p[er] ann[um]