The petition of Thomas Sutter of Drewsteignton, Devon, 1687
To the R[igh]t Wor[shi]p[fu]ll his Ma[jes]ties Justices of the peace for the county of Devon
The humble petition of Thomas Sutter of Tenton Dene in the county afors[ai]d husb[andman]
Sheweth
That y[ou]r poor petition[e]r serued his late Ma[jes]tie King Charles the 1st of blessed memory in the late vnhappy warrs as a foot soldier vnder the com[m]and of Col[one]l Piper, and afterwards vnd[e]r S[i]r Allen Apsley in the company of Capt[ain] Hobbs from the beginning of the said warrs for many yeares then following and according to his bounden duty and Allegiance manifested all possible loyalty courage and constantcy therein neuer any way deserting his Ma[jes]ties service but att the seiges of Plymouth Reading Exon and Dartmouth and att the fights in Cornwall and Black Downe and att the Garrison att Barnestople and att all other times and on all op[por]tunities during the said service behaued himselfe as a loyall and obedient subject & hath since faithfully serued his late Ma[jes]tie King Charles the 2d. in the Dutch warr And hath eu[er] since the warr demeaned himselfe honestly & peaceably towards all p[er]sons
Now soe itt is may itt please y[ou]r wor[shi]pps that y[ou]r petition[e]r being growne aged poor & infirme & being wounded in the said service and by meanes thereof and of such hardshipps as hee vnd[e]rwent in the said warr rendred infirme & unable to labour as formerly humbly prayes this honn[e]rable C[ou]rt of their wonted clemency to graunt y[ou]r petition[e]r a penc[i]on out of the county stock & y[ou]r petition[e]r as in duty bound shall eu[er] pray &c.
<Wee beleiue this peticion to be true>
<Rich[ard] Annesley>
<Hen[ry] Northleigh>
Wee are well assured of the truth of this petition & of the loyalty & civill demeanor of the petition[e]r
Will[iam] Reade, Rect[o]r of Drewsteignton
Thomas Hall }
William Ponsford }
Will[iam] Ponsford } p[ar]ishoners
John Piddescombe }
Robert Smale }
30 s. p[er] annu[m] & 2 s. 6 d. in hand
[Overleaf:]
Sutter 30 s. p[er] annu[m] & 5 s. in hand