The petition of William Baggeley of Eccleshall, Staffordshire, 12 January 1657
To the Right Wor[shippfu]ll the Justices of Peace for the County of Stafford:
The humble Petition of Leiut[enant] William Baggeley of Eccleshall in the said Countie.
Humbly sheweth
That whereas yo[u]r Petitioner lyeth in the Goale for the Countie of Derbey upon an charge at the suite of one Thom[a]s Smith, & hath beene there one halfe yeare or thereabouts, & hath nothinge nor noe meanes or waie to free himselfe, but onely by yo[u]r Worshipps help & assistance, being a Maymed soldier & hath paym[en]t accordingly out of the Countie. Nowe maie it please yo[u]r worshipps yo[u]r poore Petitioner humbly beseecheth that you would be pleased, to Order soe that he maie be paid soe much money of his yearely paie, paid beforehand as will inlarge him, w[hi]ch wil be about ten pounds otherwaise he is like to langwish & p[e]rish in prison for he hath of himselfe noe other refuge of subsistance haueinge a wife & a great charge of Children.
And yo[u]r Worshipps goodnesse shewed to yo[u]r poore Petitioner herein he shall as in dutie is bound ever praie for yo[u]r Worshipps.