The petition of William Battishill of Throwleigh, Devon, 1683
To the right wor[shi]p[fu]ll his Ma[jes]ties Justices of the peace for the county of Deuon att the gen[er]all Sessions of the peace held att the Castle of Exon
The humble petition of Will[ia]m Battishill of Throwley in the county of Deuon
<Sheweth>
That y[ou]r poor petition[e]r serued his late Ma[jes]tie King Charles the first of euer blessed memory in the late vnhappy warrs as A foot soldier vnd[e]r the com[m]and of Capt[ain] Shelley in the Regiment of Col[one]l Shelley and amongst other hard vsages and hardshipps w[hi]ch y[ou]r petition[e]r suffred y[ou]r petion[e]r serued his s[ai]d Ma[jes]tie as afors[ai]d in the towne of Great Torrington when the same was stormed and taken & the Church blowen upp by gun powder att w[hi]ch time y[ou]r petition[e]r was much scald & hurted by powder and alsoe serued his Ma[jes]tie as afor[sai]d in pendinnis Castle wherein y[ou]r petition[e]r was amongst other beseiged 26 weekes & att last forced to yeald, in w[hi]ch seige y[ou]r petition[e]rs ordinary & best food was horse flesh, w[hi]ch was dayly giuen in a very smale quantity wherein neer fower hundred of his said Ma[jes]ties soldiers died and a great numb[e]r of them for want of food; Now may itt please y[ou]r wor[shi]pps that y[ou]r petition[e]r being growne aged & infirme & the hardshipps w[hi]ch y[ou]r s[ai]d petition[e]r suffred in his s[ai]d Ma[jes]ties service being by meanes of y[ou]r petition[e]rs age become more griveous than form[e]rly and y[ou]r petition[e]r having never deserted his s[ai]d Ma[jes]ties service butt according to his duty & Allegiance constantly loyall humbly prayes this honn[ou]rable C[ou]rt of y[ou]r wonted clemency to consider of y[ou]r poore petition[e]r & graunt him such allowance out of the county stock as y[ou]r wor[shi]pps shall thinke fitt
Willia[m] Battishill
I believe this petic[i]on to be true.
John Hore
<We whose names are subscribed do vpon o[u]r own knowledg attest ye truth of the above-written petic[i]on>
<The mark of >
<John [symbol: mark] Trecayna>
<the mark of >
<Will[ia]m [symbol: mark] Bishop>
Fiat ordo p[er] 20 s. p[er] an[num] & 5 s. in hand.
[Overleaf:]
P. A penc[i]on maimed &c