The petition of William Fisher of Hereford, Herefordshire, 1665 to 1668
<Citty of Heref[ord] s[ession]s>
To the Right Wor[shipfu]ll the Maior & Aldermen of the Citty aforesaid.
The Humble petic[i]on of William Fisher of the said Citty Carpenter
Humbly sheweth vnto yo[u]r [illegible] wor[shi]pps that yo[u]r poore Petic[i]oner hath lived in the said Cittie, about the space of 21tie yeares & vpwards, and hath bine always Loyall vnto his late Ma[jes]tie of blessed memory, and vnto his Ma[jes]tie that nowe is, and never deserted his ma[jes]ties service, and was ymployed in the Garrison of the said Cittie, (when the Scots besieged the said Citty, for the safeguard of itt, to the vttmost of his power, w[hi]ch is well knowne to the inhabitants thereof, (and Married A Freemans daughter) Nowe haveing six children all borne w[i]thin the said Cittie, and one of them being a manchild about ye age of 11en or 12 yeares, fittinge to be bound an appr[e]ntice, & yo[u]r petic[i]on[er] haveing a Master ready for the taking of him an appr[e]ntice and yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[er] haveing noethinge to maintaine them, but by his hard labour & industry, and nowe growen aged, not able to labour as form[er]ly hee hath done.
Yo[u]r poore Petic[i]oner humbly Craveth, that yo[u]r wor[shi]pps would be pleased to Condole his sadd & deplorable condic[i]on, that yo[u]r petic[i]on[er] may have the benefitt of the benevolence of such moneys, w[hi]ch is bequeathed vnto the said Citty by the don[o]rs thereof, for and towards the settinge of poore Children appr[e]ntices, (w[hi]ch is best knowne vnto yo[u]r wor[shi]pps,) for the setting of yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[er]s sonn appr[e]ntice, w[hi]ch wil be a great ease vnto yo[u]r petic[i]oner in soe doinge, and more of abilitie to helpe yo[u]r petic[i]on[er]s wife & the rest of his Children, this beinge seriously taken into yo[u]r wor[shi]pps considerac[i]on in granting his humble Crave yo[u]r poore petic[i]on[er]s wife & Children wil be euer bound to pray for yo[u]r wor[shi]pps &c.