The petition of William Harrison of Claughton, Lancashire, 8 October 1663
<Com[itatus] Lanc[aster]>
To the right wor[shi]p[fu]ll his Ma[jes]t[y]s Justic[e]s of peace & quor[um] at the generall Sessions of the peace houlden at Preston in Amoundernesse the viiith day of October A[nn]o Reg[ni] Car[olus] S[e]c[un]di dei gra[tia] Angli[ae] &c xvo
The humble petic[i]on of Will[ia]m Harrison borne in Claighton in the parish of Garstange within the said hundred.
Sheweth: That your petic[i]oner hath beene a Souldier Continually in the Late Warres As well for the late Kinge Charles in the Regim[en]t of Sir Gilbert Gerrard vnder the Comands of Captaine Haighton of Childwall who was slayne at raiseinge the seidge att Readinge in Barkeshire, and Capt[ain] Ashton of Chatterton who for his Loyalty was putt to death at London by Com[m]and of the late Tyrant Olliver Cromwell; As alsoe for his Ma[jes]ty kinge Charles that now is vnder the Com[m]and of Captaine Serjeant of Pilkington at Sir George Booths (now Lord Dyllamore) his expedic[i]on in Cheshire: And that your petic[i]oner hath received in the said servic[e]s seuerall wounds shotts Cutts and bruises in his head & body Whereby hee is disenabled to menteyne himselfe his wyfe and Familey: And that your petic[i]oner neuer deserted his ma[jes]t[y]s service nor never tooke vppe armes in all his lyfe either against his ma[jes]ty that now is or the late kinge dureing all the late Warres.
His humble suite therefore is That your wor[shi]ps would be pleased to graunte & give order, That your petic[i]oner may be admitted penc[i]oner to haue & receiue such maintenance and allowance as other maimed Souldiers in the like case {illegible} & receive And according to the acte of Parliam[en]t in th{illegible} directs; And your petic[i]oner will pray &c
{We} whose names are subscribed {illegible} the effecte of this petic[i]on {illegible} hee ought to be {illegible} as hee hath prayed &c
to morrow