The petition of William Holden of Denstone, Staffordshire, September 1651
To the right w[o]r[shi]pfull the Justices of the peace for the County of Stafford.
The humble petic[i]on of William Holden of Denson in the parishe said County sheweth
<That> Your petic[i]oner havinge beene form[e]rly souldier [sic.], vnder the Com[m]and of Capt[ain] Allen and and [sic.] of the late Regim[en]t of Collon[el] Fenwicke beinge shott through the body at the Fight of Letterkenney in Vlster and is not at all like to recover the said mayme but is soe Chargeable to his poore father that he is not able to support hym any further, and hath nothinge at all to subsist upon for his owne p[ar]te, is in a sad and despicable condic[i]on and like to perish,
Wherefore yo[u]r petic[i]oner humbly prayeth yo[u]r w[o]r[shi]ps to consider hym, as his weake condic[i]on requires, and to afford hym such favour as the lawe alloweth, and as the c[o]urtesy of each County affordeth to souldiers thus dejected in way of service for his countrey and soe will yo[u]r petic[i]oner as ever bound pray &c.