The petition of William How of Oakford, Devon, 11 July 1676
To the right Wo[rshipfu]ll his Ma[jes]ties Justices of the peace att the Sessions held att the Castle of Exon for the Cou[n]tye of Devon the 11th day of July An[n]o Do[m]ini 1676 assembled.
The humble petic[i]on of William How of the parish of Okeford in the said Cou[n]ty Husband[man]
<Sheweth.>
That yo[u]r poore Petito[ne]r in the time of the late vnhappy Warre served o[u]r Sou[er]aigne Lord King Charles the first in whose service he received seu[er]all wou[n]ds vpon w[hi]ch he did Petic[i]on this Bench for a Penc[i]on for his better suport, who were pleased to grau[n]t him 20 s. p[er] an[n]um, w[hi]ch he hath for seu[er]all yeares received, Butt soe itt is, that yo[u]r Petitio[ne]r for halfe a yeare last past hath beene taken w[i]th a dead palsey in one side of his body, and being of the age of Fourescore yeares & vpwarde he is nott any way able to relieve himselfe but is likely to suffer for want.
The pr[e]misses considered yo[u]r poore Petic[i]o[ne]r doth humbly Supplicate yo[u]r Wo[rshi]ps to take his condic[i]on into yo[u]r Serious considerac[i]on & to grau[n]t him some addic[i]onall penc[i]on (As in such cases you have extended yo[u]r Charitye to others) for his better livelyhood & more comfortable Support And yo[u]r Petitio[ner] shall dayly pray &c.
Yo[u]r Wo[rshi]ps most humble Supplicant.
The marke
of William [symbol: mark] How
[Overleaf:]
How: 30 s. yere Added