The petition of William Hutchings of Modbury, Devon, 28 April 1685
To the Right wor[shi]p[fu]ll his Ma[jes]ties Justices of the peace of the County of Devon Att the generall quarter Sessions held for the said County at the Castle of Exon the 28th day of Aprill in the First yeare of the Raigne of o[u]r Sou[ere]igne Lord Kinge James the Second over England &c An[n]oque d[o]m[ini] 1685;
<Humbly Sheweth;>
That whereas yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r William Hutchings of Modbury in the County of Devon gentle[man] did heretofore serve his late ma[jes]tie Kinge Charles the first of blessed memory as a Leiutenant in a Foote company vnder the Com[m]aunds of the wor[shi]p[fu]ll Henry Champ[er]nowne & Phillipp Champ[er]nowne Esq[ui]r[e]s since deceased who were Collonells of a Regim[en]t of Foote for his said ma[jes]tie & yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r still contynuinge in his said Comaunds for soe longe tyme as the said Regim[en]t remayned in his said ma[jes]ties service w[hi]ch was duringe the whole tyme of the late vnnaturall & vncivill warrs here in these p[ar]ts of England And then yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r never received none or very little pay for such his service but was at great expenses losse & damages by reason thereof And afterwards duringe his said ma[jes]ties exile was ever putt to greate charges & expenses for not adheringe to, & complyinge w[i]th the then Rebells Havinge never as yett had or received any recompence or Reward for his said service losse & damages altho now hee is become very poore & not anyway able by reason of his old age & wounds received in the said service to gett or p[ro]vide for himselfe his wife & children a competent maynteynance;
Wherefore yo[u]r humble Petic[i]oner doth humbly ymplore yo[u]r wor[shi]ps to take into yo[u]r Considerac[i]ons his distressed condic[i]on & that you will be favourably pleased to grant & conferr on him a yearely Pension towards his & his wives & childrens maynteynance as this hono[ura]ble Bench shall thinke fitt And yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r as in duty bounden shall ever pray &c
I think this resonable
Richard Strode
<Wee whose names are subscribed doe certifie the trueth of this Petic[i]on>
<Tho[mas] Hele>
<Ric[har]d Hillersdon>
<John Swete>
<Warwicke Pollexfen>
<John Frodsham>
<Rob[ert] Pollexfen>
<John Brookinge>
<Tho[mas] Brookinge>
<Ja[mes] Pollexfen>
<Jonathan Pollexfen>
[Overleaf:]
To be read Thursday
40 s. p[er] annu[m]