The petition of William Nicholls of Halnaker, Sussex, October 1674
<Sussex s[ession]s.>
To the Right Wor[shipfu]ll the Justices of the Peace For the County of Sussex &c
The humble Petic[i]on of William Nicholls of Halnaker Husbandman.
Humbly Sheweth,
That yo[u]r Petic[i]oner was A Soldier For the late Kinge in Arundell Castle vnder the Command of Captayne Cox And was there Taken Prisoner, And that hee was afterwards a Soldier in Winchester vnder the Command of S[i]r William Ogle and Maior Noyse whose Regiment was Commanded from Winchester to Newberry Fight, And afterwards yo[u]r Petic[i]oner was a Solder at Nasbye Fight vnder the Command of Maior Dyett, who belonged to Litchfield Garrison, And there yo[u]r Petic[i]oner was Taken Prisoner w[i]th 2265, more, and more Kept Prisoners in Tuttle Fields, by the space of Seauen Weekes And from Thence hee w[i]th others were Sould and Transported into Flanders to the Assistance of the Kinge of Spayne, where hee Continewed halfe a Yeare, And from thence made an Escape from an Out Guard, and gott to Paris, And from thence the Queene Mother Transported Yo[u]r Petic[i]oner and others vnto the Isle of Jarsey to be Soldiers vnder the Command of S[i]r George Cartwrite, where yo[u]r Petic[i]oner Continewed a Soldier for the space of allmost Five Yeares, Soe that yo[u]r Petic[i]oner Serued his Late Ma[jes]tie as a good and Faithfull Servaunt and Soldier, In All, by the of space Tenn Yeares &c.
In Tender Considerac[i]on of the Premisses yo[u]r poore Petic[i]oner most humbly Beggs and Implores yo[u]r Wor[shi]pps To Conferr and bestowe vppon him A Pension to be paid Out of the Stock for Maymed Soldiers and Charitable vses as you shall thinke fitt For the Reliefe and Mayntenance of himselfe, his Wife and Familye (As you haue Formerly Allowed vnto other Soldiers in like Case vppon the death of Former Pensioners, And your poore Petic[i]oner (as in duty bound) shall dayly pray for yo[u]r health and happinesse &c.