The petition of William Pileston of Marks Tey, Essex, 1647
<Essex s[ession]s>
To the right ho[noura]ble and wor[shipfu]ll his Ma[jes]t[ie]s Judges Justices of this pr[e]sent Sessions.
The humble petic[i]on of William Paleston a poore maymed Soldger
Sheweth That one Robert Huntley and Henry James nowe Overseers for the poore of Marks Tey contrary to an order of the Gen[er]all qu{a}rter s{essio}ns of the peace holden for {t}his Countie att {Che}lmesford 15to die Aprilis 1645 hath refused {and} still doe refuse to pay yo[u]r pet[itione]r the 2 s. p[er] weeke {illegible} ordered to be paid him successively during his life, by the overseers thereof; As by the said Order amongst other things therein counteyned att large appeareth.
Howe for as much as yo[u]r pet[itione]r is in arreare of his said weekely pay 11 weekes & odd daies to his utter undoeing (he havinge spent all that little he had for the maintenaunce of himselfe his wife & child). And for that yo[u]r pet[itione]r by reason of his inability to labo[u]r He humbly craveth yo[u]r comiserac[i]on of his deplorable Condic[i]on And to take some pr[e]sent order whereby the said Overseers may answere their Contempt; And pay his Arreares; And p[er]forme the said order.
And yo[u]r poore pet[itione]r & his poore wife and child shall ever pray &c.
Pilestone [seven illegible words in Latin]
[two illegible words]