The petition of William Stevenson, Staffordshire, 11 January 1659
To the Right Wor[shi]pfull the Justices of the Peace for the County of Stafford.
The humble petic[i]on of William Stevenson.
Most humbly sheweth unto your Wor[shi]pps that yo[u]r poore petic[i]oner served as a Soldier many yeares in the Parliam[en]t service, and in that service receiued such wounds, that haue disabled your petic[i]oner for Labour.
In tender Considerac[i]on whereof and forasmuch as your petic[i]oner hath a wife and many small Children, and unlesse your petic[i]oner haue some maintena[n]ce allowed him, hee, his wife and children are like to fall into miserable poverty, your petic[i]oner most humbly beggeth, that hee may haue some maintenance allowed him out of the Country for the liuelyhood of your petic[i]on[e]r his wife and children.
And your petic[i]on[e]r shall euer pray for your Wor[shi]ps happines &c.
no[t] ord[ered]