The petition of William Stoakes of Shepton Mallet, Somerset, 23 April 1661
<Somersett.>
To the right hon[oura]ble his Ma[jes]ties Com[missione]rs Justices of the peace And to all other his Ma[jes]t[y]s Officers For the County aforesaid whome these may Concerne.
The humble petic[i]on of William Stoakes of Shepton Mallett a Maymed Souldier
In all humility sheweth
That yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r hath allwayes beene a Faithfull Constant and Loyall Subiect, And a Souldier in his late Ma[jes]t[y]s service Kinge Charles the First of Blessed memory, w[hi]ch is not vnknowne to divers gentlemen Royalists who were eyewitnesses to the same, In w[hi]ch service yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r through his courage and well affected disposic[i]on towards the vindicac[i]on of his said Ma[jes]t[y]s most iust rights and Priviledges was in severall fights greviously wounded in his body (vizt) att Babylon hill neere Sherborne vnder the Com[m]and of Colonell Thomas Lunsford, after vnder the same Comand at Edghill where his said Colonell was taken prisoner, From thence vnder the Comand of Colonell Henry Lunsford att Brandford fight thence to Readinge and there beseiged by Essex {illegible} Leagure of Abbington, next to the taking of Bristoll w[i]th Prince Rupert and from thence by him Com[m]anded to the Seidge of Gloucester a sarieant of Foote, Afterward vnder the Com[m]and of S[i]r John Russell Leiften[a]nt Colonell to Prince Rupert att the takinge of Boulton in Lanchashiere, to the takinge of Leirpoole and from thence to Massey Moore where yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r received many dangerous hurts And afterwards taken Prisoner att Naiesby fight and since by the vsurped and tyrannicall power yo[u]r said Petic[i]on[e]r is brought into great want & misery beinge a very poore man w[i]th a wife and six small Children, Haueinge lost the vse of his Lymbes is not any wayes able to worke for their maintenance. And since it hath pleased God to restore his sacred Ma[jes]tie (whome God preserue) to the Throne of his late fathers kingdome, yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r thereby hopeth that some comfort & refreshm[en]t will be provided for the mayntenance of himselfe and his poore family. Therfore
Humbly prayeth That yo[u]r Hono[u]rs will vouchsafe to take the pr[e]misses into serious Considerat[i]on and soe to order That yo[u]r Petic[i]on[e]r may be admitted to be one of his Ma[jes]t[y]s Penc[i]oners, And that his allowance may be accordinge to his demerritts But in such manner and forme as your Hono[u]rs shall thinke most expedient And he as in Duty bound shall ever pray &c.
Wee whose names are herevnto subscribed doe humbly Certifie that the Contents of this petic[i]on is very true, Therfore on the behalfe of the Petic[i]on[e]r doe pray that the same may be taken into Considerac[i]on and granted accordingly And we shall remaine:
Yo[u]r Hono[u]rs most humble servants.
Fra[ncis] Wyndham
Thomas Coward John Morgan
Fra[ncis] Coward Arthur Phillipps
Henrie Allen James [?Strode]
John Butcher
James Stiles
Rob[er]t Hans
Jo: Buckland
Ben[jamin] Mason
Geo[rge] Horner
W[illia]m Bull
<23 Aprill 1661.>
<orderd that the peticon[e]r bee admitted to a Penc[i]on of forty shillings p[er] ann[u]m.>