The petition of William Wilsheere of North Molton, Devon, 1679
To the Right Worshipfull the Justices of ye peace for This County of Devon the humble petition of William Wilsheere of ye parish of North Molton in the sayd County humbly sheweth,
That whereas ye sayd William Wilsheere hath been heertofore a faythfull subject, & servant to his present Majesty, and actually concern’d as a drummer under his Excellency ye Lord Duke of Albemarle at his happy restoration, & hath not only receiv’d very considerable losses in person charge & estate by following his Late Majesty Charls the Martyr (his whole dependences beeing ruin’d at ye fireing of Bridgewater, when kept as a garrison for ye King by Colonel Windham, under whom he then served) but is now reduc’d to age, & poverty, that have disabled him from beeing any longer serviceable to his King, & country, or capable to maintayn himself, and family by his former calling, and industry, he doth therefore humbly beg, & beseech this honorable bench to allow him some pension out of those severall summes, that are distributed to ye relief of poor, decrepit, & maimed soldyers, that have been wounded in ye service of his sacred Majesty. And in so doing you will oblige your poor, & decayed servant to be your humble Orator at the throne of grace
<Wee doe beleive this petition to be true.>
John Davy
John Hore
[Overleaf:]
Wilsheeres peticion allowed 40 s per annum