The petition of William Yates of Knutsford, Cheshire, Easter 1671
To the Justices of peace for the County or [sic.] Chester and to any of them
The humble petic[i]on of William Yates late of Knutsford in the said County
Sheweth That whereas yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r haveinge ventured his life in his late Ma[jes]ties service all the tyme of the late warr and therein lost the vse of his left hand. And yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r about seaven yeares since pr[e]ferring his petic[i]on at the then Quarter sessions held at Knutsford aforesaid was admitted pension[e]r and an order was granted yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r for receiveing of A pension of thirty shillings p[er] Annum dureing yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]rs life from the Treasurers for the said County And yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r haveing beene very much visited with sicknesse ever since hath rec[eive]d but only one years payment since the said pension was graunted to yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r, and by reason of his weaknesse hath beene forced to begg the reliefe of some Charitable and well disposed pe[er]sons for part of his maintainance ever since and hath for want thereof beene put to very great distresse
Yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r humbly prayes yo[ur] wor[shi]pp wor[shi]pps order for the payment of the arreares of the said pension and yt yo[u]r petic[i]on[e]r may be admitted for the future to receive the same yearely during his life according to the order of Sessions heretofore made
To my knowledge ye substance of the above written is true and I am certainly informed that the petitioner hath done very good service in ye late warrs ag[ains]t ye Dutch
Ite testor
T[homas] Legh
<Referre him if a vacancy>