THat whereas yout Petitioner hath been faithfull in the State service ever since the beginning of these troubles , as is well known to many Members of this honourable house , by meanes whereof , he hath suffered many great and grievous losses , to his utter undoing , unlesse your Honours have a compassionate and tender care towards him , in this his sad and deplorable condition , being much indebted , and a prisoner at this present time , in Scalding-Alley in the Poultry , London , where he expects every day to go to the Counter , and there is an Out-lary taken forth this last Terme against his Surety for another Debt , whose Creditor exacts the full interest for all this time , notwithstanding your Petitioner hath lost the principall , and all that he had , not having any thing left wherewithall to give satisfaction , nor any thing for himself & family to subsist withall , your Petitioner having been a man of great trading , a Tanner by profession , and also dealt much in wooding , kept between six and sevenscore poor people at work in that Trade ; and being plundered and spoyled almost of all that he had , when the Town was taken , and the rest spent and consumed since by the mercilesse cruelty and oppression of the Enemy : your Petitioner being in personal action , his wife was alwayes the more cruelly oppressed and burthened by quartering of Souldiers , what by the ill carriage of some Officers in the town , and the malignant spirits of some others , she commonly quartered double the number of any Magistrate in the Town : for when the King was there in person with his Army , shee quartered sixscore , and never a Magistrate in the Town quartered above 40 or 50. at the most , insomuch , that she hath made a very hard shift to keep her poor children from starving , and now at present is constrained to work as hard for her living , as any poor woman whatsoever , which is a most sad condition , consideri●g how she formerly lived ;

I shall further earnestly desire your Honours , that you will be pleased to read over these ensuing particulars .

1. Your Petitioner commanded a Company at the fight at Marlborough when the town was taken , and by a wonderfull providence escaped from the hands of those cruell and bloud-thirsty Enemies , who ( by the instigation of the Lady Seimor ) threatned to hang him at his door , which did evidently appear by her answer to your Petitioners wife , when she came an humble Petitioner unto her in her husbands behalfe ( supposing he had been a prisoner at that time ) she told her , that he was a ●raytor to the King , and she would see him hanged at his door , for an example to others ; and that there was not such a Rogue in the Country . And it may further app●are by the pursuit of their malice , for the Lord Seimor sent an Expresse to the Magistrates of the town , that if your Petitioner did at any time come thither , that they should take him prisoner , and bring him to Oxford dead or alive , or else they must expect no favour from his Majesty , or to this effect .

2. Your Petitioner exercised two Companies under Sir Edward Hungerford , for which your Petitioner received but 12. l. and 3 s . so that there is somwhat remaining due to your Petitioner , as is well known to Sir Edward .

3. Sir William Waller hearing of your Petitioners abilities in the exercise of a Foot Company , took your Petitioner along with him in that service , and gave your Petitioner a Commission at Shepstow , bearing date the 9. day of April , 1643. as may appear by his Commission , for which time he never received but 3. l. yet continued in that service , till after the rout at Rundway-hill , as may appeare by an attestation under Sir William Wallers hand .

4. Your Petitioner ( by the approbation of a Councel of Warre ) had another Commission under Sir William Waller , in the Regiment of Col. Alexand●r Popham , as may appear by his Commission , bearing date the 29. day of August , 1643. and after that disaster at Warminster , your Petitioner was sent down by his Colonel , Colonel Rogers , and some others , to Poole , having the charge of the Western Armes committed to his custody , and so to raise his Company in those parts . And your Petitioner for the advancement of the State service , sold his horse to buy provision to lay a Ship-board for himself and souldiers . He also bought a Chest of Granadoe shels , and fire arrowes , and other materials thereunto belonging , at his own proper charge . And your Petitioner listed Souldiers as soon as he came ●hithe● , supposing he should not stay long before he were in action : but yet he staid so long , as he had scarce either money or credit , but made bold with Col. Bingham to borrow some of him , which your Petitioner thinkes is not yet paid , and your Petitioner was fain to put his Souldiers into Col. Binghams Regiment for their victuals , whereof your Petitioner lost two of them against Abbotsbury house . And afterwards your Petitioner received Orders to imbarque the armes , and carry them to Lime , but by his Orders he was to put in at Weymouth for a Convoy ( because the Dunkirkes were very busie on that Coast ) which was accordingly don● : he landed the armes , and stayed 5 weekes and odde dayes for a Convoy , and then your Petitioner imbarqued the armes again , and carryed them to Lim● , where he stayed 13 weeks , and could not have money from the Committee to beare his charges , but was constrained to borrnw 5.l . of Col. Celie , which your Petitioner thinkes is not yet paid neither , and when Col Welding came to the reliefe of Taunton , your Petitioner went thither , and delivered up his accompt to the Committee , but could get no money of them , notwithstanding your Petitioner was in extreame want , and had in that time the offer of a Majors place by two severall Collonels , but could not be quit of his charge , now all the mony your Petitioner received in all this service , was but 33.l . 1 . s . 7.d .

5. Your Petitioner raised a Company under the Command of Collonel Robert Blake , and was in Taunton the last siege , and afterwards marched with the Generall with a hundred men in his Company , into the West , to block up Exon , where he layd in Garison at Poultimore house , about fortnight , till such time he was commanded against Dunster Castle , where he continued till it was reduced , and since your Petitioner have wayted on the Committee , till the 20. of February last past : which were at that time ( according to your honours order ) disbanded ; for which service , your Petitioner never received but ●● . 3.l . and 10 . s . whereof 6. weekes pay disbanding money , ( according to the new establishment ) was part .

6. Your Petitioner hath set forwards his Companie for the service of Ireland , whose Lieutenant and Ensigne goes with them , and were lately wi h Collonel Townsends Regiment , for which your Petitioner earnestly desires in their behalfe , that their Arreares for this last service , may be speedily payd for their better advance and further encouragement .

7. Your Petitioner at the beginning of these troubles , was worth 1000.l . and upwards ; but all his stock is plundered , spoyled , and spent , having at that time 200 l. stock , going in his Trade of Tanning , he had 14. or 15. Tun of wood , to the value of 300 l. or therabouts , he had 23. Akers of very good Corne , to the value of 70.l . or thereabouts , he had his House very well furnish●d with all manner of Housholdstuffe fit for a man of his calling , whereby he lived as happily ( in respect of outward meanes , as most men in the Towne .

8 Your Petitioner lost a debt of 53. pounds and 10. shillings , by one that was very well able to pay it , but that he was plundered of all that ever he had carried prisoner to Oxford , where he was bitterly used , and there starved to death .

.9 Your Petitioner lost two very good Geldings , worth 20.l . and upwards so that there is nothing left for himselfe , his wife and seven Children to subsist withall , but onely his Land , which if it were sould , it would not pay his debts nothing neare , and of all the service your Petitioner hath been in , he never received any advance money : nor never plundered any man the worth of one penny , but alwayes laboured for the preservation of the Countrey .

May it therefore please your Honours seriously to consider the premises ; and to take these things into your grave considerations : speedily to take some course that your Petitioner may have his Arreares paid , that his debts may be satisfied , and he not be enforced to spend the residue of his dayes in a loathsome prison , and his family utterly ruined : but that your honours will take some course for his enlargement , and protect him and his sureties , from all actions and suites that are , or may be commenced or brought against them , till such time your honours do make payment , which he hopes will not be long , and that according to your honours , Declarations , and ingagements at the begining of this present Parliament , your Petitioner may have reparations in some measure , answerable to his losses and sufferings , that he may have somthing to begin the world againe , for the maintenance of himselfe , and Family , that so the enemies of the state ( who are your Petitioners enemies also ) may have no longer cause to insult over them , and rejoyce at their poverty and misery , and your Petitioner doth humbly desire that his Lieutenant and Ensigne may be payd , their Arriers for this last service , for their better accommodation in the States Service fo● Ireland , and if so be your Honours shall think of any imployment for your Petitioner , in the State Service wherein he may serve your Honours ; he shall be ready to ingage himselfe and Fortunes .