A brief account of the province of Pennsylvania, lately granted by the King, under the great seal of England to William Penn and his heirs and assigns

An Abstract of the Patent GRANTED BY THE KING, To VVilliam Penn. &c.

The Fourth of March, 1681.

I. VVE do Give and Grant (upon divers considerations) to William Penn his) Heirs and Assigns for ever all that Tract of Land in America with all Islands thereunto be∣longing That is to say from the beginning of the fortieth degree of North Latitude unto the forty third Degree (of North Latitude whose Eastern bounds from Twelve English Miles above New-Castle (alias Delaware Town) runs all along upon the side of Delaware River.

II. Free and undisturb'd use and passage into and out of all Harbours Bays Waters Rivers Isles and Inlets belonging to or leading to the same Together with the Soyl Fields Woods Vnderwoods Moun∣tains Hills Fenns Isles Lake & Rivers Waters Rivulets Bays and Inlets Scituate in or belonging unto the Limits and Bounds aforesaid Together with all sorts of Fish Mines Mettles, &c. To have and to hold to the only behoof of the said William Penn his Heirs and As∣signs for ever To be holden of us as of our Castle of Windsor in free and common soccage paying only two Beaver skins yearly.

III. And of our further Grace we have thought it fit to erect and we do hereby erect the aforesaid Countrey and Islands into a Province and Seigniory and do call it Pennsilvania and so from henceforth we will have it call'd.

IV. That reposing special confidence in the wisdom and justice of the said William Penn we do grant to him and his Heirs and their De∣puties for the good and happy Government thereof to ordain and e∣nact and under his and their seals to publish any Laws whatever for the publick uses of the said Province by and with the Advice and Appro∣bation of the Free-holders of the said Countrey or their delegates so as they be not repugnant to the Law of this Realm and to the Faith and Allegiance due unto us by the legal Government thereof.

V. Full power to the said William Penn, &c. to appoint Iudges Leiutenants Iustices Magistrates and Officers for what causes soever and with what Power and in such Form as to him seems convenient also to be able to Pardon and Abolish Crimes and Offences and to do all and every other thing that to the compleat Establishment of Iustice un∣to Courts and Tribunals forms of Iudicature and manner of proceed∣ings

do belong and our pleasure is and so we enjoyn and require that such Laws and Proceedings shall be most absolute and available in Law and that all the Leige People of us our Heirs and Successors inviolably keep the same in those parts saving to us smal appeals.

VI. That the Laws for regulating Property as well for the discent of Lands as enjoyment of Goods and Chattels and likewise as to Fe∣lonies shall be the same there as here in England until they shall be al∣tered by the said William Penn his Heirs or Assigns and by the Free∣men of the said Province or their Delegates or Deputies or the grea∣ter part of them.

VII. Furthermore that this new Colony may the more happily en∣crease by the multitude of People resorting thither therefore we for us our Heirs and Successors do hereby grant License to all the Leige Peo∣ple present and future of us, &c. (excepting such as shall be specially forbidden) to Transport themselves and Families into the said Country there to Inhabit and Plant for the publick and their private Good.

VIII. Liberty to Transport what Goods or Commodities are not forbidden paying here the Legal Customs due to us, &c.

IX. Power to divide the Countey into Counties Hundreds and Towns to Incorporate Towns into Burroughs and Burroughs into Cities to make Fairs and Markets with convenient Priviledges ac∣cording to the merit of the Inhabitants or the fitness of the place And to do all other thing or things touching the premises which to the said William Penn his Heirs or Assigns shall seem meet and requisite albeit they be such as of their own nature might otherwise require a more special commandment and warrant then in those presents is express'd.

X. Liberty to Import the Growth or Manufactures of that Province into England paying here the Legal duty.

XI. Power to erect Ports Harbours Creeks Havens Keys and o∣ther places for Merchandizes with such Iurisdiction and Priviledges as to the said William Penn, &c. shall seem expedient.

XII. Not to break the Acts of Navigation neither Governour nor Inhabitants upon the penaltys contained in the said Acts.

XIII. Not to be in League with any Prince or Country that is in War against us our Heirs and Successors.

XIV. Power of safety and defence in such way and manner as to the said William Penn, &c. seems meet.

XV. Full power to Assign Alien Grant Demise or Enfeoff of the premises so many and such parts and parcels to those that are willing to purchase the same as the said William Penn thinks fit to have and to hold to them the said Persons their Heirs or Successors in fee Simple or fee Tail or for term of Life or Lives or years to be held of the said William Penn, &c. as of the said Seigniory of Windsor by such Servi∣ces Customs and Rents as shall seem fit to the said William Penn his Heirs and Assigns and not immediately of us our Heirs or Successors and that the said Persons may take the premisses or any Parcel there∣of of the said William Penn, &c. and the same hold to themselves their Heirs and Assigns the Statute Quia emptores Terrarum in any wise notwithstanding.

XVI. We give and grant License to any of those Persons to whom the said William Penn, &c. has granted any Estate of Inheritance as aforesaid with the consent of the said William Penn to erect any parcel of Lands within the said Province into Mannors to hold Courts Bar∣ron and view of Francke-pledge, &c. by Themselves or Stewards.

XVII. Power to those Persons to Grant to others the same Te∣nures in fee simple or otherwise to be held of the said Mannors re∣spectively and upon all further Alienations the Land to be held of the Mannor that it held of before the Alienation.

XVIII. We do Covenant and Grant to and with the said William Penn his Heirs and Assigns that we will not set or make any Custom or other Taxation upon the Inhabitants of the said Province upon Lands Houses Goods Chattels or Merchandizes except with the consent of the Inhabitants and Governour.

XIX. A charge that no Officers nor Ministers of us our Heirs and Successors do presume at any time to attempt any thing to the con∣trary of the premises or in any sort withstand the same but that they be at all times aiding to the said William Penn and his Heirs and to the Inhabitants and Merchants their Factors and Assigns in the full use and benefit of this our Charter.

XX. And if any doubts or questions shall hereafter arise about the true sense or meaning of any Word Clause or Sentence contained in this our Charter We will Ordain and Command that at all times and in all things such Interpretation be made thereof and allowed in any of our Courts whatsoever as shall be adjudged most advantageous and favourable unto the said William Penn his Heirs and Assigns so as it be not against the Faith and Allegiance due to us our Heirs and Successors.

In Witness whereof we have caused our Letters to be made Patents.

Witness our self at Westminster, &c.