Page 3
The CHARTER granted by Their Majesties King William and Queen Mary, &c.
WILLIAM and MARY, by the Grace of God of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, King and Queen, Defenders of the Faith, &c. To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting. Whereas his late Majesty King James the First, Our Royal Predecessor, by his Letters Pa|tents under the Great Seal of England, bearing Date at Westminster the Third day of November, in the Eighteenth Year of his Reign, did give and grant unto the Council Established at Plymouth in the County of Devon, for the Planting, Ruling, Ordering and Governing of New-England in America, and to their Successors and Assigns, all that part of America lying and being in breadth from forty Degrees of Northerly Latitude from the Equinoctial Line to the for|ty eighth Degree of the said Northerly Latitude, inclusively, and in length of and within all the Breadth aforesaid throughout all the main Lands, from Sea to Sea, together also with all the firm Lands, Soils, Grounds, Havens, Ports, Rivers, Waters, Fishings, Mines and Minerals, as well Royal Mines of Gold and Silver, as other Mines and Minerals, Precious Stones, Quarries, and all and singular other Commodities, Jurisdictions, Royalties, Priviledges, Franchises and Preheminences, both within the said Tract of Land upon the Main, and al|so within the Islands and Seas adjoyning: Provided always that the said Lands, Islands, or any the Premises by the said Letters Patents intended and meant to be granted, were not then actually possessed or inhabited by any other Christi|an Prince or State, or within the Bounds, Limits or Territories of the Southern Colony, then before granted by the said late King James the first, to be plant|ed by divers of his Subjects in the South parts: To have and to hold, possess and enjoy, all and singular the aforesaid Continent Lands, Territories, Islands, He|reditaments and Precincts, Seas, Waters, Fishings; withall and all manner of their Commodities, Royalties, Liberties, Preheminencies and Profits that should from thenceforth arise from thence, with all and singular their Appurtenances and every part and parcel thereof, unto the said Council, and their Successors and Assigns for ever, to the sole and proper Use and Benefit of the said Council, and their Successors and Assigns for ever: To beholden of his said late Majesty King James the first, his Heirs and Successors, as of his Mannor of East Greenwich in the County of Kent, in free and Common Sockage, and not in Capite, nor by Knights Service: Yielding and Paying therefore to the said late King, his Heirs and Successors, the fifth part of the Oar of Gold and Silver, which should from time to time, and at all times then after happen to be found, gotten, had and obtained, in, at, or within any of the said Lands, Limits, Territories or Pre|cincts, or in, or within any part or parcel thereof, for or in respect of all and all manner of Duties, Demands and Services whatsoever, to be done, made or paid to the said late King James the first, his Heirs and Successors (as in and by the said Letters Patents, amongst sundry other Clauses, Powers, Priviledges and Grants therein contained, more at large appeareth:) and whereas the said Council Established at Plymouth in the County of Devon, for the Planting, Ruling, Ordering and Governing of New England in America, did by their Deed indented under their Common Seal, bearing date the Nineteenth Day of March, in the Third Year of the Reign of Our Royal Grandfather King Charles the First, of ever Blessed Memory, Give, Grant, Bargain, Sell, Infeoff, Alien and Confirm to Sir Henry Roswell, Sir John Young, Knights, Thomas Southcott, John Humphreys, John Endicott and Symond Whetcombe, their Heirs and Assigns, and their Associates, for ever, all that part of New-England in America aforesaid, which lyes and extends between a great River-there, commonly called Mono|mack alias Merimack, and a certain other River there called Charles River, be|ing