referved. of our faid province or territory, for the time being, might or could lawfully do or exercife, if they, or either of them, were perfonally prefent, until the return of the governor, or lieutenant or deputy governor fo abfent, or arrival, or conftitution of fuch other governor, or lieutenant or deputy governor, as fhall or may be appointed by us, our heirs or fucceffors, from time to time. Provided always, and it is hereby declared, That nothing herein contained fhall extend or be taken to erect, or grant, or allow the exercise of any adAdmiralty miral court, jurifdiction, power, or authority, but that the jurifdiction fame fhall be, and is hereby reserved to us and our fucceffors, and fhall, from time to time, be erected, granted, and exercifed, by virtue of commiffions to be iffued under the great feal of England, or under the feal of the high admiral, or the commiffioners for executing the office of high admiral of England. And further, our exprefs will and pleasure is, and we do, by these presents, for us, our heirs and fucThe trade ceffors, ordain and appoint, That these our letters patents of fishing fhall not, in any manner, enure, or be taken to abridge, not to be bar, or hinder any of our loving fubjects whatsoever, to use abridg'd. and exercise the trade of fishing upon the coafts of NewEngland, but that they, and every of them, fhall have full and free power and liberty to continue and use the said trade of fishing upon the faid coafts, in any of the feas thereunto adjoining, or any arms of the faid feas, or falt-water rivers, where they have been wont to fish; and to build and set upon the lands within our faid province or colony, lying wafte, and not then poffeffed by particular proprietors, fuch wharfs, ftages, and work-houses, as fhall be neceffary for the falting, drying, keeping, and packing of their fifh, to be taken or gotten upon that coaft; and to cut down and take fuch trees, and other materials there growing, or being upon any parts or places lying wafte, and not then in poffeffion of particular proprietors, as fhall be needful for that purpose, and for all other neceffary easements, helps, and advantages concerning the faid trade of fifhing there, in fuch manner and form as they have been heretofore at any time accustomed to do, without making any wilful waste or spoil, any thing in these prefents contained to the contrary notgrowing up- withstanding. And lastly, for the better providing and furon any foil nifhing of mafts for our royal navy, we do hereby reserve to granted to us, our heirs and fucceffors, all trees of the diameter of particular perfons, to twenty-four inches and upwards, at twelve inches from the be preferv- ground, growing upon any foil or tract of land within our Trees fit for mafts, not ed. faid faid province or territory, not heretofore granted to any private perfons; and we do reftrain and forbid all perfons whatfoever, from felling, cutting, or deftroying any fuch trees, without the royal licence of us, our heirs and fucceffors, firft had and obtained, upon penalty of forfeiting one hundred pounds fterling unto us, our heirs and fucceffors, for every fuch tree fo felled, cut, or deftroyed, without fuch licence had or obtained in that behalf; any thing in these presents contained to the contrary, in any wife notwithstanding. In witnefs whereof, we have caufed these our letters to be made patents. Witnefs ourselves at Westminster, the feventh day of October, in the third year of our reign. By writ of Privy Seal, PIGO T. Charter granted to the Colony of Connecticut, by King Undecima pars Patentium Anno Regni Regis CAROLI Secundi CH HARLES the Second, by the grace of God, &c. to all to whom thefe prefents fhall come, greeting. Whereas by the several navigations, difcoveries, and fuccessful plantations of divers of our loving fubjects of this our realm of England, feveral lands, iflands, places, colonies and plantations, have been ordained and fettled in that part of the continent of America called New-England, and thereby the trade and commerce there hath been of late years much increafed; and whereas we have been informed by the humble petition of our trufty and well-beloved John Wintrop, John Mafon, Samuel Willis, Henry Clarke, Matthew Allen, John Tappen, Nathan Gold, Richard Treate, Richard Lord, Henry Woolcot, John Talcott, Daniel Clerke, John Ogden, Thomas Wells, Obadiah Brewen, John Clerke, Anthony Hawkins, John Deming, and Matthew Camfield, being perfons principally interested in our colony or plantation of Connecticut in New-England, that the fame colony, or the greatest part thereof, was purchafed and obtained for great and valuable confiderations, and fome other part thereof gained by conqueft, and with much difficulty, and at the only endeavours, expence and charge of them and their associates, and thofe under whom they claim, fubdued and improved, and thereby become a confiderable inlargement and addition of our dominions and intereft there: now know ye, that in confideration thereof, and in regard the faid colony is Incorpora- remote from other the English plantations in the places aforetion of the faid, and to the end the affairs and bufinefs, which fhall from governor time to time happen or arife concerning the fame, may be ny of Con- duly ordered and managed, we have thought fit, at the humnecticut. ble petition of the perfons aforefaid, and are graciously and compa pleafed to create and make them a body politick and corporate, with the powers and privileges herein after meniioned; and accordingly our will and pleasure is, and our efpecial efpecial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, we have ordained, conftituted and declared, and by these prefents, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do ordain, conftitute and declare, that they the faid John Wintrop, John Mason, Samuel Willis, Henry Clerke, Matthew Allen, John Tappen, Nathan Gould, Richard Treate, Richard Lord, Henry Wollcott, John Talcott, Daniel Clerke, John Ogden, Thomas Wells, Qbadiah Brewen, John Clerke, Anthony Hawkins, John Deming, and Matthew Camfield, and all fuch others, as now are, or hereafter fhall be, admitted and made free of the company and fociety of our colony of Connecticut, in America, fhall, from time to time, and for ever hereafter, be one body corporate and politick, in fact and name, by the name of Governor and Company of the Eng- Name of the lifh colony of Connecticut, in New-England, in America; corporation. and that by the fame name they, and their fucceffors, fhall and may have perpetual fucceffion, and fhall and may be perfons able and capable in the law, to plead and be impleaded, to answer and to be answered unto, to defend and be defended, in all and fingular fuits, caufes, quarrels, matters, actions, and things, of what kind or nature foever; and also, to have, take, poffefs, acquire, and purchase lands, tenements, or hereditaments, or any goods or chattels, and the fame to leafe, grant, demife, alien, bargain, fell, and difpofe of, as our other liege people of this our realm of England, or any other corporation or body politick within the fame, may lawfully do. Seal, Govern ment. And further, That the faid Common governor and company, and their fucceffors, fhall and may, for ever hereafter, have a common feal to ferve and ufe for all causes, matters, things, and affairs whatsoever, of them and their fucceffors, and the fame feal to alter, change, break, and make new, from time to time, at their wills and pleafures, as they fhall think fit. And further, we will and ordain, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do declare and appoint, That, for the better ordering and managing of the affairs and bufinefs of the faid company, and their fucceffors, there fhall be one governor, one deputy go- A governor, vernor, and twelve affiftants, to be, from time to time, con- deputy goftituted, elected, and chofen, out of the freemen of the faid vernor, and company, for the time being, in fuch manner and form as hereafter, in these prefents, is exprefled; which faid officers chofen out shall apply themselves to take care for the best disposing and of the freeordering of the general business and affairs of and concerning company. the lands and hereditaments herein after-mentioned to be grant twelve affif tants, to be men of the ed, and the plantation thereof, and the government of the people thereof. And for the better execution of our royal pleasure herein, we do, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, affign, name, conftitute, and appoint the aforefaid John Wintrop to be the firft and prefent governor of the faid company, and the faid John Mafon to be the deputy governor, and the faid Samuel Willis, Matthew Allen, Nathan Gould, Henry Clerke, Richard Treate, John Odgden, Thomas Tappen, John Talcott, Thomas Wells, Henry Wollcott, Richard Lord and Daniel Clerke, to be the twelve present affistants of the faid company, to continue in the said several offices respectively until the fecond Thursday, which fhall be in the General af- month of October, now next coming. And further, we fembly. will, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, do ordain and grant, That the governor of the faid company, for the time being, or, in his abfence, by occafion of fickness, or otherwife, by his leave or permiffion, the deputy governor, for the time being, fhall and may, from time to time, upon all occafions, give order for the affembling of the faid company, and calling them together, to confult and advife of the bufinefs and affairs of the faid company; and blies fhall that, for ever hereafter, twice in every year, that is to fay, be held in on every second Thursday in October, and on every fecond every year, Thursday in May, or oftener, in cafe it fhall be requifite, the affiftants and freemen of the faid company, or such of them, not exceeding two perfons from each place, town, or members to City, who fhall be, from time to time, thereunto elected or be chosen by deputed by the major part of the freemen of the refpective every town, towns, cities, and places for which they shall be so elected or Two affem in May and October. One or two deputed, fhall have a general meeting or affembly, then and there to confult and advise in and about the affairs and bufinefs of the faid company; and that the governor, or in his abfence the deputy governor, of the faid company, for the time being, and fuch of the affiftants and freemen of the faid company as fhall be fo elected or deputed, and be present at fuch meeting or affembly, or the greatest number of them, whereof the governor, or deputy governor, and fix of the affiftants, at least, to be feven, fhall be called the general afPower of fembly, and fhall have full power and authority to alter and the general change their days and times of meeting, or general affemblies, aflembly. for electing the governor, deputy governor, and affiftants, or other officers, or any other courts, affemblies, or meetings, and to chufe, nominate, and appoint fuch, and fo many other perfons as they shall think fit, and shall be willing to accept |