they behaving themselves peaceably among them; any act, claufe or fentence, in any of the faid colonies provided, or that fhall be provided, to the contrary in any wife notwithftanding. And lastly, we do for us, our heirs and fucceffors, ordain and grant unto the faid governor and, company, and their fucceffors, by thefe prefents, that these our letters patents fhall be firm, good, effectual and available, in all things in the law, to all intents, conftructions and purposes whatsoever, according to our true intent and meaning herein before declared; and fhall be conftrued, reputed and adjudg ed, in all cafes, moft favourably on the behalf, and for the beft benefit and behoof of the faid governor and company, and their fucceffors, although exprefs mention, &c. In witnefs, &c. witnefs, &c.

Per Ipfum Regem.

Firt

First Charter granted to the Colony of the MASSACHUSETTS BAY, 1644.

CHARLES by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.

To all to whom thefe Prefents fhall come, Greeting.

WHEREAS our most deare and royal Father King James

of bleffed memory, by his Highness's letters patents. beareing date at Westminster the third day of November, in the eighteenth year of his reign, hath given and granted unto the Councel established at Plymouth in the county of Devon, for the planting, ruling, ordering and governing of NewEngland in America, and to their heirs fucceffours and affignes for ever: All that part of America lying and being in breadth from fourty degrees of northerly latitude from the equinoxtiall line, to fourty-eight degrees of the faid northerly latitude inclufively, and in length of and within all the breadth aforesaid throughout the maine lands from fea to fea, together alfo with all the firme lands, foyles, grounds, havens, ports, rivers, waters, fifhing, mines, and mineralls, as well royall mines of gould and filver, as other mines and mineralls, precious ftones, quarries, and all and fingular other commodities, jurifdictions, privileges, franchifes and preheminences both within the faid tract of land upon the maine, and alfo within the islands and feas adjoining. Provided always that the faid islands or any the premifles by the faid letters patent intended and meant to be granted were not then actually poffeffed or inhabited by any other christian prince, or ftate, nor within the bounds limits or territories of the fouthern colonies then before granted by our faid deare father to be planted by fuch of his loving fubjects in the fouthern parts. To have and to hold, poffefs and enjoy all and fingular the aforefaid continent, lands, territories, iflands, hereditaments and precincts, feas, waters, fifhings, with all and all manner their commodities, royalties, liberties, preheminences, and profits that fhould from thenceforth arife from thence, with all and fingular their appurtenances, and every part and parcel thereof, unto the faid Councel, and their fucceffors and affignes for ever, to

the

province of

part of the

the fole and proper ufe, benefit and behoof of them the faid Councel and their fucceffors and affignes for ever: To be Tenure, houlden of our faid moft dear and royal Father, his heirs and fucceffors, as of his mannor of Eaft-Greenwich in the county of Kent, in free'and common foccage, and not in capite nor by knights fervice. Yielding and paying therefore to the faid Rent. late King, his heirs and fucceffors the fifth part of the oare of gould and filver which fhould 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 lands, limits, territories and precincts, or in or within any part or parcel thereof, for or in. refpect of all and all manner of duties, demands and fervices whatsoever to be done made or paid to our faid dear Father the late King, his heirs and fucceffors; as in and by the said letters patent (amongst fundry other claufes, powers, privileges and grants therein contained) more at large appeareth. And whereas the faid Councel established at Plymouth in the Recital of a county of Devon, for the planting, ruling, ordering, and grant of the governing of New-England, in America, have by their deed the Maffaindented under their commou feal, bearing date the nine- chufetts teenth day of March laft paft, in the third year of our reign, Bay, (being given, granted, bargained, fold, enfeoffed, aliened and con- Premifes firmed to Sir Henry Rosewell, Sir John Young, knights, befote Thomas Southcott, John Humphrey, John Endicott and mentioned) Symon Whetcomb, their heirs and affociates for ever, all Council of that part of New-England in America aforefaid, which lieth Plymouth and extendeth between a great river there commonly called to Sir Hen. Monomack, alias Merrimack, and a certain other river there Rosewell called Charles river, being the bottom of a certain bay there and others. March 19, commonly called Maffachusetts, alias Mattachusetts, alias 3 Car. 1. Maffatufetts bay, and alfo all and fingular thofe lands and hereditaments whatsoever lying and being within the space of three English miles on the fouth part of the faid Charles river, or of any or every part thereof, and alfo all and fingular the lands and hereditaments whatfoever, lying and being within the space of three English miles to the fouthward of the fouthermoft part of the faid bay called Massachusetts, alias Mattachusetts, alias Maffatufetts bay, and also all. those lands and hereditaments which lye and be within the fpace of three English miles to the northward of the faid river called Monomack, alias Merrimack, or to the northward of any and every part thereof, and all lands and hereditaments whatfoever, lying within the limits aforefaid, north and fouth, in latitude and breadth, and in length and longitude, of and within all the breadth aforefaid, throughout the main lands · there,

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by the

there, from the Atlantick and western sea and ocean on the east part, to the fouth fea on the weft part, and all lands and grounds, place and places, foils, wood and wood grounds, havens, ports, rivers, waters, fifhing and hereditaments whatsoever, lying within the faid bounds and limits, and every part and parcel thereof, and alfo all iflands lying in America aforfaid in the faid feas or either of them on the westerne or easterne coafts or parts of the faid tracts of lands by the faid indenture mentioned to be given, granted, bargained, fold, enfeoffed, aliened and confirmed or any of them: And alfo all mines and mineralls, as well royall mines of gould and filver, as other mines and mineralls whatfoever in the faid lands and premiffes or any part thereof: And all jurifdictions, rights, royalties, liberties, freedoms, immunities, priviledges, franchifes, preheminencies, and commodities whatfoever, which they the faid Councel eftablifhed at Plymouth in the county of Devon for the planting ruling ordering and governing of New-England in America then had or might ufe, exercife or enjoy, in and within the faid lands and premiffes by the faid indenture mentioned to be given, granted, bargained, fould, enfeoffed and confirmed, or in or within any part or parcel thereof. Habendum. To have and to hould the faid part of New-England in America which Iyeth and extends and is abutted as aforefaid, and every part and parcel thereof: And all the faid iflands, rivers, ports, havens, waters, fifhings, mines and minerals, jurifdictions, franchifes, royalties, liberties, priviledges, commodities, hereditaments and premiffes whatfoever, with the appurtenances, unto the faid Sir Henry Rofewell, Sir John Younge, Thomas Southcott, John Humfrey, John Endecott and Symon Whetcomb, their heirs and affignes, and their affociates, to the only proper and abfolute ufe and behoof of the faid Sir Henry Rosewell, Sir John Younge, Thomas Southcott, John Humfrey, John Endecott and Symon Whetcomb, their heires and affignes, and affociates for evermore. To be houlden of us, our heirs and fucceffors, as of our mannor of Eaft-Greenwich in the county of Kent, in free and common foccage, and not in capite, nor by knights fervice, yielding and paying therefore unto us. our heirs and fucceffors, the fifth part of the oare of gould and filver which fhall from time to time and at all times hereafter happen to be found, gotten, had and obtained, in any of the faid lands within the faid limits, or in or within any part thereof, for and in fatisfaction of all manner of duties, demands and fervices whatsoever, to be

Tenure.

Rent.

done,

faid laft re

done, made or paid to us, our heirs or fucceffors, as in and by the faid recited indenture more at lardge may appear. Now know ye, that we, at the humble fuite and petition of the faid Sir Henry Rosewell, Sir John Younge, Thomas Southcott, John Humfrey, John Endecott, and Symon Whetcomb, and of others whom they have affociated unto them, Have, for divers good caufes and confiderations us Confirmamoving, granted and confirmed, and by thefe prefents of tion of the our especiall grace, certain knowledge and meere motion, do cited grant grant and confirm unto the faid Sir Henry Rofe well, Sir by theKing. John Younge, Thomas Southcott, John Humfrey, John Endecott, and Symon Whetcomb, and to their affociates hereafter named (vide licet) Sir Richard Saltonftall, Knt. Ifaac Johnson, Samuel Alderfey, John Ven, Matthew Craddock, George Harwood, Increafe Nowell, Richard Perry, Richard Bellingham, Nathanael Wright, Samuel Vaffall, Theophilus Eaton, Thomas Goffe, Thomas Adams, John Browne, Samuel Browne, Thomas Hutchins, William Vaffall, William Pinchon, and George Foxcroft, their heirs and affignes, all the faid part of New England in America, lyeing and extending betweene the bounds and limits in the faid recited indenture expreffed, and all lands and grounds, place and places, foyles, wood and wood grounds, havens, ports, rivers, waters, mines, mineralls, jurifdictions, rights, royalties, liberties, freedoms, immunities, priviledges, franchifes, preheminences, hereditaments and commodities whatfoever to them the faid Sir Henry Rosewell, Sir John Younge, Thomas Southcott, John Humfrey, John Endecott and Simon Whetcombe, their heirs and affignes, and to their affociates by the faid recited indenture given, granted,bargained, fould,enfeoffed, aliened and confirmed, or mentioned or intended thereby to be given, granted, bargained, fould, enfeoffed, aliened and confirmed. To have and Habendum. to hould the faid part of New England in America and other the premiffes hereby mentioned to be granted and confirmed and every part or parcell thereof, with the appurtenances, unto the faid Sir Henry Rosewell, Sir John Younge, Sir Richard Saltonftall, Thomas Southcott, John Humfrey, John Endecott, Symon Whetcombe, Ifaac Johnfon, Samuel Alderfey, John Ven, Matthew Craddock, George Harwood, Increafe Nowell, Richard Perry, Richard Bellingham, Natha niel Wright, Samuel Vaffall, Theophilus Eaton, Thomas Goffe, Thomas Adams, John Browne, Samuel Browne, Thomas Hutchins, William Vaffall, William Pinchon, and George Foxcroft, their heirs and affignes for ever, to their

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only