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adjoining to, and upon the coaft of Virginia, as alfo for fome other matters and articles, concerning the better government of the faid company and colony, in which point our faid former letters patents do not extend fo far, as time and experience hath found to be needful and convenient.

further tract

IV. We therefore, tendering the good and happy fuccefs of the faid plantation, both in regard of the general weal of human fociety, as in refpect of the good of our own eftate and kingdoms, and being willing to give furtherance to all good means, that may advance the benefit of the said company, and which may fecure the fafety of our loving fubjects, planted in our faid colony under the favour and protection of God Almighty, and of our royal power and authority, have therefore, of our efpecial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, given, granted, and confirmed, and for us, our heirs and fucceffors, We do, by thefe prefents, Grant of a give, grant, and confirm, to the faid treafurer and compa- of country ny of adventurers and planters of the city of London for the to the faid first colony in Virginia, and to their heirs and fucceffors, for London ever, all and fingular thofe iflands whatfoever, fituate and be- company. ing in any part of the ocean feas bordering upon the coast of our faid firft colony in Virginia, and being within three hundred leagues of any the parts heretofore granted to the faid treasurer and company, in our faid former letters patents, as aforefaid, and being within or between the one-andfortieth and thirtieth degrees of northerly latitude, together. with all and fingular foils, lands, grounds, havens, ports, rivers, waters, fihings, mines, and minerals, as well royal mines of gold and filver, as other mines and minerals, pearls, precious ftones, quarries, and all and fingular other commodities, jurifdictions, royalties, privileges, franchises, and preheminences, both within the faid tract of land upon the main, and also within the faid ifland and feas adjoining, whatsoever, and thereunto or thereabouts, both by fea and land, being and fituate and which, by our letters patents, we may, or can, grant, and in as ample manner and fort, as we, or any our noble progenitors, have heretofore granted to any person or perfons, or to any company, body politic or corporate, or to any adventurer or adventurers, undertaker or undertakers, of any difcoveries, plantations or traffic, of or into any foreign parts, whatfoever, and in as large and ample manner as if the fame were herein particularly named, mentioned, and expreffed: provided always, that the said. iflands, or any the premifes herein mentioned, or by these presents intended or meant to be granted, be not actually

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poffeffed or inhabited by any other chriftian prince or eftate, nor be within the bounds, limits or territories of the northern colony, heretofore by us granted to be planted by divers of Habendum. Our loving fubjects, in the north parts of Virginia. To have and to hold, poffefs and enjoy, all and fingular the faid islands, in the faid ocean feas fo lying, and bordering upon the coaft and coafts of the territories of the faid firft colony in Virginia, as aforefaid; with all and fingular the faid foils, lands, and grounds, and all and fingular other the premises, heretofore by these presents granted, or mentioned to be granted, to them, the faid treasurer and company of adventurers and planters of the city of London for the first colony in Virginia, and to their heirs, fucceffors, and affigns, for ever, to the fole and proper ufe and behoof of them, the said treafurer and company, and their heirs, and fucceffors, and af. Tenendum. figns, for ever. To be holden of us, our heirs, and fucceffors, as of our manor of Eaft-Greenwich, in free and comReddendo. mon foccage, and not in capite. Yielding and paying therefore to us, our heirs, and fucceffors, the fifth part of the ore of all gold and filver, which fhall be there gotten, had, or obtained, for all manner of fervices whatfoever.

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V. And further, our will and pleasure is, and we do, by these prefents, grant and confirm, for the good and welfare of the faid plantation, and that pofterity may hereafter know, fons to the who have adventured, and not been fparing of their purfes in faid Lon- fuch a noble and generous action for the general good of don compa- their country, and at the request, and with the confent, of

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the company aforefaid, that our trufty and well-beloved fubjects, George, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Henry, Earl of Huntingdon, Edward, Earl of Bedford, Richard, Earl of Clanrickard, &c. who fince our faid laft letters patents, are become adventurers, and have joined themfelves with the former adventurers and planters of the faid company and fociety, fhall, from henceforth, be reputed, deemed, and taken to be, and shall be, brethren and free members of the company, and fball and may, refpectively, and according to the proportion and value of their several adventures, have, hold, and enjoy all fuch intereft, right, title, privileges, preheminencies, liberties, franchises, immunities, profits, and commodities, whatsoever, in as large, and ample, and beneficial manner, to all intents, conftructions, and purposes, as any other adventurers, nominated and expreffed in any our former letters patents, or any of them, have or may have, by force and virtue of these presents, or any our former letters patents whatsoever.

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VI. And we are further pleased, and we do, by thefe pre- Addition of fents, grant and confirm, that Philip, Earl of Montgomery, nent perWilliam Lord Paget, Sir John Starrington, Knt. &c. fons, to the whom the faid treasurer and company have, fince the faid laft council of letters patents, nominated and fet down, as worthy and dif- the faid creet perfons, fit to ferve as counsellors, to be of our council for the faid plantation, fhall be reputed, deemed, and taken, as perfons of our faid council for the said first colony, in such manner and fort, to all intents and purposes, as thofe, who have been formerly elected and nominated, as our counsellors for that colony, and whofe names have been or are inserted and expreffed, in our faid former letters patents.

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VII. And we do hereby ordain and grant, by these presents, Courts or that the said treasurer and company of adventurers and plan- affemblies ters aforefaid, fhall and may, once every week, or oftener, at pany fhall' their pleasure, hold and keep a court and affembly, for the be held better order and government of the faid plantation, and fuch once every things as fhall concern the fame; and that any five persons of oftner, for our council for the faid firft colony in Virginia, for the time tranfaction being, of which company the treasurer, or his deputy, to be of ordinary always one, and the number of fifteen others, at the leaft, of the generality of the faid company, affembled together in fuch manner, as is and hath been heretofore ufed and accuf tomed, fhall be faid, taken, held, and reputed to be, and fhallbe a fufficient court of the faid company, for the handling, and ordering, and dispatching of all fuch cafual and particular occurrences, and accidental matters, of lefs confequence and weight, as fhall, from time to time, happen, touching and concerning the said plantation.

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VIII. And that nevertheless, for the handling, ordering, And for the and difpofing of matters and affairs of great weight and im- manage portance, and fuch, as fhall or may, in any fort, concern the more imweal public and general good of the faid company and planta- portant bu tion, as namely, the manner of government from time to time finefs of the to be used, the ordering and difpofing of the lands and pof- four great feffions, and the fettling and eftablishing of a trade there, or and general fuch like, there shall be held and kept, every year, upon the affemblies laft Wednesday, fave one, of Hillary term, Eafter, Trinity, bers of it and Michaelmas terms, for ever, one great, general, and fo- fhall be lemn affembly, which four affemblies fhall be ftiled and called, held in eveThe four great and general courts of the council and company of adventurers for Virginia; in all and every of which faid great and general courts, fo affembled, our will and pleafure is, and we do, for us, our heirs, and fucceffors, for ever, give and grant to the said treasurer and company, and their N fucceffors,

ry year.

counsellors

Making laws.

fucceffors, for ever, by these prefents, that they, the said trea furer and company, or the greater number of them, fo affem

bled, fhall and may have full power and authority, from time Election of to time, and at all times hereafter, to elect and chuse discreet and other perfons, to be of our faid council for the faid first colony in officers of Virginia, and to nominate and appoint fuch officers, as they government fhall think fit and requifite, for the government, managing, ordering, and difpatching of the affairs of the faid company: and fhall likewife have full power and authority, to ordain and make fuch laws and ordinances, for the good and welfare of the faid plantation, as to them, from time to time, fhall be thought requifite and meet: fo always, as the fame be not contrary to the laws and ftatutes of this our realm of England: and fhall, in like manner, have power and authority, to exDisfranchi- pulfe, disfranchise, and put out of and from their faid comfement of pany and fociety, for ever, all and every fuch perfon and perthat neglect fons, as having either promifed, or fubfcribed their names, to to pay the become adventurers to the faid plantation of the said first comoney they lony in Virginia, or having been nominated for adventurers,

members

cribed.

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in these or any other our letters patents, or having been otherwife admitted and nominated to be of the faid company, have nevertheless, either not put in any adventure at all, for and towards the faid plantation, or else have refused and neglected, or fhall refuse and neglect to bring in his or their adventure, by word or writing promised, within fix months after the fame fhall be fo payable and due.

Directions IX. And whereas the failing and not payment of such of juftice to monies, as have been promised in adventure for the advanceenforce the ment of the faid plantation, hath been often by experience payment of found, to be dangerous and prejudicial to the fame, and much the faid mo- to have hindered the progrefs and proceeding of the faid plan

nies.

Power to

tation, and for that it feemeth unto us a thing reasonable, that fuch perfons, as by their hand writing have engaged themfelves for the payment of their adventures, and afterwards neglecting their faith and promife, fhould be compelled to make good and keep the fame; therefore our will and pleafure is, that in any fuit or fuits commenced, in any of our courts at Westminster, or elsewhere, by the faid treasurer and company, or otherwife, against any fuch perfons, that our judges for the time being, both in our court of Chancery, and at the Common Pleas, do favour and further the faid fuits, fo far forth as law and equity will, in any wife, further and permit.

X. And we do, for us, our heirs, and fucceffors, further give admit any and grant to the faid treasurer and company, or their fucceffors,

perfons,

for

tural born

into the

for ever, that they, the faid treasurer and company, or the whether na greater part of them, for the time being, fo in a full and general fubjects of Court affembled, as aforefaid, shall and may, from time to time, the King, and at all times for ever hereafter, elect, chufe, and admit into or aliens, their company and fociety, any perfon or persons, as well company. ftrangers and aliens, born in any part beyond the feas wherefoever, being in amity with us, as our natural liege-subjects, born in any our realms and dominions: and that all fuch perfons fo elected, chofen, and admitted to be of the faid company, as aforefaid, fhall thereupon be taken, reputed, and held, and fhall be free members of the faid company, and shall have, hold, and enjoy all and fingular freedoms, liberties, franchifes, privileges, immunities, benefits, profits, and commodities whatfoever, to the faid company in any fort belonging or appertaining, as fully, freely, and amply, as any other adventurers, now being, or which hereafter at any time shall be of the faid company, hath, have, fhall, may, might, or ought to have and enjoy the fame, to all intents and purposes whatsoever.

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XI. And we do further, of our special grace, certain know- Power to ledge, and mere motion, for us, our heirs, and fucceffors, give carry out and grant unto the faid treasurer and company, and their fubjects, or fucceffors, for ever, by these prefents, that it fhall be lawful ftrangers, to and free for them and their affigns, at all and every time fettle the faid plantaand times hereafter, out of any our realms and dominions tion; togewhatsoever, to take, lead, carry, and tranfport in and into ther with the faid voyage, and for and towards the faid plantation of all neceffary our faid firft colony in Virginia, all fuch and fo many of our their de loving fubjects, or any other ftrangers that will become our fence, and loving fubjects, and live under our allegiance, as fhall wil- merchandilingly accompany them in the faid voyages and plantation; for trading with fhipping, armour, weapons, ordnance, munition, pow- with the der, fhot, victuals, and all manner of merchandises and wares, people there, and all manner of cloathing, implements, furniture, beafts, paying any cattle, horses, mares, and all other things neceffary for the cuftom or faid plantation, and for their ufe and defence, and for trade duty for with the people there, and in paffing and returning to and from, without paying or yielding any fubfidy, cuftom, or impofition, either inward or outward, or any other duty, to us, our heirs, or fucceffors, for the fame, for the fpace of feven years from the date of these prefents.

without

them for

feven years.

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XII. And we do further, for us, our heirs, and fucceffors, Power to give and grant to the said treasurer and company, and their fucceffors, for ever, by these presents, that the faid treasurer of that company, or his deputy, for the time being, or any deputy, or two other of the said council, for the said first colony in Vir any two of

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