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Charter of the Colony of New Plymouth Granted to William Bradford and His Associates : 1629To all to whom these presents shall come
greetinge: Whereas our late sovereigns lord king James for the advancement of a
collonie and plantacon in the cuntry called or knowne by the name of New
Englande in America, by his highnes letters patients under the greate scale of
Englande bearingedate att Westminster the third day of November in the
eighteenth yeare of his highnes raigne of England, &c. did give graunte and
confirms unto the right honoble Lodowicke late lord duke of Lenox, George late
marques of Buckingham, James marques Hamilton, Thomas earle of Arundell, Robert
earle of Warwicke and Ferdinando Gorges, Knight, and divers others whose names
are expressed in the said letters pattents and their successors that they should
be one bodie pollitique and corporate perpeturely consistinge of forty persons,
and that they should have perpetual succession and one common scale to serve for
the said body and that they and their successors should be incorporated called
and knowne by the name of the Councill established at Plymouth in the county of
Devon for the planting, rulinge orderinge and governinge of New Englande in
America, and alsoe of his speciall grace certaine knowledge and more motion did
give graunte and confirms unto the said presidents and councill and their
successors forever under the reservations limitations and declaracons in the
said letters pattents expressed, all that part and portion of the said country
called New-England in America scituate, and lyinge and being in breadth from
ffourty degrees northerly latitude from the equinoctiall line to ffourty eight
degrees of the said northerly latitude inclusively, and in length of and in all
the breadth aforesaide throughout the maine land from sea to sea, together alsoe
with all the firms landes soyles grounds creeks inletts havens portes seas
rivers islands waters fishinges mynes and mineralls as well royall mines of gold
and silver as other mines and mineralls pretious stones quarries and all and
singular the commodities jurisdiccons royalties privileges ffranchises and
preheminences both within the said tracte of lands upon the maine, as also
within the said islands and seas adioyninge: To have hold possesse and enjoy all
and singuler the foresaid continents landes territories islands hereditaments
and prcints sea waters fishinges with all and all manner their commodities
royalties privileges preheminences and proffitts that shall arise from thence,
with all and singuler their appurtenaces and every parte and parcell thereof
unto the said councell and their successors and assignee forever: To be holden
of his Matie, his heirs and successors as of his mannor of East Greenwiche in
the county of Kent in free and common soccage and not in capite nor by
Knights service yeeldinge and payinge therefore to the said late king's Matie,
his heires and successors the fifte parte of the oare of gold and silver which
from tyme to tyme and aft all tymes from the date of the said letters pattents
sholbe there gotten had and obtained for and in respect of all and all manner of
duties demands and services whatsoever to be done made and paid unto his said
late Matie, his heirs and successors as in and by the said letters patients
amongst sundry other privileges and matters therein contained more fully and at
large it doth and may appease. Now knowe ye that the said councell by virtue and
authority of his said late Man letters patients and for and in consideracon that
William Bradford and his associatts have for these nine yeares lived in New
Englande aforesaid and have there inhabited and planted a towne called by the
name of New Plimouth att their own proper costs and charges: And now seeinge
that by the speciall providence of God, and their extraordinary care and
industry they have increased their plantacon to neere three hundred people, and
are uppon all occasions able to relieve any new planters or others his Mats
subjects whoe may fall uppon that coaste; have given granted bargained sould
enfeofed allotted assigned and sett over and by these presents doe cleerly and
absolutely give graunt bargaine sell alien enfeoffe allots assigne and confirme
unto the said William Bradford, his heires associatts and assignee all that part
of New-Englande in America aforesaid and tracte and tractes of lande that lye
within or betweene a certaine rivolet or rundlett there commonly called Coa
hassett alias Cona hassett towards the north, and the river commonly called
Naragansets river towards the south; and the great westerne ocean towards the
east, and betweene and within a straight line directly extendinge upp into the
maine land towards the west from the mouth of the said river called Naragansetts
river to the utmost limitts and bounds of a cuntry or place in New Englande
called Pokenacutt alias Sowamsett westward, and another like straight line
extendinge itself directly from the mouth of the said river called Coahassett
alias-Cone hassett towards the west so farr upp into the maine lande westwardes
as the utmost limitts of the said place or cuntry commonly called Pokencutt
alias Sowamsett doe extend, together with one half of the said river called
Naragansetts and the said rivolett or rundlett called Coahassett alias
Conahassett and all lands rivers waters havens creeks ports fishings fowlings
and all hereditaments proffitts comodities and emoluments whatsoever situate
lyinge and beinge or ariseinge within or betweene the said limitts and bounds or
any of them. And for as much as they have noe conveniente place-either of
tradinge or ffishinge within their own precints whereby (after soe longe travell
and great paines,) so hopefull a plantacon may subsiste, as alsoe that they may
bee incouraged the better to proceed in soe pious a worke which may especially
tend to the propagation of religion and the great increase of trade to his Mats
realmes, and advancemente of the publique plantacon, the said councell have
further given graunted bargained sold enfeoffed allotted assigned and sett over
and by these presentes doe cleerely and absolutely give graunte bargaine sell
alien enfeoffe allots assigne and confirme unto the said William Bradford his
heires associate and assignee all that tracte of lande or parte of New England
in America aforesaid wch lyeth within or betweene and extendeth itself from the
utmost limitts of Cobbiseconte alias Comasee-Conte which adjoineth to the river
of Kenebeke alias Kenebekike towards the westerne ocean and a place called the
falls att Mequamkike in America aforesaid, and the space of fifteene Englishe
miles on each side of the said river commonly called Kenebek river, and all the
said river called Kenebek that lies within the said limitts and bounds eastward
westward northward or southward laste above mentioned, and all lands grounds
soyles rivers waters fishings hereditamts and proffitts whatsoever situate
lyinge and beinge arisinge happeninge or accrueinge, or which shall arise happen
or accrue in or within the said 1imitts and boundes or either of them together
with free ingresse egresse and regresse with shipps boates shallopps and other
vessels from the sea commonly called the westerne ocean to the said river called
Kennebek and from the said river to the said westerne ocean, together with all
prerogatives rights royalties jurisdiccons, preveledges ffranchises liberties
and guerenities, and alsoe marine liberty with the escheats and casualties
thereof the Admiralty Jurisdiccon excepted with all the interest right title
claime and demande whatsoever which the said councell and their successors now
have or ought to have and claime or may have and acquire hereafter in or to any
the said porcons or tractes of land hereby menconed to be graunted, or any the
premisses in as free large ample and beneficiall manner to all intents,
construccons and purposes whatsoever as the said councell by virtue of his Mats
said letters pattents may or can graunte; to have and to horde the said tracte
and tractes of lande and all and singular the premisses above menconed to be
graunted with their and every of their appurtenances to the said William
Bradford his heires associatts and assignee forever, to the only proper and
absolute use and behoofe of the said William Bradford his heires associate and
assignee forever; Yeeldinge and payinge unto our said soveraigne Lord the Kinge,
his heires and successors forever one-fifte parte of the oare of the mines of
gold and silver and one other fifte parte thereof to the presidents and councell,
which shall be had possessed and obtained within the precints aforesaid for all
services and demands whatsoever. And the said councell doe further graunt and
agree to and with the said William Bradford his heires associatts and assignee
and every of them, his and their Factors agents tenants and servants and all
such as hee or they shall send and employ aboute his said particular plantacon,
shall and may from tyme to tyme Freely and lawfully goe and returne trade and
traffique as well with the Englishe as any of the natines within the precints
aforesaid, with liberty of fishinge uppon any parte of the sea coaste and sea
shoares of any the seas or islands adjacente and not beinge inhabited or
otherwise disposed of by order of the said presidents and councell: also to
importe exporte and transports their goods and merchandise aft their wills and
pleasures paying only such duty to the Kings Ma [SEAL.] R. WARWICKE. Source: |