RUSSIA COMPANY'S CHARTER a.d. 



1555. 

 may lawfully purchase unto them and their successors 

 for ever, landes, tenements and hereditaments whatso- 

 ever, of the cleare yeerely value of threescore sixe 

 pounds, thirteene shillings & foure pence of lawful 

 money of England and not above, as well of such 

 lands, tenements and hereditaments, as bee holden or 

 shall be holden of us, our heires or successours, as of 

 any other person or persons, the statutes provided against 

 alienations into mortmaine, or any of them, or any article 

 or clause in them or any of them contained, or any 

 other lawe, custome, statute or provision to the contrary 

 in any wise notwithstanding. And that they by the 

 name of the Governour, Consuls, assistants, fellowship 

 and communaltie of Marchants adventurers, for the dis- 

 coverie of lands territories, Isles, dominions and Seign- 

 iories unknowen by the Seas and Navigations, and not 

 before the said late adventure or enterprise by seas fre- 

 quented as aforesaid, shall and may be able in the law 

 to implead, and be impleaded, to answere, and to be 

 answered, to defende, and to be defended before whatso- 

 ever Judge or Justice, temporall or spirituall, or other 

 persons whatsoever, in whatsoever court, or courts, 

 and in all actions personall, reall, and mixt, and in every 

 of them, and in all plaints of novel disseison, and also 

 in all plaints, suites, quarels, affaires, businesses and 

 demaunds whatsoever they bee, touching and concerning 

 the saide fellowship and communaltie, and the affaires 

 and businesse of the same onely, in as ample manner and 

 forme, as any other corporation of this our Realme 

 may doe. 



Moreover, wee for us, our heires and successours, [I. 270.] 

 have given and graunted, and by these presents doe 

 give and graunt unto the said Governour, Consuls, 

 assistants, fellowshippe, and communaltie of Marchants 

 adventurers aforesaide, and to their successours, that 

 the saide Governour, or Governours, Consuls and 

 assistants, and their successors, in maner, forme, and 

 number afore rehearsed, shall have full power and 



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