320 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 104. 



Maryland, Virginia, and New England. The par- 

 ties ulio joined in the petition were Sir John 

 Lawrence, Knight and Baronet, who died in 

 America ; Sir Bowyer Worstley, Knight, and 

 Charles Barrett, Esq., — both died there "in 1634; 

 George Noble, Gent., Thomas llibread, Roger 

 Paclve, William Inwood, and John Trustter. 

 Having completed the conditions he was granted a 

 charter, bearing date Oatlands, 21st June, 1634; 

 and enrolled in Dublin in 17 pages folio; and 

 confirmed 24th July, 1634, in the eighth year of 

 the reign of Charles I., running thus : 



" And according to the tenour and effect of certain 

 of our letters, signed with our proper hand, and sealed 

 with our seal now enrolled in the Rolls of our Chan- 

 cery of the said Kingdom of Ireland, We have given, 

 granted, and confirmed, and by tliis our present Char- 

 ter, for Us, our heirs, and successors, do give, grant, 

 and confirm such the before said Sir Edmund Plowden, 

 Knight, his heirs and assigns, for ever, all that entire 

 island near the continent of Terra Firma of North 

 Virginia, called the Island of Plowden, or Long Island, 

 and lying near and between the 39° and 40° of N. lat. ; 

 together witli part of the continent or Terra Firma 

 aforesaid near adjoining, described to begin from the 

 point of an angle of a certain promontory called Ca|ie 

 Cod, from thence to the westward for the space of 40°, 

 running by the river Delaware, closely following its 

 course by the N. lat. into a certain rivulet there arising 

 from a spring of Lord Baltimore in the lands of !Mary- 

 land, and the summit aforesaid to the south, where it 

 touches, joins, and determines in all its breadth, from 

 thence takes its course into a square leading to the 

 north by a right line for the space of 40° to the river 

 and port of Keachu Cod, and descends to a savaimah, 

 touching and including tlie top of Sand Bay, where it 

 determines, and from thence towards the south by a 

 square, stretching to a savannah which passes by and 

 washes the shores of the Plowden aforesaid to tlie 

 point of the promontory of Cape May above mentioned, 

 and determines where it begins." And p. 4. continues: 

 " Therefore We, for Us, our heirs, and successors, do give 

 unto the aforesaid Sir Edmund Plowden, and his heirs 

 and assigns, free and full power graciously to confer 

 favours and honours upon the well-deserving citizens 

 and inhabitants within the province aforesaid with ir/int- 

 ener titles and dignities he shall choose to decorate them 

 with (in such a manner as they may but now be 

 usurped in England), and to cut and stamp different 

 pieces of gold such as shall be lawful, current, and ac- 

 ceptable to all the inhabitants; and We command all, 

 and enjoin other things to be done in the premises 

 which to him or them shall be seen to be proper, in as 

 free and ample a manner and form as by the Society 

 of Newfoundland and East Indies, Island of Bermuda, 

 Bishop of Durham within the Bishoprick or Comity 

 Palatine of Durham ; or Lord Baltimore within his 

 lands and jiremises of Maryland and Glastonbury ; or 

 James Earl of Carlisle within the island of St. Chris- 

 topher and Barbadoes ; or any other Governor or 

 Founder of a Colony." 



In Aict, the powers granted were never exceeded 

 by any former charter of the Crown : they were 



all but regal. Under this charter a lease, enrolled 

 in Dublin, was granted by Lord Plowden in 1634 

 to Sir Thomas Danby for 10,000 acres, and a re- 

 lease, dated 20th Dec. 1634, sealed and signed at 

 St. Mary's, Maryland, and witnessed by Vail 

 Havord and Richard Benliam, by R. Packe for 

 200 acres ; T. Ri bread, 100 ; W. Inwood, 100 ; and 

 John Trustier, 100; segregating 500 acres intrust 

 for the "Earl of Albion, when they deliver up their 

 claims or trusts in consideration for this grant of 

 land ; and confirmed unto Lord Francis Plowden, 

 son and heir of Sir Edmund Plowden, Earl Palatine, 

 and George and Thomas Plowden, two of the sons of 

 the said Sir Edmund, Earl Palatine." Sir Edmund 

 Plowden resided with his wife and family as 

 Governor of New Albion six years ; his eldest son, 

 Francis, and Lady Plowden, returned to England 

 to look after his father's estates in his absence: 

 'out Francis so abused the confidence reposed in 

 him, as to oblige the Governor to return to Eng- 

 land (leaving his sons George and Thomas as his 

 lucum tenens). On his arrival he was incarcerated 

 in the Fleet Prison on a base charge emanating from 

 his son, I'rom which he was released by order of 

 the Peers Committee, House of Lords ; and like- 

 wise involve<l in a lawsuit to recover certain 

 estates sold by his son, which cost him 15,000Z. 

 before he was clear. This unnatural and illegal 

 conduct induced him to disinherit his son Francis ; 

 for, in the 1.5tli of Charles I., 1st June, 1646, Sir 

 Edmund obtained license frcmi the Crown to 

 alienate fi-oni his son the manors of AVanstead, 

 Southwick, and many others in the county of 

 Southampton, as is enrolled in the Rolls Chapel. 

 By his will, in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 

 London, Sir AVm. Mason was in trust for Sir 

 Edmund's second son and heir, Thomas Plowden ; 

 and also for the New Albion colony. And the will 

 proceeds : 



" And I think it fit that my English lands and 

 estates shall be settled and united to my Honor, County 

 Palatine, and Province of New Albion, for the main- 

 tenance of the same ; and again, that all my lease lands 

 in England be sold with all convenient speed by my 

 executors and overseers herein named, and with the 

 money arising therefrom to buy good freehold, to be 

 settled and entailed as the rest of my lands are settled 

 on my second son Thomas Plowden, and the heirs 

 male of his body lawfully begotten, or to be begotten; 

 also my County Palatine of New Albion, and Peerage 

 as a Peer of Ireland, as aforesaid, unto Thomas Plow- 

 den my son during his natural life, and alter his de- 

 cease, to the heirs male of my son Thomas, be- 

 gotten or to be begotten ; and again, I do enter and 

 will that my son Thomas Plowden, and, after his de- 

 cease his ehlest heir in male, and, if he be under age, 

 then his guardian, with all speed after my decease do 

 employ by consent of Sir William Mason of Gray's Inn, 

 Knight, whom I make a trustee of this my plantation 

 of Neiv Albion; and if my son Thomas shall by fail, de- 

 fence, loose, agree, give, or alien any part of my estates, 



