MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE, DOCUMENTS, 



ETC. 



THE CHARTER OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY 1691.* 



WILLIAM & MARY by the grace of God King and Queene of 

 England Scotland France and Ireland Defenders of the Faith &c 

 To all to whome these presents shall come Greeting Whereas his late 

 Majesty King James the First Our Roy all Predecessor by his Letters 

 Patents vnder the Greate Seale of England bearing date at West- 

 minster the Third Day of November in the Eighteenth yeare of his 

 Reigne did Give and Grant vnto the Councill established at Plymouth 

 in the County of Devon for the Planting Ruleing Ordering and Gov- 

 erning of New England in America and to their Successors and 

 Assignes all that part of America lying and being in Breadth from 

 Forty Degrees of Northerly Latitude from the Equinoctiall Line to 

 the Forty Eighth Degree of the said Northerly Latitude Inclusively, 

 and in length of and within all the Breadth aforesaid throughout all 

 the Main Lands from Sea to Sea together alsoe with all the firme 

 Lands Soiles Grounds Havens Ports Rivers Waters Fishings Mines 

 and Mineralls aswell Royal Mines of Gold and Silver as other Mines 

 and Mineralls Pretious Stones Quarries and all and singular other 

 Comodities Jurisdiccons Royalties Priviledges Franchises and Prehem- 

 inences both within the said Tract of Land vpon the Main and alsoe 

 within the Islands and Seas adjoyning Provided al waves that the 

 said Lands Islands or any the premisses by the said Letters Patents 

 intended or meant to be Granted were not then actually possessed or 

 Inhabited by any other Christian Prince or State or within the 

 bounds Limitts or Territories of the Southern Collony then before 

 granted by the said late King James the First [to be planted f] by 

 divers of his Subjects in the South parts To Have and to hold 

 possesse and enjoy all and singular the aforesaid Continent Lands 

 Territories Islands Hereditaments and Precincts Seas Waters Fish- 

 ings with all and all manner of their Comodities Royaltyes Liberties 

 Preheminences and Profitts that should from thence forth arise from 

 thence with all and singular their appurtenances and every part and 

 parcell thereof vnto the said Councill and their Successors and 

 Assignes for ever to the sole and proper vse and benefitt of the said 

 Councill and their Successors and Assignes for ever To be holden of 

 his said late Majestie King James the First his Heires and Suc- 

 cessors as of his Manner of East Greenwich in the County of Kent 

 in free and Comon Soccage and not in Capite or by Knights Service 

 Yielding and paying therefore to the said late King his Heires and 

 Successors the Fifth part of the Oar of Gold and Silver which should 

 from time to time and at all times then after happen to be found 



* The charter of 1629 had been cancelled by a judgment of the high court of 

 chancery of England June 18, 1684. 



t These words occur in the printed copies, but are not in the original. 



1024 



