come greeting, whereas at the suit of our well beloved subjects the Governour and Company of Merchants of London, trading into the East Indies, and for the honour and profit of this our realme, and in the encouragement of trade in those remote parts, We have, by our Ruyall Charter, or letters patent bearing date at Westminster, the third day of Aprill, in the 13th yeare of our reigne, granted unto the said Governour and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies, and their successors; that they, and their successors and their factors, servants and assigns, in the trade of merchandise for them, and on their behalfe, and not otherwise, shall for ever have, use and enjoy the whole, and entire and only trade, and trafique, and the whole entire and only liberty, use, and privilege of trading, and traffiquing and using the feate and trade of merchandise to and from the said East Indies, and toe and from all the islands, ports, havens, cities, towns and places within their said Charter, that is to say, to and from the East Indies, in the countries of Asia, Africa and America, or any of them beyond the Cape of Bona-Esperanza to the streights of Magellan, where any trade or traffique of merchandise may be used or had; and that it should and may be lawful to and for the same Governour and Company and their successors from time to time, and at all times, henceforth to erect and build such castles, fortifications, forts, garrisons and to erect such collonies, and make such plantations at St. Helena as also elsewhere within the limits and bounds of trade granted unto the said Governour and Company as aforesaid, as they in their discretion shall think fit and requesit and for the supplying of such as should be requested to keep or be in the same, to send out of this Kingdom to the said Castles, fortifications, forts, garrisons, collonies or plantations all kinde of clothing, provision or victuals, ammunition and supplyments necessary for such purpose without paying of any custom, subsidy (or other) duty for the same; as also to govern them in such legal and reasonable manner as the Governour and Company shall think fitt; and to inflict punishment for misdemeanours, or impose such fines upon for breach of their orders as in our said Charter are expressed. And whereas also by our said Royal Charter or letters patent, We have ordained that there shall be a Government and twenty foure Committees of the said Company, to be elected and appointed in such forme as therein is expressed, who shall from time to time have the directions of the voyage of and for the said Company, and the provision of the shipping and merchandise thereunto belonging, and also the saile of all merchandise goods and other things returned in all or any of the voyages of ships of or for the said Company, and the manageing and handling of all other businesses, affairs and things belonging to the said Company, and likewise that it shall and may be lawfull to and for the said Governour and Company for the time being, or the major part of them present at any publique meeting, commonly called the Generall Court, holder for the said Company, the said

To send Provisions thither without paying any Duty.

Governour for the said Company alwaies being one from time to time, elect, nominate and appoint one of the said Company to be the Deputy to the said Governour, who from time to time, in the absence of the said Governour shall exercise and execute the office of Governour of the said Company, in such sort as the said Governour ought to do, as by our said Charter letters patent, reference thereunto being had amongst divers others, grants liberties immunities, priveleges and pre-eminences, may more fully appear; and whereas in pursuance of our said Royal Charter, the said Governour and Company did, at their own cost and charge erect severall forts and fortifications as aforesaid being an island situate in or near Africa, beyond the line and on this side the Cape of Bona-Esperanza, and placed a garrison there and were proceeding to plant and people on the same, and for that purpose had transferred divers of our subjects who were willing thereunto to inhabit there; but our said subjects inhabiting the said island were lately, in the time of war between us and the states of the United Provinces, by force of arms dispossessed thereof by the subjects and forces of the said States, and the said States and their subjects had and kept the quiet posetion thereof for severall months together; and whereas Referred to the by the grace of God on our royall ships and capture of forces under the command of Sir Richard Munden, St. Helena by the the said island, and all and singular the forts, Dutch. fortifications and other the appurtenances thereunto belonging were retaken from the said states and their subjects, and a garrison of our subjects placed there, by virtue or reason whereof the said island, and all and singular the forts and fortifications, erections and buildings thereon, with the appurtenances vested in us, our heirs and successors in the write of our crowne, all artillery, arms, armour, weapons, ordinance, munition, magazins, stores, goods, chattles and moveables whatsoever which were there found at the time our said forces retook the same as aforesaid, do of right belong unto us, and no other; and whereas the said island hath been found by experience to be very necessary and commodious for our loving subjects, the said Governour and Company of Merchants trading into the East Indies for refreshing of their servants and people in their returns homewards, being often then weak and decayed in their health by reason of their long voyages under their hot clymes, whereupon our subjects, the said Governour and Company, have besought us to regrant and confirme the same unto them: Now know yee, that forasmuch as we have found by much experience that the said trade into the East Indies hath bin managed by the said Governour and Company to the honour and profitt of this our realme, and to that end, and out of the earnest desires that the said Governour and Company may, by all good and lawful means and waies, be encouraged in their difficult and hazardous trade and traffique in these remote parts of the world, Wee, therefore, of our especial grace, certain knowledge and meer motion have given, granted and confirmed, and by these presents for us, our heirs, and successors,

B

do give, grant and confirme unto the said Governour and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies, their successors and assigns, all that the said island St. Helena, with all the rights, profitts, territories and appurtenances whatsoever; and the soyle, lands, fields, woods, mountains, farms, lakes, pools, harbours, rivers, bays, isles, islets scituate or being within the bounds, or limitts thereof, with the fishing of all sorts of fish, whales, sturgeons, and all other royall fishes in the seas, bayes, isletts, rivers, within the premises and the fish therein taken; and all the seines, maines, quarryes, as well royall mines as the mines whether the same be already discovered or not discovered, and also all the gold silver veines and precious stones, and all others whatever, be it of stones, metales, or any thing whatsoever, found, or to be found, within the veines, mines or quarryes, of the said island and premises aforesaid, and all and singular royalties, revenues, rents, customes, castles, forts and buildings, and fortifications, erected and to be erected, on the premises, or any part thereof, and all priveleges franchises, immunities, preheminences, and heridants, whatsoever within the same or to them, or any of them belonging or in any wise appertaining in as large and ample a manner, to all intents and purposes and constitutions, as Wee now ourselfe have and enjoy the same by virtue and force of our said conquest thereof, or otherwise howsoever; and them the said Governour and Company of Merchants of London, trading into the East Indies, their successors and assigns, Wee do, by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors make, create, and constitute the true and absolute Lords and Proprietors of the island and premises aforesaid, and every part and parcell thereof, saveing and alwaies reserving to us, our heirs and successors, the faith and allegiance to us due and belonging and our royall power and soverignty of and over our subjects and inhabitants there, to have, hold, possess and enjoy the said island, and all and singular other the premises hereinbefore granted unto them, the said Governour and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies their successors and assigns for ever to the only use of them the said Governour and Company and their assigns for

The Company of Constituted Lords Proprietors of St. Helena reserving to the Crown the faith and Allegiance of the Company and inhabitants.

To be holden in the same manner as East Greenwich in the

County of Kent.

ever more to be holders of us our heirs and successors as of the manner of East Greenwich in the county of Kent in free and common socage, and in capite not by Knight service and know ye further that Wee of our mose especiall grace, certaine knowledge and meir motion, have given, granted and confirmed, and by these presents do give, grant and confirm unto the said Governour and Company and their successors and assigns to their own proper use and benefitt all that artillery and all and singular arms, weapons and ordinances, munition powder and shott, victuals, magazins, stores, ammunition and provision of war, and other provisions whatsoever, and