'CHARTER OF THE PROVINCE OF PENNSYLVANIA. CHARLES THE SECOND, BY THE GRACE of god, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c., To all to whome these presents shall come greeting. Whereas our Trustie and well beloved Subiect, Preamble. William Penn, Esquire, sonn and heire of Sir William Penn, deceased, out of a commendable desire to enlarge our English Empire, and promote such vsefull comodities as may bee of benefitt to vs and our Dominions, as alsoe to reduce the Savage Natives by gentle and iust manners to the love of civill Societie and Christian Religion hath humbley besought leave of vs to transport an ample Colonie vnto a certaine Countrey hereinafter described in the partes of America not yet cultivated and planted. And hath likewise humbley besought our Royall Maicstic to give, grant, and confirme all the said Countrey with certaine priviledges and Jurisdiccons requisite for the good Government and safetic of the said Countrey and Colonie, to him and his heires forever. KNOWE yee, therefore, that wee, favouring the petition and good purpose of the said William Penn, and haveing regard to the memorie and meritts of his late father, in divers services, and perticulerly to his Conduct, courage and discretion vnder our dearest brother, James, Duke of yorke, in that signall Battell and victorie, fought and obteyned against the Dutch fecte, comanded by the Herr Van Obdam, in the yeare One thousand six hundred sixtie-five, In consideration thereof of Our special grace, certaine knowledge and meere motion, Have Given and granted, and by this Our present Charter, Grant of land. for vs, Our heires and Successors, Doe give and grant vnto the said William Penn, his heires and assignes All that Tract or parte of land in America, with all the Islands therein conteyned, as the same is bounded on the East by Delaware River, from twelve miles distance, Northwarde of New Cas. Boundaries. tle Towne vnto the three and fortieth degree of Northerne Latitude if the said River doeth cxtend soe farre North *Seo with this volume, In pocket, a fac simile of this Charter, now remaining on filo in the oflico of tho Secretary of the Commonwealth, and soo in Appendix proclamation declaring charter in force in Pennsylvania. F Use of waters, &C. wards; But if the said River shall not extend soe farre Northward, then by the said River soe farr as it doth extend, and from the head of the said River the Easterne Bounds are to bee determined by a Meridian Line, to bee drawne from the head of the said River vnto the said three and fortieth degree, The said lands to extend westwards, five degrees in longitude, to bee computed from the said Eastern Bounds, and the said lands to bee bounded on the North, by the beginning of the three and fortieth degree of Northern Latitude, and on the South, by a Circle drawne at twelve miles, distance from New Castle Northwards, and Westwards vnto the begining of the fortieth degree of Northerne Latitude; and then by a streight Line westwards, to the Limitt of Longitude above menconed. Wee doe also give and grant vnto the said William Penn, his heires and assignes, the free and vndisturbed vse, and continuance in and passage into and out of all and singuler Ports, harbours, Bayes, waters, Rivers, Isles and Inletts, belonging vnto or leading to and from the Countrey, or Islands aforesaid; And all the soyle, lands, feilds, woods, vnderwoods, Mountaines, hills, fenns, Isles, Lakes, Rivers, waters, Rivuletts, Bays and Inletts, scituate or being within or belonging vuto the Limitts and Bounds aforesaid, togeather with the fishing of all sortes of fish, whales, Sturgeons, and all Royall and other fishes in the sea, Bayes, Inletts, waters or Rivers, within the premises, and the fish therein taken, And alsoe all veines, Mines and Quarries, as well discovered as not discovered, of Gold, Silver, Gemins and pretious Stones, and all other whatsoever, bee it stones, Metalls, or of any other thing or matter whatsoever, found or to bee found within the Countrey, Isles, or Limitts aforesaid; and him the said William Penn, his heires and AsWilliam Penn, signes, Wee do, by this our Royall Charter, for vs, our heires and Successors, make, Create and Constitute the true and absolute Proprietaries of the Countrey aforesaid, and of all other, the premisses, saving alwayes to vs, Our heires and Successors, the faith and allegiance of the said William Penn, his heires and assignes, and of all other, the proprietaries, Tenants and Inhabitants that are, or shall be within the Territories and Precincts aforesaid; and Saving also vnto vs, our heires and Successors, the Sovreignity of the aforesaid Countrey, TO HAVE, hold, possesse and enjoy the said Tract of land, Countrey, Isles, Inletts and other the premisses, vnto the said William Penn, his heires and assignes, To the only proper vse and behoofe of the said William How grant to be Penn, his heires and assignes forever. To bee holden of vs, our heires and Successors, Kings of England, as of our Castle of Windsor, in our County of Berks, in free and comon Socage by fealty only for all services, and not in Capite or Payment there by Knights service, Ycelding and paying therefore to vs, our heires and Successors, two beaver Skins to bee delivered att our said Castle of Windsor, on the first day of Januarie, in every yeare; and also the fifth parte of all Gold and Silver Oare, which shall from time to time happen to be found within the Limitts aforesaid, cleare of all Charges, and of our further grace, certaine knowledge and meere mocon, wee have his heirs and as. signs, made ab. solute proprietarios. hold. for. |