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| Jan. 26. |
361. Grant for the government of his Majesty's people in Newfoundland and on the seas adjoining. Recites his late Majesty's
Letters Patent of 10th Feb. and confirms the same. That any
man killing another or stealing to the value of 40s. be arrested,
brought to England, and delivered to the Earl Marshal; no ballast
or prestones to be thrown into the harbours; no person to destroy
any stage or cookroom, but to fetch timber out of the woods for
repairs; and the ship first entering to be Admiral of the harbour.
Regulations against any ship reserving more of the beach than
needful, to the prejudice of others; defacing the marks on boats
or train fats to defraud the right owners; purloining fish, salt;
setting fire to the woods, or rinding trees for any other uses except
covering the roofs of cookrooms, which shall not exceed 16 feet in
length; casting anchors or aught hurtful to the hauling of seines
for bait; and stealing bait, nets. No person to set up a tavern for
selling wine, beer, strong waters, cider, or tobacco, by which the
fishermen are debauched, neglect their labours, spend their shares
on which the maintenance of their families depends, and other
disorders. Divine service to be said on Sundays by some of the
Masters or others from the Book of Common Prayer. And further,
his Majesty straitly forbids all owners of fishing ships to carry to
Newfoundland any other persons than are of their own or other
ship's Companies, or on their hire, or that intend to plant or settle
there. That speedy punishment be inflicted upon offenders against
the laws his Majesty ordains as formerly ordained by his late
Majesty [in his Grant of 13 Nov. 1637 to James Marq. of Hamilton,
Phil. Earl of Pembroke, Henry Earl of Holland, and Sir David
Kirke, see First Vol. of this Cal., p. 260], that the Mayors of
Southampton, Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, Lyme, Plymouth,
Dartmouth, Eastlowe, Foy, and Barnstaple take cognizance of
complaints of such offences and punish the delinquents by fine
and imprisonment; Vice-Admirals in Southampton, Dorset, Devon,
and Cornwall to proceed against all offences committed at sea.
These presents to be proclaimed by the Admiral in every harbour
this next season, and also on shore. [Pat. Roll 12, Chas. II.,
pt. 17, No. 30.] |
| Feb.? |
362. Petition of Jeremiah, Nathaniel, and Simeon Bonnell,
Edward Bernard, and Thomas Rastall, of London, Merchants, to
the King. Petitioners formerly had a grant of land at Morant, in
Jamaica, for the settlement of which they spent 1,500l.; but
through the absence of Mr. Povey, Commissary of the Army in
those parts, to whom it was entrusted, all the stock and improvements are lost. Pray for letters to the Commander-in-Chief there
to confirm to them and their Attorney, Captain Butler, all their
former grants. Endorsed, "Ref. Com. Trade." 1p. [Col. Papers,
Vol. 33, No. 88.] |
| Feb.? |
363. Another petition of the above-named persons to the King.
That they find Povey converts all to his own use and gives occasion
for all merchants to adventure no more for the settlement of new
colonies. Pray that their grants of land in Jamaica may be con
firmed, that Capt. Gregory Butler may be possessed of their rights,
and that he may have passage with twenty English servants in one
of the King's ships bound for Jamaica. [On 18 Feb. 1661 this
petition was referred to a Committee, who were directed to draw
up an address to the King asking leave accordingly, see Col. Cal.,
1661–1668, p. 11, No. 32.] 1 p. [Col. Papers, Vol. 33, No. 89.] |
| March ? |
364. Petition of Major William Clayton to the King. That his
actings and sufferings are not altogether unknown to his Majesty.
Is utterly destitute of any employment, and has not yet tasted the
King's bounty in any particular. Confident that he may do his
Majesty good service in Jamaica, as in the annexed proposals will
appear, prays for the Government of the Island. Annexed, |
|
364. i. Proposals of Major William Clayton and friends for the
improvement of his Majesty's interest in Jamaica. His
Majesty has been put to the expense of 30,000l. in setting
out 4 ships to Jamaica; that he constitute Major Clayton
Governor of the island, and loan him 3 or 4 ships
which he and his friends will victual and man at their
own cost. They propose to transport one thousand servants to be formed into a regiment, well officered and
disciplined, and maintained at the charge of the adventurers; and this regiment, being settled in a plantation
district, may be looked upon as a standing strength of the
island, whilst the officers, being advisedly chosen, may be
a means of bringing the island to a better conformity
with the Church of England, and prevent its becoming
no better than a nursery for schism and faction, as the
plantations of New England "too sad an experiment have
so unhappily done." The soldiers in the King's pay may
in some short time be maintained "as in other plantations
by a poll rate." Major Clayton by his knowledge of
physic, and the temperature and diet of the Indies, hopes
also to render the island more healthy, especially the
northern part. [Lord Berkeley presented the above proposals to the Council for Foreign Plantations, who desired
Major Clayton to attend on 1 April 1661, see Col. Cal.,
1661–1668, p. 10, No. 56.] 2 pp. [Col. Papers, Vol. 33,
Nos. 90, 91.] |
|
365. The King's license for Richard Anguish, Clerk, to travel
for three years for the purpose of visiting Montserrat and settling
his estate there, whither during the late distractions in England he
had been forced to retire. Draft, with corrections, in Williamson's
handwriting. [This probably refers to Richard Angus, who was
Secretary in Montserrat in Sept. 1664, see Col. Cal., 1661–1668,
p. 235, No. 804 II.] 1 p. [Col. Papers, Vol. 33, No. 92.] |
