America and West Indies: July 1663

Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 5, 1661-1668. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1880.

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'America and West Indies: July 1663', in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 5, 1661-1668, ed. W Noel Sainsbury( London, 1880), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/colonial/america-west-indies/vol5/pp147-151 [accessed 3 December 2024].

'America and West Indies: July 1663', in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 5, 1661-1668. Edited by W Noel Sainsbury( London, 1880), British History Online, accessed December 3, 2024, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/colonial/america-west-indies/vol5/pp147-151.

"America and West Indies: July 1663". Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 5, 1661-1668. Ed. W Noel Sainsbury(London, 1880), , British History Online. Web. 3 December 2024. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/colonial/america-west-indies/vol5/pp147-151.

July 1663

July 3. 508. Warrant to pay 5,200l. and 400l. out of the farm of the Customs to Thomas Holder, Treasurer of the Royal African Company, being his Majesty and the Queen's remaining subscription. Indorsed, 3 July 1663. [Dom., Chas. II., Docquet.]
July 3.
Whitehall.
509. Petition of Henry Janson to the King. Having at great expense endeavoured to make clear his Majesty's right encroached upon, belonging to the Barbadoes, prays that those planters to whom his Majesty has conferred the right before granted to petitioner may make reparation of his great loss. With reference to the Lord Treasurer. See also No. 511. p. [Dom. Entry Bk., Chas. II., Vol. XIII., p. 321.]
July 6.
Inner Court of Wards.
510. Minutes of the Council for Foreign Plantations. Upon complaint of Capt. Scott that the Dutch have of late years unjustly intruded on the mainland of New England and some islands adjacent, particularly Manhatoes and Long Island, and do not give obedience to the laws of this kingdom, and on reading Lord Sterling's petition to the King and hearing the attestations of divers persons now present, ordered that Capt. Scott and Messrs. Maverick and Baxter draw up a brief narrative1st, of the King's title ; 2nd, of the Dutch intrusion ; 3rdly, of their strength, trade, and government there ; and, lastly, of the means to make them submit to the King's Government or to expel them. Printed in New York Documents, III., 46. p. [Col. Papers, Vol. XIV., No. 59, p. 53.]
[July 6.] 511. Petition of Henry Janson, Doctor of Laws, to the King. Sets forth the great expense incurred by him and his friends in supporting his Majesty's right to the waste lands and encroachments about Barbadoes. Has surrendered the lands granted to him in order to save his Majesty from the importunity of the planters. Prays that some reparation may be made him for charges and losses incurred by him for that service to about 500l. Annexed,
511. I. Reference from Sec. Sir Henry Bennet to the Lord High Treasurer for his report to the King. Whitehall, 1663, July 6. 1 pp. [Col. Papers, Vol. XVII., No. 61.]
[July 8.] 512. Charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Whereas his Majesty has been informed by the petition of John Clarke, on behalf of Benjamin [Benedict] Arnold, William Brenton, William Coddington, Nicholas Easton, William Boulston, John Porter, John Smith, Samuel Gorton, John Weekes, Roger Williams, Thomas Olney, Gregorie Dexter, John Cogeshall, Joseph Clarke, Randall Holden, John Greene, John Roome, Samuel Wildbore, William Feild, James Barker, Richard Tew, Thomas Harris, and William Dyre, and the rest of the purchasers and free inhabitants of the island called Rhode Island, and the rest of the colony of Providence Plantations in Narragansett Bay in New England, That they, pursuing with loyal minds their serious intentions of godly edifying themselves in the holy Christian faith as they were persuaded, together with the conversion of the Indian natives, did not only with the encouragement of his Majesty's progenitors transport themselves into America, but not being able to bear in those parts their different apprehensions in religious concernments again left their desirable habitations, and transplanted themselves into the midst of the most potent Indian people of that country, where (by the good Providence of God, from whom the plantations have taken their name), they have not only been preserved to admiration, but have prospered and become possessed by purchase from the natives of lands, rivers, harbours, &c., very convenient for plantations, ship building, supply of pipe-staves, and commerce with his Majesty's southern plantations, and by their friendly society with the great body of the Narragansett Indians have given them encouragement to subject themselves to his Majesty. And whereas they have declared that it is much on their hearts to hold forth a lively experiment that a flourishing civil state may best be maintained among his Majesty's subjects with full religious liberty, and that true piety will give the greatest security for sovereignty and true loyalty, His Majesty, willing to preserve to them that liberty in the worship of God which they have sought with so much travail and loyal subjection, and because some of them cannot conform to the liturgy, ceremonies, and articles of the Church of England, and hoping that the same, by reason of distance, may be no breach of the uniformity established in this nation, hereby grants and declares that no person within the said colony shall hereafter be any wise molested or called in question for any difference in opinion in matters of religion that does not disturb the civil peace of the colony, and that they shall enjoy the benefit of his Majesty's late Act of Indemnity and free pardon. And his Majesty constitutes the said William Brenton, William Coddington, Nicholas Easton, Benedict Arnold, William Boulston, John Porter, Samuel Gorton, John Smith, John Weekes, Roger Williams, Thomas Olney, Gregory Dexter, John Cogeshall, Joseph Clarke, Randall Holden, John Greene, John Roome, William Dyre, Samuel Wildbore, Richard Tew, William Feild, Thomas Harris, James Barker, Rainsborrow Williams, and John Nickson, and all others admitted free of the Company, to be for ever a body corporate and politic, by the name of the Governor and Company of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England, with perpetual succession, a common seal, and all the usual powers of other corporations in England, with power to elect a Governor, Deputy Governor, and 10 assistants, out of the freemen. Benedict Arnold to be the first Governor ; William Brenton, Deputy Governor ; and William Boulston, John Porter, Roger Williams, Thomas Olney, John Smith, John Greene, John Cogeshall, James Barker, William Feild, and Joseph Clarke, assistants, to continue in office until the first Wednesday in May next. And every year, on the first Wednesday in May and last Wednesday in October, or oftener if requisite, the assistants and such freemen, not exceeding six for Newport, four each for Providence, Portsmouth, and Warwick, and two for each other place or town, elected by the major part of the freemen, to have a General Assembly, and the major part, of whom the Governor or Deputy Governor and six of the assistants to be seven, shall have power to admit persons to be free of the Company, to appoint officers, grant Commissions, make and repeal laws, &c., so as they be not repugnant to those of England, settle courts of jurisdiction, appoint forms of oaths, regulate the manner of elections to places of trust, prescribe the bounds, &c. of towns or cities, impose and remit punishments according to the course of other corporations in England, and so dispose of all things, and particularly that which relates to making purchases of the Indians, that they may win the Indians to the knowledge of the only true God and Saviour of mankind. And yearly on the said Wednesday in May, at Newport or elsewhere, if urgent occasion require, the Governor, Deputy Governor, assistants, and other officers, to be newly chosen by the greater part of the Company present, or others in their stead ; provided that all officers give their solemn engagement by oath or otherwise for the faithful performance of their duties, viz. : said Benedict Arnold before said William Brenton or any two of the assistants ; said William Brenton before said Benedict Arnold or any two of the assistants ; and said assistants before said Benedict Arnold and William Brenton or either of them ; with power to the Governor or Deputy Governor, and major part of the assistants, when the General Assembly is not sitting, to appoint military officers, asssemble the inhabitants in martial array for defence, and to resist and destroy all that shall attempt invasion or annoyance, exercise martial law, and invade and destroy the Indians or other enemies of the colony. But it shall not be lawful for said colony to invade the natives within the bounds of other colonies without the consent of said colonies, nor for other colonies to invade the natives or other inhabitants within the bounds hereafter mentioned (they being taken into his Majesty's special protection), without the consent of the Governor and Company of said colony, but not to do any unlawful hostility against any of his Majesty's subjects or those in amity with him. Provided that these presents shall not hinder any of his Majesty's subjects from fishing on the coast of New England, or from building on the waste lands of the colony wharves, stages, &c. for salting, drying, and keeping their fish. And for the encouragement of the inhabitants in taking whales, it shall be lawful for them, having struck whale, dubertus, or other great fish, to pursue and kill it on any shore of the colony, making no wilful spoil thereon. And his Majesty will from time to time give all fitting encouragement to the planting of vineyards (with which the soil and climate seem to concur) and discovery of fishing banks. Also power to all free of the Company or trading thither to transport his Majesty's subjects and strangers (except those restrained by his Majesty) and goods not prohibited by law, paying customs for the same. All his Majesty's subjects now in said colony and their children born there to enjoy the liberties of natural subjects. And his Majesty grants to said Governor and Company all that part of New England containing the Nahantick and Nanhygansett as Narragansett Bay and countries and parts adjacent, bounded on the west or westerly to the middle or channel of a river there commonly called Pawcatuck as Pawcawtuck river, and along the middle stream thereof up into the North Country to the head thereof, and thence by a straight line due north until it meets with the south line of Massachusetts Colony, and on the north by the said south line of the Massachusetts Colony, and extending towards the east three English miles to the east and north-east of the most eastern and north-eastern parts of Narragansett Bay, as the bay extends from the ocean, on the south to the mouth of the river, which runs towards the town of Providence, and then along the easterly bank of the said river (higher called Seacunck River), up to Pawtuckett Falls, being the most westwardly line of Plymouth Colony, and so from the said falls in a straght line due north, until it meet the aforesaid line of the Massachusetts Colony, and bounded on the south by the ocean, and in particular the lands belonging to the town of Providence, Pawtuxett, Warwick, Misquammacok as Pawcatuck, and the rest on the main land in the tract aforesaid ; together with Rhode Island, Block Island, and all the rest of the islands and banks in the Naragansett Bay, and bordering on the coast of the tract aforesaid (Fisher's Island only excepted), with all lands, ports, waters, fishings, mines, minerals, woods, privileges, and jurisdictions within the same. To hold the same of his Majesty, his heirs and successors, as of the manor of East Greenwich, in free and common soccage, paying one fifth part of all gold and silver ore, any clause in a late grant to the Governor and Company of Connecticut Colony to the contrary notwithstanding, the aforesaid Pawcatuck river having been yielded after much debate for the bounds between said colonies by the agents thereof, who have agreed that said river shall be also called Narragansett river, and be deemed to be the Narragansett river mentioned in his Majesty's late grant to Connecticut Colony, as the easterly bounds of that colony. And it shall be lawful for said colony to make appeals to his Majesty, &c. in all public controversies (with other colonies?), and for the inhabitants freely to pass through and hold commerce with the inhabitants of other English colonies willing to admit them. These presents to be construed most favourably for said Governor and Company. 7 membs. [Pat. Roll, 15 Chas. II., part 15, No. 3.]
July 8.
Westminster.
513. The Charter of Rhode Island. Indorsed. Taken from a copy lent by Mr. Brenton, Nov. 1696. With alterations and the addition at the end of several lines, together with the date, which does not appear on the above enrollment of this Charter. 20 pp. [Col. Papers, Vol. XVII., No. 62.]
July 8.
Whitehall.
514. Warrant to the Attorney-General to prepare a bill to pass the Great Seal granting to John Collins and his assigns the moiety of the profits of the Island of Barbudo, or Barbuda, one of the Caribbees, lying in 17 N. lat., about eight or ten leagues from Antigua, three leagues in length and one in breadth, which is inhabited only by cannibals, for seven years from Michaelmas last, the other moiety having been granted to Lord Willoughby ; also a further grant to said Collins and his assigns of said island and the profits thereof for fifty years after said term of seven years, on payment of the yearly sum of 33s. 4d. to the King and his successors. Signed by the King and countersigned by Sec. Sir Henry Bennet ; but with erasures and additions. 1 p. [Col. Papers, Vol. XVII., No. 63.]
July 8.
Whitehall.
515. Copy of preceding warrant. 1 p. [Col. Papers, Vol. XVII., No. 64.]
July 8.
Whitehall.
516. Entry of the above. 1 p. [Dom. Entry Bk., Chas. II., Vol. XV., pp. 96, 97.]
1663? 517. Petition of Will. (sic) Collins to the King. Having received a grant from his Majesty for one half of the profits of the island of Barbuda, of which the petitioner is Governor, by commission from Lord Willoughby, prays for license to transport out of Ireland twelve hundred hides and a thousand dozen of sheepskins, the island being altogether unprovided with English inhabitants and almost all sorts of conveniences. 1 p. [Col. Papers, Vol. XVII., No. 65.]
1663. July 18.
Point Cagua.
518. Minutes of the Council of Jamaica. That creditors of sums not exceeding forty shillings shall have recourse to any justice of quorum, who is hereby empowered to give relief to the creditor as amply as if brought into any court of judicature. [Col. Entry Bk., No. 37, p. 22.]