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The CHARTER of the antient COLONY of CONNECTICUT.

CHA

HARLES the Second, by the Grace of GOD, KING of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all to whom these Presents fhall come, GREET

ING.

Whereas by the feveral Navigations, Difcoveries, and Successful Plantations of divers of Our loving Subjects of this Our Realm of England, feveral Lands, Iflands, Places, Colonies, and Plantations have been obtained and fettled in that Part of the Continent of America called New-England, and thereby the Trade and Commerce there, hath been of late Years much increased: And whereas We have been informed by the humble Petition of our Trufty and Well beloved John Winthrop, John Mafon, Samuel Wyllys, Henry Clarke, Matthew Allyn, John Tapping, Nathan Gold, Richard Treat, Richard Lord, Henry Wolcott, John Talcott, Daniel Clarke, John Ogden, Thomas Wells, Obadiah Bruen, John Clarke, Anthony Hawkins, John Deming, and Matthew Camfield, being Perfons principally interefted in Our Colony or Platation of Connecticut, in New-England, that the fame Colony, or the greatest part thereof was Purchafed and obtained for great and valuable Confiderations, and fome other Part thereof gained by Conqueft, and with much difficulty, and at the only Endeavors, Expence, and Charges of them and their Affociates, and thofe under whom they Claim, Subdued, and Improved, and thereby become a confiderable Enlargement and Addition of Our Dominions and Intereft there. Now KNOW YE, That in Confideration thereof, and in Regard the said Colony is remote from other the English Plantations in the Places aforefaid, and to the End the Affairs and Bufinefs which shall from Time to Time happen or arife concerning the fame, may be duly Ordered and Managed, we have thought fit, and at the humble Petition of the Perfons aforefaid, and are graciouf

ly Pleafed to create and make them a Body Politick and Cor- The corporaporate, with the Powers and Privileges herein after mention- tion conftitued; and accordingly Our Will and Pleasure is, and of our ef- ted. pecial Grace, certain Knowledge, and meer Motion, We have ordained, conftituted and declared, and by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Succeffors, Do ordain, conftitute and de

clare, that they the faid John Winthrop, John Mafon, Samuel The names of Wyllys, Henry Clarke, Matthew Allyn, John Tapping, Nathan the patentees. Gold, Richard Treat, Richard Lord, Henry Wolcott, John Tal-: cott, Daniel Clarke, John Ogden, Thomas Wells, Obadiah Bruen, John Clarke, Anthony Hawkins, John Deming, and Matthew Camfield, and all fuch others as now are, or hereafter shall be admitted and made Free of the Company and Society of Our Colony of Connecticut, in America, fhall from Time to Time,

and for ever hereafter, be One Body Corporate and Politick, The name of in Fact and Name, by the Name of, Governor and Company of the corpora the English Colony of Connecticut in New-England, in Amer- tion.

ica; and that by the fame Name they and their Succeffors fhall and may have perpetual Succeffion, and shall and may ba C

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Their ability to plead and

defend, &c.

To purchase
lands, &c.

To have a

common feal,
and to alter &
change it.

A Governor,

Affiftants to
be elected

from time to
time.

any

Perfons able and capable in the Law, to plead and be impleaded, to anfwer and to be answered unto, to defend and be defended in all and fingular Suits, Caufes, Quarrels, Matters, Actions, and Things, of what Kind or Nature foever; and alfo to have, take, poffefs, acquire, and purchafe Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments, or any Goods, or Chattles, and the fame to leafe, grant, demife, alien, bargain, fell, and dispose of, as other Our liege People of this Our Realm of England, or other Corporation or Body Politick within the fame may lawfully do. And further, That the faid Governor and Company, and their Succeffors, fhall and may for ever hereafter. have a common Seal, to ferve and ufe for all Causes, Matters, Things, and affairs whatfoever, of them and their Succeffors, and the fame Seal, to alter, change, break, and make new from Time to Time, at their Wills and Pleafures, as they fhall think fit. And further, We will and ordain, and by thele Prefents, for Us, our Heirs and Succeffors, do declare and appoint, that for the better ordering and managing of the Affairs and Bufinefs of the faid Company and their Succeffors, there fhall be One Governor, One Deputy-Governor, and Twelve Affiftants, to be from time to Time conftituted, electDeputy-Gov- ed and chosen out of the Freemen of the faid Company for ernor, and 12 the Time being, in fuch Manner and Form as hereafter in thefe Prefents is expreffed, which faid Officers fhall apply. themselves to take Care for the best difpofing and ordering of the general Business and affairs of and concerning the Land and Hereditaments herein after mentioned to be granted, and the Plantation thereof, and the Government of the People thereof; And for the better Execution of Our Royal Pleafure herein, We do for Us, Our Heirs, and Succeffors, affign, name, conftitute and appoint the aforefaid John Winthrop to nor, Deputy- be the firft and prefent Governor of the faid Company, and the faid John Mafon, to be the Deputy-Governor, and the faid Samuel Wyllys, Matthew Allyn, Nathan Gold, Henry Clarke, Richard Treat, John Ogden, John Tapping, John Talcott, Thomas Wells, Henry Wolcott, Richard Lord, and Daniel Clarke, to be the Twelve prefent affiftants of the faid Company, to continue in the faid feveral Offices refpectively, until the fecond Thursday which fhall be in the Month of October now next coming. And further We Will, and by thefe Presents for Us, Our Heirs, and Succeffors, Do ordain and grant, That the Governor of the faid Company for the Time being, or in Governor & his Abfence by occafion of Sick nefs, or otherwife by his Leave Deputy-Governor's power or Permiffion, the Deputy-Governor for the Time being, to call a Gen. fhall and may from Time to Time upon all Occafions, give Affembly. Order for the affembling of the faid Company, and calling them together to confult and advise of the Business and Affairs of the said Company, and that for ever hereafter, twice Two General in every Year, That is to fay, On every Second Thursday in Affemblies in October, and on every Second Thurfday in May, or oftner in a year, viz. in cafe it fhall be requifite; the Affiftants, and Freemen of the May and October. faid Company, or such of them (not exceeding Two Persons from each Place, Town, or City) who fhall be from Time to Time thereunto elected or deputed by the major Part of the Freemen of the respective Towns, Cities, and Places for which

First Gover

Governor &

Affiftants ap-
pointed.

their days of

Conftitue offi

cers.

they shall be elected or deputed, fhall have a General Meet ing, or Affembly, then and there to confult and advise in and about the Affairs and Bufinefs of the faid Company: and that the Governor, or in his Abfence the Deputy Governor of the faid Company for the Time being, and fuch of the Affiftants and Freemen of the faid Company as fhall be fo elected or deputed, and be prefent at fuch Meeting or Affembly, or the greatest Number of them, whereof the Governor or Deputy-Governor, and Six of the Affiftants at leaft, to be Seven, fhall be called the General Affembly, and fhall have full Power and authority to alter and change their Days and Power to alter Times of Meeting, or General Affemblies, for electing the meeting. Governor, Deputy Governor, and Affiftants, or other Officers, or any other Courts, Affemblies or Meetings, and to choose, nominate and appoint fuch and fo many other Perfons as they fhall think fit, and fhall be willing to accept the fame, to be Free of the faid Company, and Body Politick, and To appoint them into the fame to admit ; And to elect and conftitute freemen, and fuch Officers as they shall think fit and requifite for the ordering, managing and difpofing of the Affairs of the faid Governor and Company, and their Succeffors: And we do hereby for Us, Our Heirs and Succeffors, establish and ordain, That once in the Year for ever hereafter, Namely, the faid Se cond Thursday in May, the Governor, Deputy-Governor, and Affiftants of the faid Company, and other Officers of the faid Company, or fuch of them as the faid General Affembly fhall think fit, fhall be in the faid General Court and Affein, bly to be held from that Day or Time, newly chofen for the Year enfuing, by fuch greater Part of the faid Company for the Time being, then and there prefent; and if the Gover nor, Deputy-Governor, and Affiftants by thefe Presents appointed, or fuch as hereafter be newly chofen into their Rooms, or any of them, or any other the Officers to be ap pointed for the faid Company fhall die, or be removed from Power to his or their several Offices or Places before the said general chufe new ofDay of Election, whom We do hereby declare for any Mif- ficers in cafe demeanor or Default, to be removable by the Governor, Af- of the death or removal of fiftants, and Company, or fuch greater Part of them in any of others. the faid public Courts to be affembled, as is aforefaid, that then and in every fuch Cafe, it fhall and may be lawful to and for the Governor, Deputy-Governor, and Affistants, and Company aforefaid, or fuch greater Part of them fo to be affembled, as is aforefaid, in any of their Affemblies, to proceed to a new Election of one or more of their Company, in the Room or Place, Rooms or Places of fuch Governor, DeputyGovernor, Affiftant, or other Officer or Officers fo dying or removed, according to their Difcretions, and immediately upon and after fuch Election or Elections made of fuch Governor, Deputy-Governor, Affiftant or Affiftants, or any other Officer of the faid Company, in Manner and Form aforefaid, ceafe, upon the Authority, Office and Power before given to the former the choice of Governor, Deputy-Governor, or other Officer and Officers new ones. fo removed, in whofe Stead and Place new fhall be chofen, fhall as to him and them, and every of them respectively, cease and determine. Provided alfo, And Our Will and Pleasure

Former offcers power to

Governor, D.
Governor, and

fworn to a

faithful per

formance of their duty and office.

is, That as well fuch as are by thefe Prefents appointed to be the present Governor, Deputy-Governor, and Affiftants of the faid Company, as those that fhall fucceed them, and all other Officers to be appointed and chofen, as aforefaid, shall before they undertake the Execution of their faid Offices and Places refpectively, take their feveral and refpective corporal Oaths for the due and faithful Performance of their Duties, in their several Offices and Places, before fuch Person or Persons as are by these Presents hereafter appointed to take and receive the fame; That is to fay, The faid John Winthrop, who is herein before nominated and appointed the prefent Governor of the faid Company, shall take the faid Oath before One or more of the Mafters of Our Court of Chancery for the Time being, unto which Mafter of Chancery, We do by these Prefents give full Power and Authority to adminifter the faid Affiftants to be Oath to the faid John Winthrop accordingly: And the faid John Mafon, who is herein before nominated and appointed the prefent Deputy-Governor of the faid Company, fhall take the faid Oath before the faid John Winthrop, or any Two of the Affiftants of the faid Company, unto whom We do by thele Presents give full Power and Authority to administer the faid Oath to the faid John Mafon accordingly: And the faid Samuel Wyllys, Henry Clarke, Matthew Allyn, John Tapping, Nathan Gold, Richard Treat, Richard Lord, Henry Wolcott, John Talcott, Daniel Clarke, John Ogden, and Thomas Wells, who are herein before nominated and appointed the prefent Affiftants of the faid Company, fhall take the Oath before the faid John Winthrop, and John Mafon, or One of them, to whom We do hereby give full Power and Authority to adminifter the fame accordingly. And Our further Will and Pleasure is, that all and every Governor, or Deputy-Governor to be elected and chofen by Virtue of these Presents, -fhall take the faid Oath before Two or more of the Affiftants of the faid Company for the Time being, unto whom We do by these Presents give full Power and Authority to give and adminifter the faid Oath accordingly; and the faid Affiftants, and every of them, and all and every other Officer or Officers to be hereafter chofen from Time to Time, to take the faid Oath before the Governor, or Deputy-Governor for the Time being, unto which Governor, or Deputy-Governor, We do by thefe Prefents give full Power and Authority to adminifter the fame accordingly. And further, Of Our more ample Grace, certain Knowledge, and meer Motion, We have given and granted, and by these presents for Us, Our Heirs and Succeffors, do give and grant unto the said Governor and Company of the English Colony of Connecticut, in New England, in America, and to every Inhabitant there, and to every Person and Perfons trading thither, and to every fuch Perfon and Perfons as are or shall be Free of the faid Colony, full Power and Authority from Time to Time, and at all Times fport inhabit- hereafter, to take Ship, Transport and carry away for and toants into the wards the Plantation and Defence of the faid Colony, such of Colony and Our loving Subjects and Strangers, as fhall or will willingly accompany them in, and to their faid Colony and Plantation, except fuch Perfon and Perfons as are or fhall be therein re

Power to tran

goods mer

chandizes &c.

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