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Printed by TIMOTHY GREEN,

Printer to the GOVERNOR and COMPANY of the STATE of CONNECTICUT.

MDCCLXXXIV.

Pm?

(3)

The CHARTER granted by His Majefty King
CHARLES the Second, &c.

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, GREETING.

Whereas by the feveral Navigations, Difcoveries, and Successful Plantations of divers of Our loving Subjects of this Our Realm of England, several Lands, Ilands, 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 bumble Petition of Our Trusty and Wellbeloved 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 interested in Our Colony or Plantation of Connecticut, in New-England, that the fame Colony, or the greatest part thereof was Purchased and Obtained for great and valuable Confiderations, and fome other Part thereof gained by Conquest, and with much Difficulty, and at the only Endea vours, 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 faid Colony is remote from other the English Plantations in the Places aforefaid, and to the End the Affairs and Business which fhall from Time to Time happen or arise concerning the fame, may be duly Ordered and Managed, we have thought fit, and at the humble Petition of the Perfons aforefaid, and are graciously Pleased to create and make them a Body Politick and Corporate, with the Powers and Privileges herein after mentioned; and accordingly Our Will and Pleasure is, and of our efpecial Grace, certain Knowlege, and meer Motion, We have ordained, conftituted and declared, and by thefe Prefents, for Us, Our Heirs and Succeffors, Do ordain, constitute and declare, that they the laid 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, Obadiab Bruen, John Clarke, Anthony Hawkins, John Deming, and Matthew Camfield, and all fuch others as now are, or hereafter fhall be admitted, and made Free of the Company and Society of Our Colony of Connecticut, in America, thall from Time to Time, and for ever hereafter, be One Body Corporate and Politick, in Fact and Name, by the Name of, Governor and Company of the English Colony of Connecticut, in New-England, in America; and that by the fame Name they and their Succeffors fhall and may have perpetual Succeffion, and fhall and may be Perfons able and capable in the Law, to plead and be impleaded, to answer and to be anfwered 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 purchase Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments, or any Goods, or Chattels, and the fame to leafe, grant, demise, alien, bargain, fell, and difpofe of, as other Our liege People of this Our Realm of England, or any 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 serve and use for all Caufes, 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 Pleasures, as they fhall think fit. And further, We will and ordain, and by thefe Prefents, for Us, our Heirs, and Succeffors, do declare and appoint, That for the better ordering and managing of the Affairs and Business of the faid Company

The Corpo-
ration confti-

tuted.

The Names of the Paten

tees.

The Name of

the Corporation.

Their Ability

to plead and
defend, &c.

To purchafe
Lands, &c.

To have a

common feal,
and to alter
& change it

23956

and

A Governor, Deputy-Governor,andı 2 Affiftants to be elected

and their Succeffors, there fhall be One Governor, One Deputy-Governor, and Twelve Affiftants, to be from Time to Time conftituted, elected and chofen out of the Freemen of the faid Company for the Time being, in fuchManner and Form as hereafter in thefe Prefents is expreffed, which faid Officers fhall apply themfelves to take Care for the beft difpofing and orderfrom Time to ing of the general Bufinefs and Affairs of and concerning the Land and

Time.

First Gover

nor, Deputy

Governor &

Afiftants ap

pointed.

Governor & Deputy-Governor Power to call a Gen. Affembly.

Two General

Affemblies in

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 Pleasure herein, We do for Us, Our Heirs, and Succeffors, affign, name, constitute and appoint the aforesaid John Winthrop to be the first and prefent Governor of the faid Company, and the faid John Mafon to be the Deputy-Governor, and the said 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 present Assistants 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 Prefents for Us, Our Heirs, and Succeffors, Do ordain and grant, That the Governor of the faid Company for the Time being, or in his Abfence by Occafion of Sickness, or otherwife by his Leave or Permiffion, the Deputy-Governor for the Time being, fhall and may from Time to Time upon all Occafions, give Order for the affembling of the faid Company, and calling them together to confult and advise of the Bufinefs and Affairs of the faid Company, and that for ever hereafter, Twice in every Year, That is to fay, On every Second Thursday in October, and on every Second Thursday in May, or oftner in cafe it fhall be requifite; the Affiftants, and aYear,viz. in Freemen of the laid Company, or fuch of them (not exceeding Two Perfons May&O&tober from each Place, Town, or City) who shall 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 they fhall be elected or deputed, fhall have a General Meeting, 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 least, to be Seven, thall be called the General Affembly, and shall have full Power and Authority to alter and change their Days and Times of Meeting, or General Affemblies, for electing the 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 them into the fame to admit, And to elect and conftitute fuch Officers as they fhall 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, eftablish and ordain, That once in the Year for ever hereafter, Namely, the faid Second Thursday in May, the Governor, Deputy-Governor, and Affiftants of the faid Company, and other Officers of the faid Company, or fuch of then as the said General Affembly shall think fit, fhall be in the faid General Court and Affembly to be held from that Day or Time, newly chofen for the Year enfuing, by fuch greater Part of the said Company for the Time being, then and there prefent; and if the Governor, DeputyGovernor, and Affiftants by these Presents appointed, or fuch as hereafter be newly chofen into their Rooms, or any of them, or any other the Officers to be appointed for the faid Company fhall die, or be removed from his or their feveral Offices or Places before the faid general Day of Election, whom We do hereby declare for any Mifdemeanor or Default, to be removable by the Governor, Affiftants, and Company, or fuch greater Part of them in any of the faid public Courts to be affembled, as is aforefaid, that then,

Power to al

ter their Days of Meeting.

To appoint

Freemen, and

conftitute Of

ficers.

Power to

chufe newOfficers in cafe

of the Death

or Removal of

others.

1

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then, and in every fuch Cafe, it fhall and may be lawful to and for the. Go vernor, Deputy-Governor, and Affiftants, and Company aforefaid, or fuck 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, Deputy-Governor, Afiftant, 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, the Authority, Office and Power before given to the former Governor, DeputyGovernor, or other Officer and Officers fo removed, in whofe Stead and Place new fhall be chosen, shall, as to him and them, and every of them respectively, ceafe and determine. Provided alfo, And Our Will and Pleafure is, That as well fuch as are by these Presents appointed to be the prefent 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 several and refpective corporal Oaths for the due and faithful Performance of their Duties, in their several Offices and Places, before fuch Perfon or Perfons as are by these Presents hereafter appointed to take and receive the fame; That is to fuy, The faid John Winthrop, who is herein before nominated and appointed the prefent Gover nor of the faid Company, fhall 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 Presents give full Power and Authority to adminifter the faid 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 thefe Prefents give full Power and Authority to adminfter 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 Affiitants of the said Company, fhall take the Oath before the faid John Winthrop, and John Mafon, or One of them, to whom we do hereby give fuli Power and Authority to adminifter the fame accordingly. And Our further Will and Pleafure is, that all and every Governor, or Deputy2 Governor to be elected and chofen by Virtue of thefe Prefents, 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 thefe Prefents 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 said Qath 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 Knowlege, and meer Motion. We have given and granted, and by these Presents for Us, Our Heirs and Succeffors, do give and grant unto the faid Governor and Company of the English Colony of Connecticut, in New-England, in America, and to every Inhabitant there, and to every Perfon and Perfons Trading thither, and to every fuch Perton and Perfons as are or shall be Free of the faid Colony, full Power and Authority from Time to Time, and at all Times hereafter, to take Ship, Tranfport and carry away for and towards the Plantation and Defence of the faid Colony, fuch of Our loving Subjects and Strangers, as fhall or will willingly accom pany them in, and to their faid Colony and Plantation, except fuch Perfon and Perfons as are or fhall be therein restrained by Us, Our Heirs and Succeffors; and also to ship and transport all, and all Manner of Goods, Chattels, Merchandizes, and other Things whatsoever that are or shall be ufeful or neceffary for the Inhabitants of the faid Colony, and may lawfully

Former Offi cefs Power to ceafe, upon

the Choice of

new ones.

Governor, D. Affiftants to be fworn to a faithful Per

Governor, &

their Duty & Office.

Power to transport, In habitantsinto the Colony, & Goods, Merchandises &c.

.:be

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