Grant of the Province of New Hampshire to John Wollaston, Esq., AN. 1635

[Destry]

This Indenture made ye Eighteenth day of Aprill in ye Eleaventh yeare of ye raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles by ye Grace of God King of England Scottland France & Ireland Defender of the ffaith &c Between ye Councill established at Plymouth in ye County of Devon for ye planting ruleing ordering & governing of New England in America of ye one part & John Wollaston cittizen & GoldSmith of london of ye other part wittnesseth yt whereas our late Sovraigne Lord King James of blessed memory by his highness Letters patients under ye great Seale of England beareing date at Westminster ye third day of Novembr in ye Eight year of his highness Raigne over ye Realme of England for ye consideracon in ye sd letters patents expressed hath absollltly given granted & confirmed unto ye sd Councill & thier Successors for ever All ye land of New England in America lying & being in breadth from fourty degrees of Northerly latitude from ye Equinoctiall line to fourty eight degrees of ye sd Northerly Latytude inclllsively & in length of & wthin all ye breadth aforesd from Sea to Sea together alsoe wth all ye firme lands soyles grounds havens, ports, rivers waters fishings mines mineralls as well Royall mines of Gold & Silver as other mines & mineralls llretious Stones quarryes & all & singular other Comodityes Jurisdic'ons Royaltyes priviledges ffranchises & preheminences both wthin ye sd tract of land upon ye maine ,& alsoe wthin ye Islands adjoyning as by ye sd letters patients amongst divers other things therein contained more at large it doth & may appeare Now this Indenture further wittnesseth yt ye sd Councill in performance of an agreemt between them made & enacted ye third day of February last past before ye date of these p'nts & also for diverse other good causes & considerac'ons them ye sd Councill hereunto especially moveing have demised granted & to farme letten & by these p'nts doe demise grant & to farme left unto ye sd John Woollaston his Executors & assignee all yt part purpart & porc'on of ye Maine Land in New England aforesd being from ye middle part of Naumkeck river & from thence to proceed Eastwards along ye Sea Coast to Cape Anne & round about ye same to Passcattaway harbour & soe forwards up wthin ye river of Newichewanock & to ye furthest head of ye sd River & from thence northwestward till Six miles be finished from ye first enterance of Passcattaway harbour & also from Naumkeci; through ye river therof up into ye land west Sixty miles from wch period to crose over land to ye Sixty Miles end accompted from Passcattawy though Newichewanock to ye land north westward aforesd & alsoe all yt ye South half of ye Isles of Shoulds together wth all other Islands & Isletts as well imbayed as wthin five leagues distance from ye premises or abutting upon ye same or any part thereof not otherwise granted to any by speciall name and together alsoe wth all ye woods & underwoods & trees now standing growing & being or web may stand growe to be upon ye sd demised premises or any part or pacell thereof wet porc'on of land and premises are from hence forth to be called by ye name of New Hampshire And alsoe ye sd Councill for ye considerac'ons aforesd have demised granted & to farme letten & by these p'nts doe demise grant & to farme lett unto ye si John Wallaston his Executors & assignee all yt other parcell of lands woods & wood grounds lying on ye South east part of ye river of Sagadahock in ye North east part of New England aforsd aft ye mouth & entrance therof containing & to contain tenn Thousand Acres together alsoe wth all ye woods under woods & trees of ye same other parcell of land & wood ground shall from hence forth be called by ye name of Masonia And asoe ye sd Councill for ye considerac'ons oresd have demised granted & to farme letten & by these p'nts doe demise grant & to farme left unto ye sd John Wollaston his executors & assignee together wth all ye sd lands & Islands and premises all ye sovles grounds havens ports rivers wafters ffishings mines & mineralls as well Royall mines of Gold & Silver as other mines mineralls pretious Stones quarreys & all & Singular other Com'odityes Jurisdicc'ons royalltyes priviledges ffranchises & preheminences both wthin ye sd tracts of land upon ye Maine & alsoe wthin ye Sd Islands or any of ye sd demised premises and together alsoe wth all rents reserved upon ye premises or ye any part or pareell thereof perquisitts & profitts of Courts Deodands waives & strafes goods of felons & fugitives escheats & all other casuall profitts wt soever ariseing or wed may hereafter arise out of ye so Demised premises or out of any part or parcell therof Savein excepting & reserveing only out of this p'nte demised or granted ye fifth part of all ye Gold & Silver oare due to his Matie his heires & Successors & in & by ye so Recited letters pattents recovered To have hold & enjoy all & singular ye sd lands Islands & all other the so demised premises we their & every of their appurtences unto ye sd John Wollaston his executors & assignees from ye day of ye date heerof unto ye full end & terme of three Thousand Yeares from thence forth next & imediatly ensuing & fully to be compleate & ended wthout impeachment of any maner of west & also with full Power to doe & comitt of man'er of west either in ye selling felling or cutting of any timber trees woods & underwoods or in ye new opening of any mines of Gold or Silver or any other Mines wt soever & also wth full power licence & authority to sell fell cutt downe carrey & dispose of to his & their owne proper use & behoofe att his & their free will & pleasure all & singular ye so woods & underwoods & trees & alsoe to digge & car'y a way or other wise dispose of all or any ye soyle mines pretious Stones, & quarreys & to convert & imploy or other wise enjoy ye same as fully freely & in as large ample beneficiall man'er to all intents & purposes as they ye sd Councill or any of them by vertue of ye sd recitted letters patients may might or ought to have hold & enjoy ye same Yeelding & paying therfore yearly dureing ye sd terme one peper Corne to be lawfully demanded In wittness wherof to ye one part of this p'nte Indenture remaining in ye hands of ye sd John Wollaston they ye sd Councill have fixed their Com'on scale to ye other part of this plate Indenture remaining in ye hands of ye sd Councill ye sr John Wollaston hath sett his hand & scale dated ye day & yeare first above written Annoqe Dom' 1635

(1) New Hampshire State Papers, XXIX, Vol. VI, pp. 64-66. Back
Source:
The Federal and State Constitutions Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws of the States, Territories, and Colonies Now or Heretofore Forming the United States of America
Compiled and Edited Under the Act of Congress of June 30, 1906 by Francis Newton Thorpe
Washington, DC : Government Printing Office, 1909.