The Letters patents of the Queenes Majestie, granted to
Master Adrian Gylbert and others, for the search and
discovery of the Northwest Passage to China
.
ELIZABETH by the grace of God of England
, France, and
Ireland Queene, defender of the faith, &c. To all, to
whome these presents shall come, greeting: Forasmuch
as our trustie and welbeloved subject Adrian Gylbert of
Sandridge in the Countie of Devon, Gentleman, to his
great costes and charges, hath greatly and earnestly
travelled and sought, and yet doth travell and seeke, and
by divers meanes indevoureth and laboureth, that the
Passage unto China
and the
Iles of the Moluccas, by
the Northwestward, Northeastward, or Northward, unto
which part or partes of the world, none of our loyall
Subjects have hitherto had any traffique or trade, may
be discovered, knowen, and frequented by the Subjects
of this our Realme: Knowe yee therefore that for the
considerations aforesayd and for divers other good considerations us thereunto specially mooving. We of our
grace especiall, certaine knowledge, and meere motion,
have given and granted, and by these presents for us,
our heires and successors, doe give and grant free libertie,
power, and full authoritie to the sayd Adrian Gylbert,
and to any other person by him or his heires to be
assigned, and to those his associates and assistants,
whose names are written in a Scedule hereunto annexed,
and to their heires, and to one assignee of each of them,
and each of their heires at all times, and at any time or
times after the date of these presents, under our Banners
and Ensignes freely, without let, interruption, or restraint,
of us, our heires or successors, any law, statute, proclamation, patent, charter, or proviso to the contrary notwithstanding, to saile, make voyage, and by any maner
of meanes to passe and to depart out of this our
Realme
of England, or any our Realmes, Dominions, or Territories into all or any Isles, Countreys, Regions, Provinces,
Territories, Seas, Rivers, Portes, Bayes, Creekes, armes
of the Sea, and all Havens, and all maner of other places
whatsoever, that by the sayde Northwestward, Northeastward, or Northward, is to be by him, his associates
or assignes discovered, and for and in the sayde sayling,
voyage, and passage, to have and use so many shippes,
Barkes, Pinnesses, or other vessels of any quantitie or
burthen, with all the furniture of men, victuals, and all
maner of necessary provision, armour, weapons, ordinance, targets, and appurtinances whatsoever, as to such
a voyage shall or may be requisite, convenient or commodious, any lawe, statute, ordinance or proviso to the
contrary thereof notwithstanding. And also we doe give
and grant to the sayde Adrian Gylbert, and his sayde
associates, and to such assignee of him, and his heires,
and to the heires and one assignee of every of his sayde
associates for ever, full power and absolute authoritie
to trade and make their resiance in any of the sayde Isles,
Countreys, Regions, Provinces, Territories, Seas, Rivers,
Portes, Bayes, and Havens, and all maner of other places
whatsoever with all commodities, profites, and emoluments in the sayde places or any of them, growing and
arising, with all maner of priviledges, prerogatives, jurisdictions and royalties both by sea and land whatsoever,
yeelding and paying therefore unto us, our heires and
successors, the tenth part of all such golde and silver
oare, pearles, jewels, and precious stones, or the value
thereof, as the sayd Adrian Gylbert and his sayd associates, their heires and assignes, servants, factors, or
workemen, and every or any of them shall finde, the
sayd tenth to bee delivered duely to our Customer, or
other officers by us, our heires or successors thereunto
assigned, in the Portes of London, Dartmouth
, or Plimmouth, at which three places onely the sayde Adrian
Gylbert, and his sayde associates, their sayde heires and
assignes, shall lade, charge, arrive, and discharge all
maner of wares, goods, and merchandizes whatsoever to
the sayde voyage, and newe trade belonging or appertaining. And moreover, wee have given, granted, and
authorized, and by these presents for us, our heires and
successors, of our grace especiall, certaine knowledge,
and meere motion, doe give, graunt, and authorize the
sayd Adrian Gilbert, and his sayd associats for ever,
their heires and their said assignes & every of them,
that if the aforesayd Iles, Countreys, Regions, Provinces, Territories, Seas, Rivers, Ports, Bayes, or Havens,
or any other of the premisses by the sayd Adrian Gylbert
or his associats, their heires and their said assignes or
any of them, to be found by them, discovered and
traffiqued unto by any trade as aforesayd, shall be by
any other our subjects visited, frequented, haunted, traded
unto or inhabited by the wayes aforesayd, without the
special licence in writing of the said Adrian Gylbert and
his associats, and their heires and assignes for ever, or
by the most part of them, so that the sayd Adrian Gilbert,
his heires or assignes be one of them, that then aswell
their ship, or ships in any such voyage or voyages be
used, as all and singuler their goods, wares, and marchandizes, or any other things whatsoever, from or to
any of the places aforesayd transported, that so shall
presume to visit, frequent, haunt, trade unto, or inhabite,
shall be forfaited and confiscated, ipso facto, the one
halfe of the same goods and marchandizes, or other things
whatsoever, or the value thereof to be to the use of us,
our heires or successours, and the other moytie thereof
to be to the use of the sayd Adrian Gylbert and his sayd
associats, their heires and assignes for ever: and unto
the sayd Adrian Gylbert and his sayd associats, their
heires and assignes wee impose, give, assigne, create
and confirme this name peculiar to be named by, to sue
and to be sued by, that is to wit, by the name of the
Colleagues of the fellowship for the discoverie of the
Northwest passage, and them for us, our heires and
successours by that name doe incorporate, and doe erect
and create as one body corporate to have continuance
for ever. Moreover unto the sayd Adrian Gylbert, and
his said associats, and unto their heires and their sayd
assignes for ever, by name of the Colleagues of the
fellowship, for the discoverie of the Northwest passage,
we have given, granted, and confirmed, and doe by these
presents give, grant, and confirme full power and
authoritie from time to time, and at all times hereafter,
to make order, decree and enact, constitute and ordeine,
and appoynt all such ordinances, orders, decrees, lawes,
and actes, as the sayd new corporation or body politique,
Colleagues of the fellowship for the discoverie of the
Northwest passage, shall thinke meete, necessary, and
convenient, so that they or any of them be not contrary
to the lawes of this realme, and of this our present
graunt.
And we by our Royall prerogative, and fulnesse of
our authority, of our grace especiall, certaine knowledge
and meere motion, do establish, confirme & ratifie all
such ordinances, orders, decrees, lawes and acts to be in
so full and great power and authority, as we, our heires
or successours may or can in any such case graunt, confirme, or ratifie. And further for the better incouragement
of our loving subjects in this discoverie, we by our Royall
prerogative, and fulnesse of authority for us, our heires
and successours, doe give, graunt, establish, confirme,
ordeine, ratifie and allow by these presents, to the sayd
Adrian Gylbert and to his associates, and to the heires
and assignes of them and every of them for ever, and
to all other person or persons of our loving subjects
whatsoever that shall hereafter travaile, sayle, discover,
or make voyage as aforesayd to any the Iles, Mainelands,
Countreys or Territories whatsoever, by vertue of this our
graunt to be discovered, that the heires and assignes of
them and every of them being borne within any of the
Iles, Mainelands and Countreys, or Territories whatsoever
before mentioned, shall have and injoy all the privileges
of free Denizens, as persons native borne within this our
Realme of England, or within our allegiance for ever,
in such like ample maner and forme, as if they were or
had bene borne and personally resiant within our sayd
Realme, any law, statute, proclamation, custome or usage
to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding.
Moreover, for the consideration aforesayd by vertue
hereof, we give and graunt unto the sayd Adrian Gylbert,
his heires and assignes for ever, free libertie, licence and
privilege, that during the space of five yeeres next and
immediatly ensuing the date hereof, it shall not be lawfull
for any person or persons whatsoever, to visit, haunt,
frequent, trade, or make voyage to any Iles, Mainlands,
Countreys, Regions, Provinces, Territories, Seas, Rivers,
Ports, Bayes, and Havens, nor to any other Havens or
places whatsoever hitherto not yet discovered by any of
our subjects by vertue of this graunt to be traded unto,
without the special consent and good liking of the said
Adrian Gylbert, his heires or assignes first had in writing.
And if any person or persons of the associats of the sayd
Adrian, his heires or assignes, or any other person or
persons whatsoever, free of this discovery, shall do any
act or acts contrary to the tenour and true meaning
hereof, during the space of the sayd five yeeres, that then
the partie and parties so offending, they and their heires
for ever shall loose (ipso facto) the benefite and privilege
of this our graunt, and shall stand and remaine to all
intents and purposes as persons exempted out of this
graunt.
And further by vertue hereof wee give and graunt, for
us, our heires and successours at all times during the
space of five yeers next ensuing the date hereof, libertie
and licence, and full authority to the sayd Adrian Gylbert,
and his heires and assignes, that if it shall happen any
one or moe in any ship or ships sayling on their sayd
voyage, to become mutinous, seditious, disordered, or
any way unruly to the prejudice or hinderance of the
hope for the successe in the attempt or prosecuting of
this discoverie or trade intended, to use or execute upon
him or them so offending, such punishment, correction,
or execution, as the cause shall be found in justice to
require by the verdict of twelve of the companie sworne
thereunto, as in such a case apperteineth: That expresse
mention of the certaintie of the premisses, or of other
gifts or graunts by us to the sayd Adrian Gylbert and
his associats before this time made is not mentioned in
these presents, or any other lawe, act, statute, proviso,
graunt, or proclamation heretofore made or hereafter to
be made to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding. In witnesse whereof we have made these our
Letters to bee made patents: Witnesse our selfe at Westminster
, the sixt day of Februarie, in the sixe and twenty
yeere of our reigne.
