Ifaac Johnfon, Samuel Aldersey, John Ven, Matthew Craddock, George Harwood, Increafe Nowell, Richard Perry, Richard Bellingham, Nathaniel Wright, Samuel Vaffall, Theophilus Eaton, Thomas Goffe, Thomas Adams, John Browne, Samuel Browne, Thomas Hutchins, William Vaffall, William Pinchon, and George Foxcroft, and for us, our heires and fucceffours, wee will and ordaine: That the faid Sir Henry Rosewell, Sir John Younge, Sir Richard Saltonftall, Thomas Southcott, John Humfrey, John Endecott, Symon Whetcomb, Ifaac Johnfon, Samuel Aldersey, John Ven, Matthew Craddock, George Harwood, Increase Nowell, Richard Perry, Richard Bellingham, Nathaniell Wright, Samuel Vaffall, Theophilus Eaton, Thomas Goffe, Thomas Adams, John Browne, Samuel Browne, Thomas Hutchins, William Vaffall, William Pinchon, and George Foxcroft, and all fuch others as fhall hereafter be admitted and made free of the companie and fociety hereafter mentioned, fhall, from time to time, and at all times forever hereafter, be, by virtue of these presents, one body corporate and politique in Name of the fact and name, by the name of the Governor and ComCorpora panie of the Maffachusetts Bay in New-England: And them by the name of the Governor and Companie of the Massachusetts Bay in New-England, one body politique and corporate in deed, fact, and name, wee doe, for us, our heirs, and fucceffours, make, ordaine, Perpetual conftitute, and confirme by these prefents; and that by that name they fhall have perpetuall fucceffion; and that by the fame name they and their fucceffors Capacity to fhall and may be capable and enabled, as well to imimpleade and to be pleade and to be impleaded, and to prosecute, demand, impleaded. and answer, and be answered-unto, in all and fingular

tion.

succession.

fuites,

purchase

goods; and

sell them.

fuites, caufes, quarrels, and actions, of what kind and nature foever; And alfo to have, take, poffeffe, acquire Capacity to and purchase any lands, tenements, and hereditaments, lands or or any goods, or chattells, and the fame to leafe, grant, to grant or demife, alien, bargain, fell, and dispose of, as other our leige people of this our realme of England, or any other corporation or body politique of the fame, may lawfully doe. And further that the faid Governor and companie and their fucceffors may have forever

Seal.

one common feale to be used in all caufes and occa- A common fions of the faid Companie, and the fame feale may alter, change, break and new-make from time to time. at their pleasures.

vernment

Assistants.

and duty.

And our will and pleasure is, and we do hereby, for The gous, our heirs, and fucceffors, ordaine and grant, that of the said from henceforth for ever there fhall be one Governor, corporation. one deputy-Governor, and eighteen Affiftants, of the faid Companie to be from time to time conftituted, elected and chofen out of the freemen of the faid Com- A Governor panie for the time beinge, in fuch manner and forme and eighteen as hereafter in these presents is expreffed. Which said officers hall apply themselves to take care for the best Their power difpofing and ordering of the generall business and affaires of, for, and concerning, the faid lands and premiffes hereby mentioned to be granted, and the plantation thereof, and the government of the people there. And for the better execution of our royall pleasure and grant in this behalfe, we do by these presents, for us, our Nomination heires, and fucceffors, nominate, ordain, make, and conftitute our well-beloved, the faid Matthew Craddock, to Assistants. be the first and prefent Governor of the faid Companie, and the said Thomas Goffe to be deputy-Governor of the faid Companie, and the faid Sir Richard Saltonftall, Ifaac Johnson, Samuel Alderfey, John Ven, John Humfrey,

John

of the first Governor &

Power to as

semble the

said compa

ny.

Monthly

John Endecott, Symon Whetcombe, Increase Nowell, Richard Perry, Nathaniel Wright, Samuel Vaffall, Theophilus Eaton, Thomas Adams, Thomas Hutchins, John Browne, George Foxcroft, William Vaffall, and William Pinchon, to be the prefent Affiftants of the faid Companie, to continue in the faid feveral offices refpectively for fuch time and in fuch manner as in and by these presents is hereafter declared and appointed. And further we will, and, by these presents, for us, our heires, and fucceffors, do ordaine and grant that the Governor of the faid Companie for the time being, or in his abfence, by occafion of fickness or otherwife, the deputy-Governor for the time being, fhall have authority from time to time upon all occafions to give order for the affembling of the said Companie, and calling them together to confult and advise of the bufinefs and affaires of the faid Companie.

And that the faid Governor, deputy-Governor, and semblies of Affiftants of the said Companie for the time being shall,

courts or as

the Gover

nour and or may, once every month, or oftener at their pleasures, Assistants. affemble and hould and keep a court, or affembly of

themfelves, for the better ordering and directing of their affairs. And that any feven, or more, perfons of the Affiftants, together with the Governor, or deputy-Governor, fo affembled fhall be faid, taken, held, and reputed to be, and shall be, a full and fufficient court or affembly of the faid Company, for the handling, ordering, and difpatching of all fuch bufineffes and occurrents, as fhall from time to time happen, touching or concerning the faid Companie or plantation. And that there ral courts of fhall, or may, be held and kept by the Governor or company in deputy-Governor of the faid Companie, and seven, or

Four gene

the said

a year.

more, of the faid Affiftants for the time being, upon every last Wednesday in Hillary, Eafter, Trinity and Michael

elect free

Michaelmas Terms refpectively for ever, one great, generall and folemn affembly; which four generall affemblies fhall be ftyled and called the foure greate and generall courts of the said Company: In all or any of which faid greate and generall courts so affembled, We do, for us, our heires and fucceffours, give and grant to the said Governour and Companie and theire fucceffours, that the Governour, or in his absence the deputy-Governour, of the faid Companie for the time. being, and fuch of the Affiftants and freemen of the faid Companie as fhall be prefent, or the greater number of them fo affembled, (whereof the Governour or deputy-Governour, and fix of the Affiftants at the leaft, to be feven,) fhall have full power and authority Power to to choose, nominate, and appoint fuch and fo many men of the others as they fhall thinke fitt, and that fhall be willing said com10 accept the fame, to be free of the faid Company and Body, and them into the fame to admit: and to elect And to elect and conftitute fuch officers as they fhall thinke fitt and the same. requifite for the ordering, managing, and dispatching of the affaires of the faid Governor and Companie and theire fucceffours: and to make lawes and ordinances And to for the good and welfare of the faid Companie, and and ordifor the government and ordering of the faid lands and nances for plantation, and the people inhabiteing and to inhabite the said the fame, as to them from time to time fhall be thought ing repugmeete: So as fuch lawes and ordinances be not contrary or repugnant to the laws and ftatutes of this our England. realme of England.

pany.

officers of

make laws

the same:

laws not be

nant to the

laws of

nour,

And our will and pleasure is, and we do hereby The Goverfor us, our heirs and fucceffours, establish and or- deputydaine; That yearely once in the yeare forever here- governour, after, namely, the last Wednesday in Easter yearely, the Governour, deputy-Governour and

and assist

terme ants, shall

be chosen

Affift- every year at

ants

Easter.

the offices

of the said

company

ants of the faid Companie, and all other officers of the faid Companie shall be, in the generall court, or affemblie, to be held for that day or time, newly chofen for the yeare infueing by fuch greater part of the faid Companie for the time being, then and there prefent, as is aforefaid.

Manner of And if it fhall happen that the present Governour, desupplying vacancies in puty-Governour and Affiftants by these prefents appointed, or fuch as fhall hereafter be newly chosen into their rooms, or any of them, or any other of the officers to be by deaths or appointed for the faid Companie, fhall die, or be removed from his or their feverall offices or places before the faid generall day of election, (whom we do hereby declare for Power given any misdemeanor, or defect, to be removable by the Go

occasioned

removals.

to the com

move their

pany to re- vernour, deputy-Governor, Affiftants, and Companie, officers for or fuch greater part of them in any of the publick misbehavi- courts to be affembled as is aforefaid) that then, and

our.

in every fuch cafe it fhall and may be lawful to and for the Governor, deputy-Governor, Affiftants, and Companie, 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 others of their company, in the rooms or places of fuch officer or officers fo dyeing or removed, according to their difcretions. And immediately upon and after fuch election and elections made of fuch Governour, deputy-Governour, Affistant, or Affiftants, or any other officer of the faid Companie, in manner and forme aforefaid, the authority, office, and power before given to the former Governour, deputy-Governour, or other officer and officers, fo removed, in whose stead and place new officers fhall be fo chofen, fhall, as to him and them, and every of them, cease and determine.

Provided