The Act of Surrender of the Great Charter of New England to His Majesty

 1635

To all Christian People to whom this present writing shall come: The President and Council established at Plymouth in the County of Devon, for planting, ruling, and governing of New England in America, send Greeting, in our Lord God everlasting.

Whereas our late Sovereign Lord King James, of ever blessed memory, by his Highness Letters Patent under the Great Seal of England, bearing date at Westminster, the third day of November, in the eighteenth year of his Majesty's reign of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland the four and fiftieth: Upon the motives, reasons, and causes in the said Letters Patents mentioned and contained, did for him, his heirs, and successors, grant, ordain, establish, and confirm his then right trusty and right well beloved Cousins and Councillors Lodowick then Duke of Lenox, Lord Steward of his Household, George then Marquess of Buckingham then High Admiral of England, James then Marquess of Hamilton, William then Earl of Pembroke and then Lord Chamberlaine of his Household, who are since deceased; Thomas, now Earl of Arundell, and divers others of his Nobility and Gentry of this realme of England, therein named, to be the first and present Councill established at Plymouth aforesaid, for the planting, ruling, and governing of New England in America aforesaid: And then the said then Duke of Lenox, Marquess of Buckingham, Marquess of Hamilton, Earl of Pembroke, and Earl of Arundel, and the said others of the Nobility and Gentry therein named, and the survivors of them and their successors, to be elected as in the said Letters Patents is expressed, did by the said Letters Patents incorporate, erect, ordain, name, constitute, and establish to be one body politick and corporate, in Deed and Name, by the Name of the Council of Plymouth aforesaid, in the said County of Devon, for the planting, ruling, and governing of New England in America aforesaid, To have perpetual succession, with divers other powers, priviledges, immunities, provisions, and restrictions, for the propagation and establishing of true Religion in those parts, and for the better regulating of the same plantations, as in and by the said Letters Patents, do Reference Thereunto had more plainly and at large appeareth. Now Know ye that, the said President and Council, for divers good causes and considerations them thereunto moving, have given, granted, assigned, yielded up, and surrendered, and by these presents do give, grant, assign, yield up and surrender unto our most gracious Sovereign Lord Charles by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, the said Letters Patents to the Duke of Lenox, Marquess of Buckingham, Marquess Hamilton, William Earl of Pembroke, Thomas Earl of Arundel, and to the rest of the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom therein named, for the planting, ruling, and governing of New England in America aforesaid, and all and every the liberties, licenses, powers, priviledges and authorities therein and thereby given and granted, or mentioned to be given and granted, and all their and every their right, estate, title, interest, claim, demand whatsoever of, in, and to the same Letters Patents, licenses, powers, priviledges, and authorities, and of, in and to, every or any parcell of them or any of them. In Witness whereof the said President and Council have caused their common Seal to be put to these presents, the seventh day of June in the eleventh year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King Charles, and in the year of our Lord God, One thousand six hundred and thirty-five.