Page:The Federal and state constitutions v5.djvu/217

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NORTH CAROLINA


For organic acts relating to the lands now included within North Carolina see in other parts of this work:

Charter to Raleigh, 1584 (p. 53).
Charter of Virginia, 1606 (Virginia, p. 3783).
Charter of Virginia, 1609 (Virginia, p. 3790).
Charter of Virginia, 1612 (Virginia, p. 3802).
Ordinances for Virginia, 1621 (Virginia, p. 3810).


CHARTER OF CAROLINA—1663[1][2]

Charles the Second, by the grace of God, king of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c., To all to whom these present shall come: Greeting:

1st. Whereas our right trusty, and right well beloved cousins and counsellors, Edward Earl of Clarendon, our high chancellor of England, and George Duke of Albemarle, master of our horse and captain general of all our forces, our right trusty and well beloved William Lord Craven, John Lord Berkley, our right trusty and well beloved counsellor, Anthony Lord Ashley, chancellor of our exchequer, Sir George Carteret, knight and baronet, vice chamberlain of our household, and our trusty and well beloved Sir William Berkley, knight, and Sir John Colleton, knight and baronet, being excited with a laudable and pious zeal for the propagation of the Christian faith, and the enlargement of our empire and dominions, have humbly besought leave of us, by their industry and charge, to transport and make an ample colony of our subjects, natives of our kingdom of England, and elsewhere within our dominions, unto a certain country hereafter described, in the parts of America not yet cultivated or planted, and only inhabited by some barbarous people, who have no knowledge of Almighty God.

2d. And whereas the said Edward Earl of Clarendon, George Duke of Albemarle, William Lord Craven, John Lord Berkley, Anthony Lord Ashley, Sir George Carteret, Sir William Berkley, and Sir John Colleton, have humbly besought us to give, grant and confirm unto them and their heirs, the said country, with priviledges and jurisdictions requisite for the good government and safety thereof: Know


  1. The Colonial Records of North Carolina, Edited by William L. Saunders, Vol. 1—1662 to 1712. Raleigh. P. M. Hale, Printer to the State, pp. 20–33. 1886.
  2. Sir Robert Heath was attorney-general to Charles I, and Bancroft says: “There is room to believe that, in 1639, permanent plantations were planned and perhaps attempted by his assign,” but the patent was declared void in 1663, because the purposes for which it had been granted had never been fulfilled.—See patent to Sir Robert Heath, p. 69.
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