divers of the Subjects of the French King, we do hereby declare our Royal Intention to be, that all the French Subjects, who shall demean themselves dutifully towards us, shall be safe in their Persons and estates.

Given at our Court at St. James's, the Twenty ninth Day of March, 1744, in the Seventeenth Year of our Reign. GOD SAVE The King.

DUKE OF NEWCASTLE TO WILLIAM SHIRLEY1

SIR,

Whitehall, March 31st, 1744.

The French King having declared war against His Majesty, (as you will see by the inclosed Copy of His Declaration for that Purpose, which is full of the grossest and most indecent Misrepresentations, and Reflections upon His Majesty's Conduct,) I am to acquaint you, by His Majesty's Command, that on Thursday last, the 29th Inst., a great Council was held at St. James's, where His Majesty approved, and has since signed, a Declaration of War against the French King, and ordered that the same should be published on this Day, by the Heralds at Arms, in the usual Places, and with the accustomed Formalities on the like Occasions; which has been done, accordingly.

I send you inclosed a printed Copy of the said Declaration, and am commanded to signify to you His Majesty's Pleasure, that you cause it to be proclaimed in the Colony under your Government, that His Majesty's Subjects hav

1 The letter here printed as to Governor Shirley appears to have been a circular one addressed to the several Governors in America. See Rhode Island Col. Rec. 5, 80, Conn. Hist. Soc. Coll. 11, 132, 140. See also Shirley's reply of June 2 on p. 125. The proclamations of war by France and England respectively are printed on pp. 112 and 117. The second English proclamation named was of date March 29 and was headed "His Majesty's most Gracious DECLARATION For the Encouragement of His Ships of War and Privateers." It was printed in the London Gazette of March 31, 1744.

ing this Notice, may take Care to prevent any Mischief, which otherwise they might suffer from the Enemy, and do their Duty in their several Stations, to distress and annoy the Subjects of the French King: And His Majesty would have you be very rigorous and severe, in preventing any Ammunition, or Stores of any Kind, from being carried to them; and you are to use all proper Methods, that may be most effectual for that Purpose.

I send you inclosed, His Majesty's Proclamation for the Distribution of Prizes taken by His Majesty's Ships of war, or Privateers, which, you will take Care, may be published in the Colony under your Government: And you will do every thing in your Power, to encourage His Majesty's Subjects to fit out Ships to act as Privateers against the Enemy; And you will, upon the Receipt of this Letter, take all Opportunities, as far as depends upon you, to distress and annoy the French in their Settlements, Trade and Com

GENTLEMEN OF THE COUNCIL AND

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

As the Acquisition of the Country of Nova Scotia, and more especially of the Fortress at Port Royal (now Annapolis Royal) has been always thought by this Government,

1 Mass. Arch. Journals House of Representatives. On May 21 Major John Paul Mascarene, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, had written to Shirley asking for assistance to be sent to Port Royal. In addition to this message to the Assembly of Massachusetts Shirley sent the appeal for aid on to Rhode Island and other colonies (Kimball, Corres. Col. Govs. of R. I. 1, 265), but New England was in poor financial condition to meet the demands made upon her from the northeast and at the same time defend

ever since it's first Settlement by the French, to be a Point of the greatest Importance to the Welfare and Safety of this Province; and many Designs have been form'd, and Expeditions fitted out for reducing that Place, and recovering it out of the Hands of the French, so I cannot but hope you will think it of equal Necessity to preserve it for his Majesty at this Juncture, from any Attempts of the Enemy; And as it appears highly probable that the French will make some Attempts upon that Place before the Garrison there can have a Reinforcement from Great Britain, I believe you will judge it a Piece of Service that will be highly acceptable to his Majesty, and tend to secure some of the most valuable Interests of this Province, to send some Recruits for that Garrison to continue there for a few Months, or till it be sufficiently reinforced from Great Britain. The Expence of this will not be very great (as we may suppose the Men will have both Pay and Subsistence from his Majesty :) And therefore,

Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,

I hope you will readily provide for it; I shall only add upon this Head, that if any thing be done herein, the least Delay may render our good Intentions wholly ineffectual.

Gentlemen of the Council and House of Representatives

I am of Opinion that it is highly requisite forthwith to pass a Law, prohibiting upon great Penalties all Trade with our Enemies, and more especially the supplying of them with Arms, Ammunition or Provisions of any Kind whatsoever. The passing of such a Law and a strict Execution of it will, I am persuaded, very much contribute to streighten and reduce the French Colonies and Settlements in particular, and `her western boundaries. As Shirley wrote Newcastle on the day of this message, there was no gold or silver coin circulating in any of the four colonies of New England. P. R. O., C. O. 5, 884, p. 315. The call for aid for Nova Scotia was renewed on June 8, and on June 10 Bradstreet brought to Boston a call from Patt. Heron, Thomas Prendergast, and others who were prisoners of war at Louisbourg, asking that provisions be allowed them. C. O. 5, 900, p. 104.

your Neglect to do it, will soon be attended with mischievous effects to the Province.

Council Chamber, May 31, 1744.

W. SHIRLEY.1

1 As a result of this message the House voted on June 12, 1744, to raise two independent companies of volunteers of sixty men each. On June 19 Shirley in consequence of a memorial from President (Paul Mascarene) and the Council of Annapolis asked for two hundred men, but the request was not granted. (Mass. Arch.; C. O. 5, 884, p. 467.) The Act of June 12 follows:

Province of the

Massachusetts Bay

In the House of Repres June 12th 1744

Whereas the Preservation of His Majestys Fortress at Annapolis Royall is an Affair of Great Importance to the Crown as well as to the Respective Governments in New England and that until the Arrival of Some Forces there from Great Britain it may be for His Majestys Service to Afford them some immediate Relief.

Therefore Voted that His Excellency the Captain General be desired to give orders for raising two Independent Companys of Voluntiers Consisting of Sixty men each exclusive of Officers to be sent to that Fortress as soon as may be at the Expense of this province and for encouragement to good and Effective men to Enlist into this service that there be and hereby is granted to be paid out of the Province Treasury to each able Bodied man that shall Enlist Twenty pounds old tenor or other Bills of Credit Equivalent and that they be freed from all ordinary Impresses in this Province three years after their Return and that His Excellency the Governour be desired to Acquaint the neighbouring Governments with the state of that Fortress, that they may afford a reasonable Aid of men for the aforesaid Purpose and inasmuch as the said Forces are neither to be Subsisted nor paid by this province during their Continuance there that His Excellency be further desired to use his good Offices with the Commander of that Fortress in Obtaining Pay and Subsistance for the said Companys from the Crown until they return home.

Sent up for Concurrence

In Council June 12th 1744

Read and Concurred

T. CUSHING Spk'.

J. WILLARD Secry.

Consented to W. SHIRLEY.

See also Conn. Hist. Soc. Coll. 11, 180, and Kimball, Corres. Col. Govs. of R. I. 1, 263.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE DUKE OF
NEWCASTLE1

(Duplicate)

MY LORD Duke,

Boston, New Engld, June 2d, 1744.

This day in the Afternoon Capt. Jelfe in his Majesty's Sloop Swallow arriv'd here, by whom I had the Honour to receive your Grace's letter dated the 31st March last 2 signifying to me his Majesty's pleasure, that I should cause his Declaration of War against the French King to be proclaim'd in the Province under my Government; which was accordingly done here in a few hours afterwards with the formalities us'd upon the like occasions in this Province, the whole Regiment of Militia belonging to this place attending under Arms, and the people universally expressing a just Resentment of the Indignities offer'd his Majesty by the French King's declaration of War, and an English spirit upon the proclamation of his Majesty's Declaration: and in Obedience to his Majesty's Commands I shall exert myself to the utmost of my Power in prompting his Subjects within my Government, not only to use all proper means for their own defence against the Enemy, but to do their Duty in their several Stations to distress, and Annoy the Subjects of the French King in their Settlements, Trade and Commerce.3

I also caus'd his Majesty's Proclamation for the Distribution of Prizes taken by his Majesty's Ships of War, or Privateers to be publish'd here immediately after the proclaiming of his Declaration of War against the French King;

1 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32703, 81. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. On June 16 Shirley wrote the Lords of Trade, announcing that the declaration of war had been proclaimed in the province, stating the needs of Fort Dummer and an estimate of the expenses of the war. The letter is in C. O. 5, 884, p. 303. A somewhat similar letter of June 20 to the Earl of Harrington is in ibid. 327.

2 Newcastle's letter of Mar. 31 is on p. 121.

See Shirley to John Stoddard of June 2 and 3, pp. 127, 128, post.