Do hereby Require and Comand all Officers and Ministers Civill and Military and all other the Inhabitants of our said Province and Territory to be obedient aiding and Assisting vnto you the said Elizeus Burges in the Execution of this our Comission and of the Powers and Authorities therein contained and in case of your Death or absence out of our said Province and Territories to be obedient aiding and assisting vnto such person as shall be appointed by vs to be our Lievtenant Governour or Comander in Chief of our said Province and Territories to whom Wee do therefore by these presents give and grant all and singular the powers and authorities herein Granted to be by him Executed and enjoyed during our pleasure or vntill your arrival within our said Province and if vpon your Death or absence out of our said Province there be no person vpon the place Comissionated or appointed by vs to be our Lievtenant Governor or Commander in Chief of our said Province and Territories our Will and pleasure is that our Council of our said Province for the time being do take vpon them the Administracon of the Government and Execute our said Comission and Instructions and the severall powers and Authorities therein contained in the same manner and to all intents and purposes as our Governor or Commander in Chief of our said Province and Territory should or ought to do in case of your absence vntill your Returne or in all Cases vntill our further pleasure be known therein and that in such Case the Eldest Councilor present at each Meeting of the said Council shall always preside therein And our pleasure is that you the said Elizeus Burges shall and may hold Execute and enjoy the Office and place of our Captain General and Governour in Chief in and over our said Province and Territories of the Massachusets Bay in New England with all and singular the Powers and Authorities hereby granted vnto you for and during our Will and pleasAnd Whereas there are Divers Colonies adjoining to Our Province of the Massachusets Bay for the Defence and ure security whereof it is Requisite that due care be taken in the time of War Wee have therefore thought it further necessary for our Service and for the better Protection and Security of our Subjects Inhabiting those parts to constitute and appoint And Wee do by these presents Constitute and appoint you the said Elizeus Burges to be our Captain General and Comander in Chief of the Militia and of all the Forces by Sea and Land within our Colonies of Rhode Island and Providence Plantacon the Narraganset Country or Kings Province and of all our Forts and Places of strength within the same And for the better Ordering governing and Ruling our said Militia and all our Forces Forts and places of Strength within our said Colonies of Rhode Island and Providence Plantacon and the Narraganset Country or Kings Province Wee do hereby give and Grant vnto you the said Elizeus Burges and in your absence to our Lieutenant Governour or Comander in Chief or Council of our Province of the Massachusets Bay for the time being as aforesaid all and every the like powers as in these presents are before Granted and recited for the Ruleing Governing and Ordering our Militia and all our Forces Forts and places of Strength within our Province of the Massachusets Bay to be Exercised by you the said Elizeus Burges and in your absence from our Territory and Dominion of New England by our said Lievtenant Governor or Comander in Chief of our said Province of the Massachusets Bay for the time being within our said Colonies of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation and the Narraganset Country or Kings Province for and during our Pleasure In witnesse &c Witnesse our Selfe at Westm the seventeenth Day of March By Writt of Privy Seal1 Paten' de Anno Regni Regis Georgii primo Nos autem tenorem premissorum predictorum ad Requisicionem Elizei Burges Armigeri Duximus Exemplificandum per presentes In cujus rei Testimonium has Literas Fieri fecimus Patentes Teste me ipso 1 What follows is found in the Exemplification only. Public Record Office, Patent Roll, 1 George I, Part 8, No. 25. Compared with the Exemplification1 in the library of the Massachusetts Historical Society (171. 2. 4).2 1 This Exemplification, which was given to the Massachusetts Historical Society about 1810, is the only document of the sort (among the Commissions printed in this volume) that is now known to be extant. It is engrossed on three sheets of parchment (the initial letter containing a representation of George I), and appending is the Great Seal of England (now broken). 2 The differences between the Exemplification and the copy in the Patent Roll are noted in footnotes. SAMUEL SHUTE'S COMMISSION AS GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE OF THE 15 JUNE, 1716 DRAUGHT OF A COMMISSION FOR SAMUEL SHUTE ESQE TO May the 10 BE GOVERNOR OF THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY George by the Grace of God, king of Great Britain, France and Ereland, Defender of the Faith, To Our Trusty & Well beloved SAMUEL SHUTE Esq Greeting. Whereas by a Royal Charter, under the Great Seal of England bearing date the seventh day of Oct' in the third Year of the Reign of King William the third, the Colony of the Massachusets Bay, the Colony of New Plimouth, the Province of Maine in New England, the Territory of Accadie or Nova Scotia, and the Lands lying between the said Territory of Nova Scotia and the Province of Maine aforesaid, were united, erected & incorporated into one Real Province, by the name of our Province of the Massachusets Bay. in New England, & his said Majesty did thereby grant to our loving Subjects the Inhabitants of our said Province or Territory of the Massachusets Bay in New England & their Successors, that there shall be a Governor, a Lieut Governor & Secretary of our Said Province and Territory, to be from time to time appointed & Commissionated by the said King William, his Heirs and Successors with several Priviledges, Franchises and Immunities thereby granted to our said loving subjects; We therefore reposing especial Trust & Confidence in your Prudence, Courage and Loyalty, out of our especial Grace, certain Knowledge and Meer Motion, have thought fitt to constitute and appoint, and by these Presents, do constitute and appoint You the said Samuel Shute to be our Capt General and Governor in Chief in and over Our said Province of the Massachusets Bay in New England; And for your better Guidance and Direction, We do hereby require and command you to do and execute all things in due manner, that shall belong unto the To execute this Trust We have reposed in you, according to the several Commission according to Instructions To take the Powers and Authorities mentioned in the said Charter, and in these Presents, and such further Powers and Instructions & Authorities as you shall receive, or which shall at any time hereafter be granted or appointed you under our Sign Manual and Signet, or by Order of our Privy Council, in pursuance of the said Charter, and according to such reasonable Laws and Statutes as are now in Force or which hereafter shall be made and agreed upon, in such manner and form as by the said Charter is directed. And Our Will and Pleasure is, that you the said Samuel Shute after the Publication of these our Letters Patents do in the first Place take the Oaths appointed by Act of Parliament to be taken instead of the Oaths of Allegiance & Supremacy & the Oath mentioned in an Act pass'd in the first year of our Reign, entituled, An Act for the further Security of his Majesty's Person and Government & the Succession of the Crown in the Heirs of the late Princess Sophia, being Protestants; And the Extinguishing the Hopes of the Pretended Prince of Wales and his open and secret Abettors. As also that you make and subscribe the Declaration mentioned in an Act of Parliam* made in y° 25th year of the Reign of |