the same in Time of Warr or Eminent Danger 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 Plantation and the Narragansett Country or Kings Province Wee do hereby give and grant unto you the said Francis Bernard and in your Absence to Our Lieutenant Governor or Comander in Chief of Our said Province of the Massachusets Bay all and every the like Powers as in these presents are before granted and recited for the ruling and governing and ordering Our Militia and all Our Towns Forts and Places of Strength within Our Province of the Massachusetts Bay to be Exercised by you the said Francis Bernard and in your Absence from Our [said] Territory & Dominion of New England by Our said Lieutenant Governor or Comander in Chief of our said Province of the Massachusetts Bay for the time being within Our said Colonies of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation and the Narragansett Country or Kings Province during the time of Warr or Eminent danger as aforesaid In Witness [&c] [whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent] Witness Ourself at Westminster the fourth day of April [In the First year of our Reign] By Writt of Privy Seal [YORKE AND YORKE] [The Great Seal of England Appending Examined A OLIVER Sec] Public Record Office, Patent Roll, 1 George III, Part 10, No. 20. Compared with the record of Royal Commissions (Crown Commissions, 1628-1663, pp. 199– 206) in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.1 1 See footnote, p. 56, ante. THOMAS HUTCHINSON'S COMMISSION AS GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE OF THE 28 NOVEMBER, 1770 [COMMISSN TO] THOMAS HUTCHINSON ESQR [TO BE George the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Freland King Defender of the Faith # To Our Trusty and Welbeloved THOMAS HUTCHINSON Esquire Greeting Whereas by a Royal Charter under the Great Seal of England bearing date the Seventh day of October in the Third year of the Reign of King William the Third the Colony of the Massachusets Bay the Colony of New Plymouth the Province of Main 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 Main aforesaid were united erected and incorporated into One Real Province by the name of Our Province of the Massachusets Bay in New England and 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 and their Successors that there should be a Governor [or] [a] Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Our said Province and Territory to be from time to time appointed and commission[at]ed by the said King William [the third] [his Heirs] & Successors with several privileges Franchises and immunities thereby granted to Our said loving Subjects and Whereas We did by Our Letters Patent under Our Great Seal of Great Britain bearing date at Westminster the fourth day of April in the first year of Our Reign Constitute and Appoint Francis Bernard Esquire Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over Our said Province of the Massachusets Bay in New England for and during Our Will & Pleasure as by the said recited Letters Patent (relacon being thereunto had) may more fully and at large Appear Now Know you that We have revoked and determined and by these Presents do revoke and determine the said recited Letters Patent and every Clause Article and thing therein contained And further Know you that We reposing especial Trust and Confidence in the Prudence Courage and Loyalty of you the said Thomas Hutchinson of our especial grace certain knowledge and mere Motion have thought fit to Constitute and Appoint [& by these presents do constitute and appoint] You the said Thomas Hutchinson to be Our Captain 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 Trust We have reposed in You according to the several Powers and Authorities mentioned in the said Charter and in these Presents and such further Powers Instructions and 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 Our Order in 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 Thomas Hutch inson after the Publication of these Our Letters Patent do in the first place take the Oaths appointed to be taken by an Act passed in the first year of the Reign of King George the First Intituled An Act for the further Security of His Majesty's Person and Government and the Succession of the Crown in the Heirs of the late Princess Sophia being Protestants and for extinguishing the hopes of the pretended Prince of Wales and his open and secret Abettors And by an Act passed in the Sixth year of Our Reign Intituled an Act for altering the Oath of Abjuration and the Assurance and for amending so much of an Act of the Seventh year of her late Majesty Queen Anne Intituled An Act for the Improvement of the Union of the two Kingdoms as after the time therein limitted require[s][d] the Delivery of certain Lists and Copies therein mentioned to Persons Indicted of High Treason or misprision of Treason As also that you make and subscribe the Declaration mentioned in an Act of Parliament made in the Twenty fifth year of the Reign of King Charles the second intituled an Act for preventing Dangers which may happen from Popish Recusants And likewise that you take the usual Oath[s] for the due Execution of the Office and Trust of Our Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over Our said Province as well with regard to the due and impartial Administration of Justice as otherwise and further that you take the Oath required to be taken by Governors of Plantations to do their utmost that the several Laws relating to Trade and the Plantations be observed Which said Oaths and Declaration Our Council of Our said Province or any three of the Members thereof have hereby full Power and Authority & are required to tender and administer unto you and in your Absence to Our Lieutenant Governor of Our said Province if there be any upon the Place all which being duly performed You shall administer to each of the Members of Our said Council and to Our said Lieutenant Governor if there be any upon the place the Oaths mentioned in the said Acts intituled An Act for the further Security of His Majesty's Person and Government and the Succession of the crown in the Heirs of the late Princess Sophia being Protestants and for extinguishing the hopes of the pretended Prince of Wales and his open and secret Abettors and an Act for altering the Oath of Abjuration and the Assurance and for amending so much of an Act of the Seventh year of her late Majesty Queen Anne intituled an Act for the Improvement of the Union of the two Kingdoms as after the time therein limitted require[s] [d] the Delivery of certain Lists and Copies therein mentioned to persons Indicted of High Treason or Misprision of Treason As also cause them to make and subscribe the aforementioned Declaration and administer to them the Oath for the due Execution of their Places and Trusts You shall also administer or cause to be administred unto all the Members that shall be elected to serve in the General Assembly of Our said Province the Oaths mentioned in the said Acts Intituled An Act for the further Security of His Majesty's person and Government and the Succession of the Crown in the Heirs of the late Princess Sophia being Protestants and for extinguishing the hopes of the pretended Prince of Wales and his open and secret Abettors and An Act for altering the Oath of Abjuration and the Assurance and for [the] amending so much of an Act of the Seventh year of her late Majesty Queen Anne Intituled An Act for the Improvement of the Union of the two Kingdoms as after the time therein limitted require[s] [d] the delivery of certain Lists and Copies therein mentioned to persons Indicted of High Treason or Misprision of Treason And likewise cause them to make and subscribe the aforementioned Declaration and untill the same shall be so taken and subscribed no person shall be capable of sitting though Elected Our [further] Will and Pleasure is that you shall and may keep and use the publick Seal of Our said Province for sealing all things whatsoever |