Where of our owne know­ledge and certeine science we doe vnderstande, that our Towne and Port of Hasting, in our Countie of Sussex, being the auncient Towne of our Cinque Portes, is scituated vpon the maine Sea, verie neere the middest of a great Bay or open place, lying betweene two points of the land, which stretche foorth farre into the Sea, called the Beachy and the Nasse, distant eache from the other thirtie miles, right opposite to the Realme of Fraunce, the auncient enemie of our Countrey: as we are credibly enfourmed, the same Towne hath of long time beene a place not onely very well inhabited with warlike people, and greatly replenished with good Mariners and other men meete and seruiceable for our Nauy, well stored with Shippes, Barkes, Crayers, and Boates, but also sufficiently furnished with Armour, and Artillery of all sortes, both for Sea & Land: also very meete and commodious for Fishing, and the Bay plenteously abounding with all sorts of Fish, according to the seuerall seasons of the yere: by reason whereof the same Towne hath of long time bene by the inhabitants thereof, in time of warres, manfully defended against the sundry inuasions and at­tempts of the French Nation, our coaste therabouts lying very open against the French, by them often kept from spoilc. Our Marchants and louing Subiects, and other Trauellers sayling along that coast, haue often times by their Shippes, and often times by their harborough, beene saued and rescued from the furie of the enemies, and the tyrannie of Pirates: our Nauy, and the Nauy of sundry our noble Pro­genitors. Kinges of this Realme, the better appoimed by reason of their skilfull Mariners, and cunning Seamen: Also our household, our Citizens of London, and our Countreys to the said Port adioyning, greatly benefited by their fishing. And where our said Towne hath of long time had a Peere or Harbo­rough made of Timber, and other things set and placed in the Sea, for the succour of the Seamen, and defence of their Shippes, Barkes, Crayers and Boates, against the great rage and furie of the Sea, which hath bin alwaies mainteyned at the great and importable charges of the inhabitants of our saide Towne of Hasting, vntill of late time the same Peere or Harborough was at a sudden, by the great vio­lence and extreme rage of the Sea, broken downe and caried away: sithence which time the Towne is much decayed, the traffique of Marchants thither forsaken, the fisshing, by reason of the dangerous lan­ding▪ litle vsed, the riche and wealthy men gone thence, and the poore men yet remaining would gladly doe the like, if without offence of our lawes they might be elsewhere receiued, whereby our people are likely to perishe, and our saide Port likely to be subuerted and become desolate, or els the people there by necessitie driuen to commit great and heynous offences, to the great hinderance of the publique weale, vnlesse some speedie remedie be for them prouided. And where we be enformed by diuers of our priuie Counsell and Nobilitie, and by diuers Artificers verie cunning and skilful in that kinde of facultie, that a verie good Hauen or Rhoade, for the arriuing and sauegard of Shippes, Barkes, Crayers and Boates, may nere vnto the said Porte with no great charge be made, to the great reliefe of the inhabi­tants, [Page]and of all Marchants and trauellers sayling along the narrowe Seas, and to the strength of our said Coaste: and that the Inhabitants of our saide Porte be ready and willing to bestowe their landes, goodes, and labours, to the vttermost of their power, to accomplish the same: notwithstanding of themselues very vnhable to finish so great a worke, likely as it is thought to amoūt vnto the summe of foure thousand poundes. We therefore considering the premisses, & minding to prouide for the pre­seruation of our people, the maintenance of our Nauy and Towne, for the defence of our Coaste, & of Marchants & trauellers, and that the prouision of our householde, our Citie and Countrey be not di­minished, at the humble sute of our Bailife, Iurates, & Comminaltie of our saide Towne of Hasting, do by these our letters Patents not onely giue & graunt vnto our said Bailife, Iurates, and Commi­naltie, full power and authoritie, to make newe, & finishe one Hauen, in such place or places nere vnto our saide Towne and Port, as to them shall seeme most conuenient, and to the finishing & accompli­shing thereof, yeeld our Royall assent and consent: but also for the furtherance & better helping forth of the same, we do commed the same good & laudable intent and purpose, to the charitable and liberall contribucion & beneuolence of all and singuler our louing subiects dwelling within any our Realmes and Dominions, that the rather for our recommendation, the more liberall contribucion by our sayde Subiects may be yeelded to the finishing of the said Hauen, a worke tēding much to the defence of our Realmes, and to the profite of the common wealth of the same, and which wilbe cause to auoide manie great inconueniences that may insue by the neglecting thereof: & also be au euident declaration of the forwarde and willing mindes of all our louing Subiects, to augment the prosperitie of our Realmes and Countreys. We of our speciall grace, certaine knowledge, and meere mocion, haue giuen and graunted, and by these our letters Patent, doe giue & graunt full licence, permission, and authoritie to our faithfull and welbeloued Subiects, Richard Calueley, and Iohn Iefferey, Iurates of our saide Towne of Hasting, and William Relfe of Ore Gentleman, and to euery of them, and to all and euery other person or persons that shalbe thereunto deputed and assigned by them, or by any two of them, by writing vnder the common seale of our saide Towne of Hasting, to aske, receiue, collect, and take of all maner of persons whatsoeuer, Spirituall or Temporall, Englishe borne or Straungers, in all places, as well within liberties as without, exempt or not exempt, our Citizens of London or els where, within any our Realmes, Cities and Dominions wheresoeuer, Christian contribucion & be­neuolence of all our saide louing Subiectes, that it may or shal please God to mooue or stirre them to giue, contribute, yeelde and paye towardes the new making of the said Hauen. And for the better and more speedie execution of this our pleasure, we doe by these our saide letters Patent, will, require, & straightly commaund all our Sherifes in their seuerall Sheires & Counties, all our Iustices of peace in their seuerall limittes, and all Maiors, Baylifes, and all other head Officers, within all Cities, Townes corporate, and other Iurisdictions, and also all Parsons, Vicars, Ministers, & Curates of Churches and Parishes, not onely of their owne partes to be helping with their liberall deuotion to ward the said good and laudable worke, but also to recommende our speciall pleasure, and the furthe­rance of the said Hauen in their seueral Counties, Limittes, Cities, Townes, Liberties, Parish chur­ches, Hamlets, or Villages, for the better obteining of liberal contribution thereunto. And further our wil & pleasure is, that some of the honorable of our priuie Counsel shal vpō the sight of these presents, or of the Exemplification of the same, at the request of y^e said Richard Calueley, Iohn Iefferey, & William Relfe, or of any of thē, direct their letters to y^e Lord Maior of our Citie of London, & to the Iustices of peace of the same Citie, to all Sherifes in euerie our Sheires or Counties within our Realme & Do­mimons, and to all Maiors, Bailifes, Gouernors, & head Officers of Cities, Boroughs, Townes cor­porate, Ilandes, & Franchised places, commaunding the said Lord Maior, the Iustices, the said She­rifes, Bailifes, Gouernors, and head officers aforesaid, that they & euery of them, within their seue­ral Limittes, Iurisdictions or liberties, which shalbe next after y^e receipt of the said letters, or of these presents, or the Exemplification of the same, shall direct the tenor of this our pleasure to all & singuler Iustices of peace within their seuerall Limittes, Iurisdictions or Liberties, requiring, and straightly cōmaunding them & euery of thē in our name, to appoint with all cōuenient speede within their seue­rall Limittes, one Constable in euery Hundred, Rape, Lathe, or Wapētake at the least, & one Church­warden in euery Parish, and them to commande & exhort, not onely to be liberall them selues in their contribucion, but also that the saide Constables & Churchwardens shal write the name of euery Pa­rish, and of euery man of habilitie within the same, and of them to aske & receiue their deuocion, & ear­nestly in our name to exhort them to liberalitie, in contributing to the making of the saide Hauen, and truely to write downe the summe which euery man shall giue, and the money which they shal thereby collect and receiue, and the names of euery giuer, and the true summe which euery one shall giue, & al­so [Page]the names of al such as shal not giue, or shal refuse to contribute, in writing shal within one moneth next after they shal haue notice of this our pleasure, deliuer vp vnto such our Iustices of peace of whō they receiued their charge, if he shal then be liuing, otherwise to such of our Iustices as shalbe next dwelling thereaboutes. And that our further pleasure is, that our said Iustices of peace shal by their warraunt call before them, al & singuler such persons as shal refuse to giue or contribute liberally to­wards this good worke, and vnderstand the cause of their refusall, & vnto them declare our pleasure, exhorting and perswading them to conformitie, which if they shal notwithstanding, obstinately re­fuse, then to certifie their names and dwelling places to vs, or to our priuy Counsel. And that our said Iustices of peace and euery of them, shall at the Sessions or generall assemblie, holden next within their saide seuerall Sheires, Limittes, Iurisdictions or Liberties, deliuer and yeelde vp vnto the said Lorde Maior, Sherifes, Maiors, Bailifes, Gouernours, or head Officers, by bill indented, vnto which their handes or markes shalbe set, whereof the one part shal remaine with the said Iusti­ces, the other with the said Lorde Maior, Sherifes, Maiors, Bailifes, and other head Officers, all such summes of money as they shal haue receiued as aforesaid, together with y^e same writings made of the names & of the money giuers: and the said Lorde Maior, Sherifes, Maiors, Bailifes, Gouer­nors and head Officers, and euery of them shal within one moneth next after the receipte thereof, transport and carrie, or cause to be carried vnto our saide Citie of London, al such summes of money as they shall haue receiued towards the same contribucion, together with the saide billes indented, and the same money there shal pay, and the saide bils indented there deliuer to our louing Subiects, Thomas Smith Esquier, one of the Customers of our Citie of London, Iohn Heynes Esquier, Sericant of our Catry, and William Heynes Gentleman, Purueior of our prouision of Sea fish, or to one of them at the newe Mansion house of the saide Thomas Smith, within our saide Citie of London, who vpon the receipt thereof shall giue vnto the saide Lorde Maior, Sherifes, Maiors, Bailifes, Gouernors, and other head Officers from time to time, an acquittance of the receipt therof, and shal keepe the same money and billes indented in one Cheste, to remaine with the said Thomas Smith vnder three seuerall lockes, whereof one Key to remaine with the saide Thomas Smith, another with the saide Iohn Heynes, and the third with the saide William Heynes, and that they from time to time, vpon demand therof to be made at the newe Mansion house of the saide Thomas Smith, within our said Citie of London, shall yeelde and pay ouer the same money, and deliuer the said bils indented so by them receiued, & euery part thereof vnto our welbeloued, the right honorable Anthony Viscount Montague, Knight of the most honorable order of the Garter, William Lorde Cobham, Warden of our Cinque Portes, and Constable of our Castle of Douer, Thomas Lorde Buckhurst, the saide Richard Calueley, Iohn Iefferey, and William Relfe, or to any three of them, wherof some one of the right honorable aforesaid or his sufficient deputie to be one: which said right honorable Anthony Viscount Montague, William Lord Cobham, Thomas Lorde Buckhurst, and the said Richard Calueley, Iohn Iefferey, and William Relfe, we do ordeine, appoint and constitute, Surueyors of the saide worke, giuing them, & to any three of them, whereof some one of the said ho­norable, or his sufficient deputie to be one, full power and authoritie to set out, direct, gouerne, order, and rule the said worke, and the workemen about the same, and the said workemen and laborers to pay, or cause to be paied: and of their proceedings and successe in the said worke, to certifie vs or our priuie Counsell vnder their handes and scales euery halfe yeere: So that expresse mention of the cer­taintie of the premisses, or of any other gift or graunt heretofore made by vs, or by any of our proge­nitors to the said Richard Calueley, Iohn Iefferey, and William Relfe, and in these presentes be not rehearsed or declared, or any act, statute, ordinance, prouision, or restraint to the contrary hereof, had, made, ordeined or prouided, or any other cause or matter whatsoeuer to the contrary in any wise, not­withstanding.

In witnesse whereof we haue caused these our letters to be made Patentes:

witnesse our selfe at Cheynis, the one and thirtieth day of October, in the twentieth yere of our raigne. 1578.

God saue the Queene.