IAMES by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland Defender of the faith &c.

To all to whom these pre­sents shall come, greeting. Whereas wee haue bin lately informed, that the Seas neere and about the parts of Winter­tonnesse in our County of Nor­ffolke are of great danger and perill for passing of Ships sayling vnto the North Coast in darke and foule nights, by reason of a Sand lying in length from the maine land two furlongs or there abouts, vpō the which of late yeares many great losses haue happened to our Subiects sayling neere the same Coast, aswell by the lamentable wracke of diuers Ships there as by the losse of many of our subiects their liues and goods, which haue beene occasioned by the want of Light howses and lights that might haue beene prouided and set vp, at or as neere the [Page 2] said Nesse for direction of Saylers trading or pas­sing to and fro those parts which by the helpe of such Light-houses and lights might haue well bin saued and preuented. And that for the scaping and pre­uenting of the dangers of those parts for the time to come, it is very conuenient and necessarie that light-howses should be there erected with lights therein continually burning, and maintained in the night time, for the direction and safe conduct of Shippes passing by or alongst the said coast in the night time in darke and fowle nights, and that almost all the masters and owners of Shippinge, trading to our Towne of Newcastle for Coales, Fishermen and o­ther Maisters and Owners of other shipping, tra­trading vppon the said North coast, haue heretofore greatly desired the erection of light-houses & lights there to be set vp and maintayned, and haue offered to contribute for, and towards the erection and con­tinual maintenance of the same, as by an inquisition or certificate taken at the Cittie of Norwich in the Coūty of Norffolke the eight day of Ianuarie last past before Iohn Corbett, Iohn Smith, Owen Sheppard, and Roger Godsalue, Esquires: our Commissioners by vertue of Our Commission vnder our great seale of England, baring date at Westminster the six­teenth day of December last past, vnto them and o­thers directed by the oathes of sundry good & law­full men of our Townes of great Yarmouth and Winterton in the said County, and returned into and remaining of record in our Court of Chancery: a­mongst other things more at large it doth and may more appeare. Wee therefore out of our princely [Page 3] office and care intending heereafter to prouide for as well the safety of the liues and goods of our sub­iects & others as of the shipping of our Kingdomes, (being a principall honour & strength of the same) and vnwilling that our louing subiects and others passing by the said North Coast should vndergoe & continue still vnder the danger and hazard of the said perilous Sands whereunto by woefull experi­ence they haue heretofore beene too much subiect. And hauing beene enformed by our learned Coun­sell that the erection and mayntenance of such Light-houses and Lights in places needfull for the safetie of our subiects, is a right and power remaining in vs, notwithstanding the power or authoritie heretofore giuen by the statute made in the eight yeare of the Raigne of our late decre Sister Queene Elizabeth to the Maister, Wardens, and Assistants of the Trini­tie-house of Debtford Strond for erecting of Beacons, Signes, and Sea markes, haue thought fit and necessa­rie, and by these presents wee doe for vs, our Heirs & successors, will ordaine and appoynt that some one or more conuenient Lighthouse or Lighthouses shall be erected made and set vp, at or neere such fit and conuenient place or places at or within the space of two miles of Winterton aforesaid as by the persons heereafter by vs named & authorised in that behalfe their Executors, Administrators or Assignes their substitute or substitutes or some or one of them shall be thought meete and necessarie from time to time and that continually in the night season in darke & foule nights sufficient lights shall therein by the persons hereafter named their Executors or As­signes, [Page 4] substitute or substitutes, or some or one of them and at their proper costs and charges from time to time be kept and maintained for the directi­on, condition, and preseruation of Ships, Hoyes, Barkes, Fishermen or other vessells whatsoeuer which shall saile or passe by or alongst the said North Coast, and that as well the said Lighthouse or Light­houses which sha I hereafter be by them so built and erected, shall or may from time to time by the said persons hereafter by vs named and appoynted their Executors, Administrators, or Assignes, substitute or substitutes bee altered, renewed, remoued, and changed as by the accidents and mooueables, and channels at or neere Wintertonesse aforesaid shal or may require for the safer conduction & guiding of Saylers ships, Fisher-barkes, and other vessells whatsoeuer, passing or repassing from Port to Port, by or alongst the said Coast as well by night as by day.

And for asmuch as the erection, reparation, remoo­uing, changing, and continuall maynteyning of the said Light-houses and Lights in the same there Will from time to time require a great and continuall charge for the supportation and maintenance of the same. Wee will, ordaine, and appoynt for vs our Heyres and successors that there shall be collected and taken of an for euery Shippe, Hoy, Barke, Fisherman, or other vessell whatsoeuer that shall passe from porte to porte by or alongst the said North Coast a duty or payment of one penny vppon the Tunne according to the burthen of the said shippe, Hoy, Barke or vessell, in the whole voyage [Page 5] outward and inward, (that is to saye) one halfe penny vpon euery Tuune for the said whole vo­yage outward and inward of and from the Ma­sters or owners of such shippes, Barkes, Hoyes, and vessells & one other halfe penny vpon euery Tunne as aforesaid of and from the Marchants or owners of the goods in the said Shippes, Barkes, Hoyes or vessells for the time being, which said dutie or payment of one penny to be paied vpon euery Tunne as aforesaide wee will shall bee deliuered and payed to the hands of such officer and officers or other person or persons as the persons hereafter named, or either of either of them, their, or eyther of their executors Administrators or assignes or any of them shall nominate, depute and appoynt in any our custome-houses, to receiue and take the same by the Masters and owners of the Shippes, Hoyes, Barkes or vessells, for the time being, who shall and may lawfully demaund, receiue, and take the moyetie, or one halfe thereof, according to the true meaning of this our graunt, of, and from the Marchants & owners of the goods in the Ships, Hoyes, Barkes and vessells, from time to time, ac­cording to the quantitie of the goods & Marchan­dizes wherewith the said Shippes, Hoyes, Barkes or vessells shall be fraught or laden.

And that the said persons hereafter named, their or either of their executors, Administrators or As­signes, substitute or substitutes one or more of them shall or may likewise lawfully demaund, receiue & take of euery Shippe, Hoye, Barke, Fishermen or vessell being the Shippe, Hoye, Barke or vessell of [Page 6] any Aliene, Denizen or stranger, not being our na­turall borne subiects, that shall happen to sayle, or passe from port to port, by or alongst the sayd North coast, the like dutie of one pennie vpon the Tunne, in the voyage outward and inward, as aforesaid, which we will and ordaine, for vs, our Heires, and Successors, shalbe collected and taken by the per­sons hereafter named, their Executors, Admini­strators, Deputies, or Assignes, at or in the Port, Harbor, Creeke, or Roade within in any part of our Dominions where the said Ships, Hoyes, Barkes or vessels of any such stranger, shall harbor or put in although the same shippe, or vessel shall not be there vnloaded or dischardged of any the goods or Mar­chandizes, wherewith it shall be fraught or laden.

And that the same dutie of one pennie vpon the Tunne as aforesaid being once paide, and the re­ceipt thereof being testified by those who shall be ap­poynted to receiue the same, the saide Masters and owners of shipps aud other vessells, aswell our na­turall borne subiects as strangers, shall be then fre­ed and discharged of and from the payment of the saide dutie, in euery or any Port or Ports in which the saide Shippes or uessells, shall or may happen or come in euery or any such voyage as aforesaid.

KNOW YEE therefore that wee as well in consideration of the premises, as for diuers other good causes & considerations vs hereunto mouing of our speciall grace, certaine knowledge and meere motions, haue giuen and graunted and by these pre­sents for vs, our Heires and Successors, wee doe giue and graunt vnto our trustie and welbeloued [Page 7] seruants, Sir William Erskine knight, & Iohn Meldrum Esquire, their Executors, Administrators and As­signes, as well in regard of the true, faithfull, and acceptable seruice by the said Sir William Erskine & Iohn Meldrum to vs heeretofore done, and as being the first suters vnto vs for the erecting & setting vp of Lighthouses at or neere Winterton aforesaide as also for other good causes and considerations vs thereunto mouing free libertie, licence, power and authoritie, that they or any of them shall and may lawfully make, builde, erect set vp, remoue, & main­taine, or cause to be made, builded, erected, set vp, remoued and maintained in all such place and pla­ces of the said North Coast within the compasse of two miles of the Towne of Winterton in our Coun­ty of Norfolke as to them shall seeme most fit, need­full and requisite, such & so many conuenient Light­howses, with continuall Lights to be burning in them during all the night time, whereby the said Seafa­ring men may take notice and be warned of the dan­gers thereabouts and so be the more able to auoide and escape them, and the said ships and vessells may the better ariue and come into their Ports and Har­bors without perill, as to them the said Sir William Erskine and Iohn Meldrum, their Executors, Admi­nistrators and Assignes or any of them shall be thought fit, requisite and needfull.

And for the great and continuall charges to be from time susteyned & borne in and about the erec­ting and maintaining of the said Lights and Light­howses, we doe for vs, our Heires and Successors, will ordaine, giue and graunt to the said Sir William [Page 8] Erskine and Iohn Meldrum their Executors, Administrators, Deputies and Assignes full power and authoritie, that they & euery of them shall and may lawfully demande, receiue, haue and take of, and from the Maisters and Owners of Ships, Hoyes, Barkes, Fishermen, and other Vessells passing or sayling by or alongst the said North Coast one pen­nie vppon the Tunne according to the burthen of the same Ships or vessels for euery whole voyage inward & outward as aforesaid, to be from time to time answered & payd either in such Port or places where the same Ship or Vessell shall be fraught or laden, or else in such Port or place where the same Ship or Vessell shall be discharged and vnladen as aforesaid. Neuerthe lesse our will and pleasure is that for the erection, reparation renewing, remo­uing and continuall mayntenance of all or any such Lighthouse or Lighthouses heretofore erected and set vp or which hereafter shall or may be erected, renu­ed, altered, remoued and mayntained, at or as neere Winterton or within two miles compasse of the same as aforesaid, no other or further dutie or payment to be demaunded or taken of our subiects or others, then the aforesaid dutie or payment of one penny in the Voyage vpon the Tunne outward and inward as aforesaid.

AND WE doe further of our speciall grace, cer­taine knowledg, & meere motion for vs, our Heires, and successors, giue and grant vnto the said Sir Wil­liam Erskine & Iohn Meldrum, their Executors, Ad­ministrators, and Assignes, full power and autho­ritie that they and euery of them at their wills and [Page 9] pleasures shall or may lawfully erect, set vp alter, change, renue and remoue by or at their proper costs and charges, and by and with the aduise and direc­tion of expert and skillfull Seafaring men dwel­ling or trading vpon the aforesaid Coast, such and so many Lights and Lighthouses, at or as neere Win­terton aforesaid; or within the compasse of two miles thereof as aforesaid as shall be thought fit & as iust occasion or necessitie shail require. To haue, hould, exercise and enioy the said liberties, licences powers & authorities & the said dutie or payment of one pennie vpon the Tunne as aforesaid before by these presents giuen and granted and euerie of them vnto the said Sir William Erskine and Iohn Mel­drum their Executors, Administrators and As­signes, for and during the full end and tearme of fif­tie yeares from the date of these presents fully to be compleate and ended.

AND for asmuch as any other order or course cannot well be taken for the due leauiyng of the said dutie or payment of one pennie vpon the Tunne in the Voyage outward and inward as aforesaid for and towards the effecting & continuance of this so good and necessarie a worke, then by appoynting the payment and collection of the same, to be had and made within the Ports, Harbors, Roades and Creekes, vnto the which the said Ships, Barkes, and Vessells shall or doe come and abide, we doe by these presnts for vs, our Heires and Successors, will ordaine and appoynte & also straightly charge commande, and authorise all and euery the Custo­mers, Collectors, Controulers, Receiuers of entries [Page 10] of ships, Water-baylife and all other the officers whatsoeuer of and concerning the Customes to vs, our Heires & Successors, and al other the Wardens or keepers of any our Hauens and Ports now be­ing, and which from the time hereafter shall be as well in our seuerall Ports of London & New-castle, as in all & euery other the Ports, Harbors, Creekes, Roades, and places within our Realem of England, to whome it shall or may appertaine, that they or some of them being first lawfully deputed & appoy­nted by the said persons herein before named their Executors, Administrators or Assignes or some of them for the leuying and receiuing the said dutie of one pennie vpon the Tunne as afore said from time to time & at al times hereafter during the said terme of fiftie yeares before such time as they or any of thē shall or may giue any Cocket or other discharge whatsoeuer, or before they shall receiue or take any entry respectiuely of or for any Sip, Barke or Ves­sell which hereafter shall passe or repasse by or a­longst the North Coast aforesaid shall demaund, col­lect and receiue the said dutie and allowance of one pennie vpon the Tonne in the voyage, outward & inward herein before specified, respectiuely of and for all and euery such Ship, Hoy, Barke, or Ves­sell, belonging to any Merchant, Fishermen, or o­ther person or persons our naturall borne Subiects Denizens and Strangers as shall sayle and trade from Port to Port by or along the Coast aforesaide, except the Maister or Owner of the same Shippe Barke or Vessell shall produce and shew forth a re­ceipt or acquittance of and for the payment of the [Page 11] said dutie vnder the hand and seale of such officer or officers as shall be deputed and appoynted by the said persons herein before named, their Executors, Administrators or Assignes in euery or any such Customehouse or place from whence the said Ship or Vessell shall come testifiing the payment and re­ceipt thereof to be there duly had and made.

And that all and euery such Customer, collector, or other officer in our said Custome-houses to be ap­poynted and deputed as aforesaid, shall yeald and make iust and true accomptes and payments, of all and every such collectors, sume & somes of money, as by him, them, or any of them, shall be collected or receiued from time to time, vnto the said Sir William Erskine Knight, and Iohn Meldrum, their Executors Administrators or Assignes, to be by them either or any of them, receiued and reteyned to their owne proper vse and behoofe, for and in respect of their great and continuall charges, to be susteyned and borne, in erecting, renewing, altering remouing and continuall maynteyning of the said light-houses and lights, in the night season as aforesaid, without any accompt or other thing therefore, or for any parte thereof by them to be made or giuen for the same, o­ther then the yearely rent hereby to vs our Heyre & Successors reseeued, yealding, and paying therefore vnto vs our Heires & Successors, the yearely rent or somme of six pounds therteene shillings & foure pence of lawfull money of England, at the receipt of our Exchequer at Westminster, or to our Receiuor or Receiuors, of our Countie of Norffolke for the time being, at the feast of the Annunciation of the blessed [Page 12] virgine Mary, and at S. Michaell the Arch-Angell, by even & equall proportion, during the said terme, or within thyrty dayes next after eyther of the sayd feastes.

And to the end, that the said S. William Erskine and Iohn Mildrum, their Executors, Administra­tors and Assignes, shall and may the better haue & enioye the full force benifit and effect of this our pre­sent graunt. And to the intent and purpose, that the Master Wardens and Assistances of the Trinitie House of Debtford Strond aforesaid, and all others whosoeuer, may be restrayned during the terme of Fiftie yeares aforesaid, from continuing, reparing, renuing remouing & maynteyning, any Light-house or Light-houses all ready erected and set vp, since March last, within the space of two Miles of the Towne of Winterton aforesaid, and from errecting, & setting vp during the said terme, any other new Light-house or Light-houses, at or neere the sayd Towne, or within two miles thereof, and of & from the receiuing, hauing or taking, by any wayes, meanes, or pretences whatsoeuer, any collection, contribution, some or sommes of money, whatsoe­uer for the same, during the sayd Terme of Fiftie yeares before specified, notwithstanding any former course, taken or had, by, or for the said Master War­dens and assistances of the Trinitie house of Debt­ford Strond aforesaid, for the Light-houses since March last by them ecected, at or neere Wintetton a­foresayd.

Wee doe by these presence, for vs, our Heires aud Successors, authorizice, the Lords of our Priuie [Page 13] Councell for the time being, & we doe also straight­ly charge, require and command all Mayors She­riffs, Iustices of peace, Captaines of our Castles, & Forts, Bayliffs and other Officers and Ministers whatsoeuer, of vs, our Heires and Successors to whom it doth & shall appertaine, that they and eue­ry of them bee from time to time hereafter ayding & assisting vnto the said William Erskin Knight & Iohn Meldrum, their and either of their Executors, Admi­nistrators and Assignes, substitures, factors and ser­uants, and euery of them, in and concerning the pre­mises vpon euery complaint to be made touching or concerning the same, according as Iustice shall be by them or any of them desired and requested in that be­halfe, and these presents or the inrolement thereof shall be vnto them & euery of them a sufficient war­rant and discharge for the doing, performing and ex­ecuting the same.

AND lastly we doe hereby signifie and declare our expresse will and pleasure to be, and we doe for vs, our Heires & Successors, straightly charge and command the said Maister, Wardens, and Assi­stants of the Trinitie house of Debtford Strond and their successors, that they and euerie of them, their factors and seruants appoynted by them shall and doe immediately from henceforth surcease & desist aswell of and from erecting or setting vpp of any Light-house or Light-houses at Winterton aforesaid or within two miles compasse thereof as aforesaid as of and from the continuing or maintainig of any Light or Lights burning in any Lighthouse or Light­houses since March last by them there erected or set [Page 14] vp, and that they and euery of them shall forbear from henceforth to demaunde, receiue or take any dutie, payment allowance, or benifit of or from any our subiects or others trading or passing by or a­longst the said Coast for or in respect of the same Light-house or Light-houses by or vnder any coulour pretence or pretext whatsoeuer, any Act, Statute, Ordinance, Prouision, Charter and Graunt, here­tofore had made, enacted, or prouided, or any other cause, consideration, matter, or thing, to the contra­rie thereof in any wise, notwithstanding, and that vpon the paine and perill of incurring our high and heauie displeasuere for their contempt or neglect of this our royall will and commandement herein so expresly declared in this behalfe, although expresse mention of the true yearely valew or certainty of the premises or of any of them, or of any other gift or graunt by vs or any of our Progenitors or Pre­d [...]cessors to the aforesaid Sir William Erskine & Iohn Meldrum or either of them before these times made in these presents, is not made, or any Statute, Act, Ordinance, Prouision, Proclamation or Restraint heretofore had made, set forth, ordeyned or prouided or any other matter, cause or thing whatsoeuer to the contrarie in any wise notwithstanding.

In witnesse whereof we haue caused these our Letters to be made Pattents, witnes our selfe at Westminster the 18 day of Feb. in our 15 yeare of our Raigne of England, and of Scotland the 51.