WILLIAM and MART, By the Grace of GOD, King and Queen of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defenders of the Faith, &c. To all and ſingular Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Arch Deacons, Deans, and their Officials, Parſons, Vicars, Curates, and all other Spiritual Perſons: And alſo to all Juſtices of the Peace, Mayors, Sheriffs, Bayliffs, Conſtables, Church-Wardens, Chapel-Wardens, Headboroughs, Collectors for the Poor, and their Overſeers: And alſo to all Officers of Cities, Boroughs, and Towns Corporate, and to all other Our Officers, Miniſters and Subjects, whatſoever they be, as well within Liberties as without, to whom theſe Preſents ſhall come, Greeting:

VVhere as We are Credibly Informed, as well by the humble Petition of the Miniſter, Church-Wardens, and Inhabitants of Towyn in the County of Merioneth, and Dioceſs of Bangor, as alſo by a Certificate made at the General Quarter Seſſions of the Peace, holden at Bala, in and for the ſaid County, on Thurſday the Eleventh Day of January laſt paſt, under the Hands and Seals of our Truſty and Welbeloved Reger Price, John Lloyd, Edmond Meyrick, and John Vaughan Eſquires Juſtices of the Peace for our ſaid County; and under the Hands of Our Truſty and Welbeloved Sir John Wynne Knight and Baronet, Thomas Bulkley, Sir William Williams Baronet, Price Deverux, Edward Vaughan, Edward Brereton, and Robert Price, Members of Parliament for North Wales; That on Monday the Eleventh Day of September laſt, the greateſt part of the Pariſh Church of Towyn aforeſaid, (being one of the greateſt Churches within the Dioceſe of Bangor) together with the Steeple and Ring of Bells, (by caſualty and great miſchance) fell down and Sunk, to the great Grief of the poor diſconſolate Pariſhone • s, who are thereby deſtitute of a ſuitable and decent Place to meet and celebrate the Worſhip of Almighty GOD in, according to their Duty and earneſt Deſire; and not being able to Rebuild the ſame, without the Aſſiſtance and Relief of Pious and Charitable Chriſtians have therefore humbly beſought Us to Grant unto them, Our gracious Letters Patents, under Our Great Seal of England, to Licenſe and Authorize them to Ask and Receive the Charitable Benevolence and Contributions of all Our Loving Subjects, in the Counties and Places in theſe Our Letters Patents mentioned, towards Rebuilding the ſaid Church.

VVe being willing to forward all Good Works, eſpecially wherein the Worſhip of GOD is concern'd, have Condeſcended to their humble Requeſt, and have Given and Granted, and by theſe Our Letters Patents under Our Great Seal of England, do Give and Grant to the ſaid Pariſhioners of Towyn, and to their Deputy and Deputies, the Bearer and Bearers hereof, Authoriſed and Deputed in this behalf, as afterwards in theſe Preſents is Appointed, full Power, Licence, and Authority, to Ask, Gather, Receive, and Take the Alms and Charitable Benevolence of all Our Loving Subjects, not only Houſholders, but alſo Servants, Strangers, and Others, in all and every the Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Towns Corporate, Priviledged Places, Pariſhes, Chapelries, Towns, Villages, Hamlets, and all other Places whatſoever within Our Dominion of Wales; and in the Counties of Salop, Stafford, Warwick, Worcester, Glocester, Hereford, Cheſter, and Monmeuth, and in all Cities, Towns, Pariſhes, and Places, within the ſaid Counties, and not elſewhere, for and towards the ſaid Pious and Charitable Uſe.

VVherefo • , We Require and Command you and every of you, that at ſuch time and times as the ſaid Deputy and Deputies, the Bearer and Bearers hereof, ſhall come or repair to any your Churches, Chapels, or Aſſemblies for Religious Worſhip, to Ask and Receive the Alms and Charitable Benevolence of Our ſaid loving Subjects, quietly to permit and ſuffer them ſo to do, without any manner your Letts or Contradictions; And you the ſaid Parſons, Vicars and Curates, upon ſome Lords Day, ſoon after that theſe Our Letters Patents ſhall be produced, and the true Copies thereof tendred unto you, or the ſaid Church-Wardens or Chapel-Wardens reſpectively, and before the expiration of theſe Preſents, deliberately and affectionately to publiſh and declare the Tenor of theſe Our Letters Patents unto Our ſaid Loving Subjects, and earneſtly exhort, perſwade, and ſtir them up, to extend their Liberal Contributions towards the Rebuilding of the ſaid Church and Steeple. And you the ſaid Church-Wardens, Chapel-Wardens, Collectors for the Poor and their Overſeers, to Collect the Alms of Our ſaid Loving Subjects, and the Sums of Money Collected by Virtue hereof, to Endorſe upon theſe Our Letters Patents, or the ſaid Copies, in Words at length and not in Figures, together alſo with the Names of the Counties, Cities, Towns, Par • hes, Chape • ries, and Places reſpectively, wherein and the time when ſuch Sums were gathered; which Endorſements are to be ſubſcribed by the Miniſters and your ſelves, and alſo to be enter'd into your Books of Accompts for the ſaid Pariſh, Chapelries, and Places reſpectively: And you are alſo to deliver the ſaid Monies, with all the ſaid Copies, unto the ſaid Bearer and Bearers hereof, (Authoriſed as herein is appointed) whenſoever you ſhall be by them or any of them thereunto required, but to no other Perſon or Perſons whatſoever; whoſe receiving thereof, together with their or any of their Acquittance or Acquittances, ſhall be your ſufficient Diſcharge for ſo doing: Which ſaid Bearer and Bearers hereof are hereby Willed and Required, upon Receipt of the ſaid Monies, forthwith to pay the ſame, and deliver all the ſaid Copies, unto the Right Reverend Fathers in GOD, William Lord Biſhop of Litchfield and Coveniry, Humphry Lord Biſhop of Bangor, the Lord Biſhop of St. Aſaph, Our Truſty and Welbeloved Sir John Wynne, Knight and Baronet, Sir Robert Owen Kt. Edward Vaughan, Griffith Vaughan, Colonel Hugh Nanney, William Pugh, Roger Price, John Lloyd, Vincent Corbet, Richard Owen, Owen Anwill, Robert Price, John Vaughan Eſquires, John Vaughan Gentleman, and William Lewis Vicar of Towyn aforeſaid, whom We do hereby Conſtitute and Appoint Commiſſioners and Truſtees of all ſuch Money as ſhall be Collected by Virtue hereof, with full Power to them, or any Five or more of them, (whereof the Biſhop of the Dioceſe of Bangor for the time being to be always one) as well to Depute and Appoint, ſuch Perſon or Perſons as they ſhall think fit to Collect the ſaid Money, as alſo to diſpoſe of the ſame towards the Rebuilding of the ſaid Church and Steeple, and to or for no other Uſe whatſoever.

And Laſtly, Our Will and Pleaſure is, That no Perſon or Perſons whatſoever ſhall Collect or Receive the ſaid Monies of or from the ſaid Church-Wardens, Chapel-Wardens, Collectors for the Poor, and their Overſeers, or any other, but ſuch only as ſhall be Appointed and Authorized ſo to do by Deputation under the Hands and Seals of the above-named Commiſſioners and Truſtees, or any Five or more of them.

In VVitneſs whereof, We have cauſed theſe Our Letters to be made Patents, and to continue for One Year, from the day of the Date hereof, and no longer.