This Indenture made the two and twentieth of January Anno Dni 1637 and in the thirteenth yeare of the reigne of our Sovereign Lord Charles by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith &c. Between Sr John Harvey Knight Governor for the time being of the Colony of Virginia with the consent of the Council of State of the same of the one part and the Right Honble Henry Lord Matravers on the other part, Witnesseth, That whereas it hath pleased the King's most excellent Matie by his Royall Letters being date the eleventh day of Aprill in the thirteenth yeare of his Majs reigne to authorize and command mee the said Sr John Harvey with the said Council to assign and set out to the said Henry Lord Matravers and his Heyrs for ever a competent tract of land in the Southern part of the Colony to bear the name of a County and be called the County of Norfolk upon such conditions for the time and manner of planting it as shall be found requisite for the generall good of the Colony and with such powers & priviledges as may be fit for a person of his quality Reserving to his Majesty his heires and successors the yearly rent of twenty shillings to be paid by the said Lord Matravers and his heyres for the said County Now Know Yee that I the said Sr John Harvey Knight Governor and Captain General of Virginia with the consent of the said Councill of State by virtue of His Mats said Royall letters to mee and the said Councill directed And in consideration of the undertaking of the said Henry Lord Matravers to transport at his own costs and charges and to settle and plant divers inhabitants in the Colony for the advancement and generall good of the Plantation Have granted allotted assigned and confirmed unto the said Henry Lord Matravers and his Heyrs forever a certain territory and tract of land situate lying and being on the Southern side of James River in a branch of the said River being called and Known by the Indian name of Nansimund river hereafter to be called Matravers river towards the head of the said Nansamum River als Matravers river Being bound from that part of Nansamum river alias Matravers river where it divides itself into branches one degree in Longitude on either side of the river and in latitude to the
height of thirty five degrees northerly Latitude by the name and appellation of the County of Norfolk And further I the sd Sr John Harvey with the consent of the sd Council doe grant and agree to and with the said Henry Lord Matravers and his heires that when he or they have planted and peopled the above mentioned tract of land hereby to him and his heires assigned and appointed That then it shall be lawfull for him the said Henry Lord Matravers to make choice of and enter into and have as much more land in Virginia as is herein contained with the same and the like privileges to be had and chosen in such place and places where no English shall be then settled or inhabited or have made choice of and the same granted to them eyther by Patent or Order of Court To have and to hold the above mentioned Tract of Land according to the lymits and bounds thereof as also all and singular the Lands to be chosen as aforesaid with their and every of their appurtenances with all mynes as well Royall mynes of gold and silver as other mynes and mineralls woods fishings fowlings huntings waters rivers and all other Profits and Commodities and hereditaments whatsoever within the precincts of the aforesaid Territory or Tract of Land or to the foresaid Lands to be chosen unto the said Henry Lord Matravers and his heirs in as large and ample manner as any Grants have heretofore been made to any other Adventurers or Undertakers whatsoever either by the late Treasurer & Company at any time since To be held of our said Sovereign Lord the King his Heirs and Successors as of his Mannor of East Greenwich in free and common soccage by fealty and not in Capite nor by Knight's service Yielding and paying unto our Sovereign Lord the King his Heyres and successors for ever one fifth part of the said Oare of all the Mines of gold and silver which shall be found within the lymits of the said Tract of Land and County of Norfolk and the Lands to be chosen and taken up as aforesaid And likewise yielding & paying unto our said Sovereign Lord the King his Heyres and Successors for the said County of Norfolk the yearly rent of twenty shillings at the Feast of St. Michael the Archangell unto the hands of his Maj. Treasurer for Virginia to beginn after the expiration of the first seven years after the date hereof And further it shall be lawfull to and for the said Henry Lord Matravers or his Heyrs him or their Tenants and Servants and such as he or they shall contract with and employ for the said County to go and returne trade and traffick with the Natives or otherwise within the lymits of the Colony. Also to import and transport their goods and merchandises at their will and pleasure paying only such duties to the Kings Majesty his Heyrs & Successors as the late Treasurer and Company did or ought to have payd viz: Five Pounds per Centum for all imported goods and Five Pounds per Centum for all exported goods without any other taxes impositions burdens or restraints upon them to be imposed otherwise than by the Grant or Consent by Grand Assembly of the General Colony of Virginia and for the public necessary service thereof And it is further Granted and agreed that the persons so to be transported shall not be taken away nor commanded eyther by the Governor for the time being of Virginia or any other Authority therefrom the business and emploiment of the said Henry Lord Matravers or his Heyrs and others contracted with and employed as aforesaid upon any pretence whatsoever (necessary defence of the Country, preservation of the peace, suppressing tumults arising within the Land and tryals in matters of justice in Criminal cases of life and death or in civil case by appeale onely excepted) And I the said Sr John Harvey with the consent of the Councill aforesaid doe further agree to and with the said Henry Lord Matravers and his Heyrs that it shall be lawfull to and for the said Henry Lord Matravers or his Heyrs to make and ordaine such Officers & Commanders Also to name and to frame such Orders Ordinances and Constitutions from time to time for the rule and government ordering & directing of all persons to be transported & settled within the said County So that the said Orders Ordinances & Constitutions be not repugnant to the Laws of England or to the particular Laws of the Colony or to such Orders & Instructions as shall be from time to time directed from the King's Majesty or from the Lords of his Most Honble Privy Councill to the Governor & Councill in Virginia (ordinary appeals to the Court at James City held by the Governor & Council onely excepted) And the said Henry Lord Matravers for him and his heyrs doth Covenant and promise to and with the said Governor and Councill that he or they shall and will within the time or tearme of seaven years from the date hereof plant and secure with a sufficient strength of people the said County of Norfolk herein by these presents granted. And further that the said Henry Lord Matravers or his heyrs shall from time to time during the said seaven yeares make or cause to be made a true Certificate to the Governor and Councill in Virginia for the time being of every person transported and landed in Virginia or shipped for Virginia and dying before arrival to be entered by his Maj. Secretary in Virginia in the Court Rolls kept at James City In witnesse whereof the said Sr John Harvey Knight Governor have to the one part of these present Indentures sett his hand and the Seale of the Colony and to the other part thereof the said Henry Lord Matravers hath sett to his hand and sealeSecretary