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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Charles II, King of England to the Lords Proprietors of Carolina
Charles II, King of England, 1630-1685
December 10, 1682
Volume 01, Pages 340-341

[B. P. R. O. Colonial Entry Bk. Vol. 93. P. 169.]
THE KING TO THE PROPRIETORS OF CAROLINA 10 DECEMBER 1682

Right Trusty & Right Entirely Welbeloved Cousin and Counsellor, Right Trusty & Right Welbeloved Cousins & Counsellors Right Trusty and Welbeloved and Trusty & Welbeloved, We greet you well Whereas we are given to understand that our Right Trusty & Welbeloved Cousin Maurice Viscount Fitzharding is heir at law to Sir Wm. Berkeley Knt. deceased who by our letters patents under the great seale of England bearing date the 30th day of June in the 17th year of our Reigne was constituted one of the Proprietors of our Province of Carolina in America To hold and enjoy to him and his heirs for ever all benefits estate interest power & privileges equally with any other to whom the said Province was granted as aforesaid And whereas we are also humbly informed that altho divers of you hold by descent or assignment of the original Lords & Proprietors since deceased yet some question hath arisen amongst some of you whether by survivorship or some other way the title and interest of the said Sir Wm. Berkeley and his heirs be not legally lost & extinguished or accrued unto you the surviving and present Lords & Proprietors of the said Province We have thought fit at the humble request of the said Maurice Visct Fitzharding and as a mark of our particular favor towards him hereby to declare & signify that our intent & meaning in & by our said letters patents was and is that he the said Sir Wm. Berkeley should hold & enjoy to him & his heirs & assigns all the estate interest share & advantages by us granted to him in our said letters patents without being subject to such lapse or avoydance as is now suggested as aforesaid And we doe therefore hereby most effectually

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recommend him the said Maurice Visct Fitzharding unto you for & in order to his having & enjoying the Proprietorship Signiories powers interest and share or part of the said Sir Wm. Berkeley in ye said Province & your investing & estating him the said Maurice Visct Fitzharding his heirs & assigns in & to the same To hold to him his heirs & assigns as fully & as amply to all intents & purposes as he the sd Sir Wm. Berkeley did or might at any time during his life have held & enjoyed or challenged to have held & enjoyed the same or as any other of the Lords & Proprietors or their heirs or assigns doe or may hold or challenge to hold & enjoy their or your respective Proprietorships in the said Province by vertue of our letters patents before mentd or of any Agreement Articles Laws or Constitutions made by them or you or any of you touching & concerning the descent partition or succession of their or your respective Proprietorships or otherwise howsoever the said pretended lapse or any other matter cause or thing whatsoever to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding And we not doubting of your ready compliance herein We bid you farewell

Given &c. Whitehall December 10th 1682

By hisMatys com̄and
COVENTRY
To Our &c. the Proprietors of
our Province of Carolina
in America—