John, Count of Bath, Palatine of Carolina and the other Lords Proprietors of the same Province greetings.

Since the most serene prince Charles the Second, recently by the grace of God King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, from his special favor has given and conceded to us together with the province of Carolina the power of establishing and erecting there the rank and status of titles, dignities and honors and of elevating well deserving men to rank in respect to the same and of honoring and ordaining with these titles; and since the form of rule established by us and set in place to be observed in perpetuity by us and our successors is that there is a fixed number of Landgraves and Cassiques who are to be perpetual and the hereditary nobles and leaders of our province of Carolina; and since the outstanding man John Wich, knight, by his great prudence and industry will be of great assistance to us, wishing to reward a man deserving so well from us, we have erected him as Landgrave.

Therefore, know that we, as an eternal monument of our gratitude and of his merits, have elevated, placed in charge of and created the aforementioned John Wich, knight, to the status, rank, style, title and honor of Landgrave and the same John Wich, knight, we elevate, place in charge, and create Landgrave of the land of those present and we appoint on and present to John Wich, knight, himself the name, status, rank, style, dignity, title and honor with 48,000 acres of land and other privileges pertaining to the same dignity; and through those present we give on behalf of our heirs and our successors, we place at his disposal and charge to have and hold in respect to the same the name, status, rank, style, dignity and honor of Landgrave, together with the aforementioned lands and individual rights and privileges pertaining to the afore-mentioned John Wich, knight, and to his heirs according to the tenor of our Fundamental Constitutions; wishing and conceding by means of those present on behalf of our heirs and our successors that the aforementioned John Wich, knight, and his heirs shall bear and have the name, status, rank, style, dignity and honor and title of the afore-mentioned Landgrave in succession; and that they shall possess the aforementioned lands, and whoever of them shall bear, have and possess; and they shall be called and heralded by the name of Landgrave and whoever of them shall be called and named and that the same John Wich, knight, and his heirs of the aforesaid Landgrave shall be considered in succession in all things and be treated and reputed as Landgraves and whoever of them shall be considered, be treated and reputed; and they shall have, hold and possess and whoever of them shall have, hold and possess the afore-mentioned lands, paying annually for any fruit of 100 acres of land twelve pennies of good and legal English money to our heirs, which payment is to begin with the two year period after his occupation of it.

And the afore-mentioned Johannes Wich, knight, and his heirs shall enjoy and use and any of them shall enjoy and use by means of the name of the afore-said Landgraveship each and every right, privilege, prerogative and immunity pertaining correctly and by right to the status of Landgrave in all things. In testimony of this matter we have caused our letters to be made patent (public) under the great seal of our Carolina. Given by our hands on the fourth day of March in the sixteen hundred and ninety-ninth year of the Christian era.

Bath Craven Bath for Sir John Colleton
Palatine The Lord Calvert Wm. Thornburgh
Th. Amy
M. Ashley William Thornburgh