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
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