Als has been rendered alias.
Text
College of Arms MS Vincent, vol. 157, folio 397
(several sheets joined together)
To all & singuler Nobles & Gentilz and others universally to whom theis presentes shalbe seene or knowen William Dethicke alias Garter principall King of Armes & chief officer of Armes for the most noble order of the Garter with due Comendacions sendeth and Greetinges. Forasmuch as yt is very expedyent and by auncyent Custome of in honour observed That the vertu vertuous worthy & valeant Actes of excellent men imployd in the most honorable Servyce of God their prince or Contrye in Peace or warre, Together with the persons therein showing forth vertue prowesse & valeir might in all tymes & throwgh all ages be honored rewarded and their Remembrance by sondry Monumentes preserved, wherin the chiefest & most usuall meanes hath bene & is, the bearing of Ensignes & Tokens of honour in Shieldes of Armes, That therby such persons so mereting may florish During their lyves, & their Fame encreasse & Contynue in their Ofspring & Posterities for ever, We are therfore respctyvely to tak Notyce in this behalf.
That wheras the Quenes moste excellent Majestie Elezabeth by the grace of God Quene of Englond France & Irelond deffendour of the Faith & c. by her highnes lettres Patentes under the Great Seale of Englond bearing Date at westminster the xxvthday of March in the Six & Twentieth xxvith yeare of her Mates Raigne [1584] Hath (in most Royall maner) Given & Granted to the Honorable Sir Walter Ralegh Knight, Lorde of the Stannerie in the Counties of Cornewall & Devon. (by the name of her Mates trusty & welbeloved Servant Walter Ralegh Esquior) and to his heires & assigneis, free libertie & lycence to Discover search fynd out & Viewe, such remoted heathen & barbarous Landes Contryes & Territories not actually possessed of any Christian Prynce nor inhabyted by Christian People, as to him his heires & assigneis shall seme good, and the same to have holde occupy & enjoy to him his heires & assigneis for ever, with all prerogatyves Comodytyes Jursidiccions Royalties priviledges Franchises & prehemynences therto or therabowtes both by sea & Land, as by the said lettres Patentes amongst Dyvers Guyftes Grantes & Confirmacions therin Conteyned more at large may appear.
And Wheras since the Granting or making of the said lettres Patentes by the meanes industrie & experience of the said Sir Walter Ralegh & other his Assocyates Company or Assigneis, there hath bene & now ys a barbarous & heathen Land or Contry fownd out & discovered, called now or termed Ossomocumuck alias Wingandacoia alias Virginea, never befor that tyme actually possessed or inhabyted by any Christian Prince or [Christi]an People.
And wher also the said Sir Walter Ralegh Knight (for that the inhabyteng of the said Contry by Christyan may be greatly to the glory of god, Thencreasse of Christian Faith & Religion, Thenlargement of the Quenes Mates Domynyons, The better execucion of her highnes said Grant, The Comon Utilyty of the whole Realme of England, And aswell the particuler benefitt of every Adventurer & Traveller thither thensfrom & therin, as for dyvers other good Cawses & Consideracions, & for vertuous Actes Donne & to be Donne) Hath by his Indenture bearing Dat the day theis presentes (amongste dyvers & sondry guiftes Grantes & Confirmacions) therin sett downe freely nomynated elected Chosen Constituted mad & appoynted, John White of London Gent. to be the chief Governour theare, And Roger Baylye, Ananyas Dare, Christopher Cooper, [blank] William Fullwoodd, Roger Pratt, Dyonise Harvye, John Nicholls, George Howe — [ ] London Gentlemen to be the xii Twelve Assistantes theare, And then the said Goverour & Twelve Assistantes and their Successours, hath be ever Confirmed made encorporated & accepted one body Bodye pollitique & Corporat, by the name Tytle & Aucthoritye of, the Governor & Assistantes of The Governor and Assistantes of the Cittie of Ralegh in Virginea with the Appertenances. As by the same Indenture amongst other thinges therin sett Downe more at Large may appear.
In Consideracion whereof And for sondry vertuous & renowned Actes & enterprises of the worshipfull the said Governour & Assistantes, And to thend they & their Company may be better asser assembled knowen & untyed by names, Armes, Seales, Banners, & Ensignes, necessary and to be used in all their affaires & enterprises of honour loving & assured Societye, And for a further Declaracion & Demonstracion of the premisses (being most willing to & Desirous to Second & Accompany all vertuous & honorable Actes & Renowned enterprises with the Ceremonyes & Rememberances Due & accustomed such as to the Aucthority of my Office Doth principally apperteyne) Have Assigned Geven Granted Confirmed by blazon & exemplefyed, unto the same Originall & Renowned Cittie of Ralegh in Virginea with the Appertenances, And to the worshipful the said Gobernour Governour & Assistants Governour and Assistants (the First Fownders therof) And to the Citezens & Comynalty of the same, And to their Successours for ever, These Armes or Ensignes of honour in maner & forme Following. Viz. On a Feelde Argent A playne Crosse gules with a Robuck [ ] proper in the First Quarter. And this Symbole or Poesie, Corcordia: Parva Crescunt:.
And to the said John White his heires ofspring & posteritye for ever These Armes or Ensignes of honour following. Viz. In the first Feeld (for a Reward) Ermyn, on A Canton gules a Fuzell Argent. In the [? crossed out] (for his owne Ancyent Cote by the name of White) A Cheveron betwene three Goates heades razed sables. In the third (for Wymark) on a bend Cotyzed Asure three Inschuchions of the Feeld. In the fowrth (for Wyat) Gules twoe barres Gemweys betwene three Martelettes Argent. In the fyfte (for Kyllyowe) Or, a Chever[on betwene] twoe Cinquefoiles & a Mullett Sables. In the sixt (for Saker) Ermyn, On a bend Sables three phenix heades razed or. In the seventh (for Buddyer) Gules, A Cheveron Argent betwene three Cinquefoiles Or. In the eight (for Buttler) Gules, On a Fesse Compounde Argent & Sables betwene three Crosses forme fixe of the second. And for his Creaste of Cognoizance. On a healme on a wreath Argent & Gules and Ermyn Seant proper, mantled gules, dobled argent.
And to the said Roger Baylye his heires ofspring & Posterity for ever, These Armes or Ensignes of honour following. Viz. The A Feelde Gules, a Crosse Pattee betwene fower Fuzells Argent. And to the said Ananyas Dare A Feelde Gules his heires ofspring & posteritye for ever, These Armes or Ensignes of honour following. Viz. A Feelde Gules A Crosse engrailde betwene fower Fuzells Argent. And to the said Christopher Coo Cooper his heires Ofspring & posterity for ever, These Armes or Ensignes of honor following. Viz. A Feelde Gules, On a Cheveron Argent a Fuzell Gules betwene three lyons passant gardant of the second. And to the said [blank]1 his heires ofspring & posterity for ever, These Armes or Ensignes of honor following. Viz. A Feeld Ermyn, On a Bend Cotyzed gules fyve Fuzels Argent. And to the said [blank] his heires ofspring & Posterity for ever, These Armes or Ensignes of honor following. Viz. A Feelde Argent, twoe barres gules, On a Cheef of the second, fyve Fuzels of the first. And to the said Willm Fullwoodd his heires Ofspring & Posteritye for ever, These Armes or Ensignes of Honour following. Viz. A Feeld Ermyn On a playne Crosse Gules A Fuzell Argent & or per pale, In a Cheef Asure three Flower deluces of the third empaled Silver & Golde per pale. And to the said Roger Pr Roger Pratt his heires Ofspring & Posterity for ever, These Armes or Ensignes of honour following. Viz. A Feeld Ermyn, On a Cheef gules three Fuzels argent. And to the said Dionyse Harvye, his heires ofspring & Posterity fore ever, These Armes or Ensignes of honour following — Viz. A Feeld Gules, A Beare Rampant betwene three Fuzels Argent. And to the said John Nicholls his heires Ofspring & Posterity for ever, These Armes or Ensignes of honour following. Viz. A Feeld Bendee per bend argent & gules, fyve Fuzels Counterchanged Argent & Gules. And to the said George Howe his heires Ofspring & Posterity for ever, These Armes or Ensignes of honour following. Viz. A Feelde Argent, On a Cheveron gules three Fuzels of the First betwene three Wolffes heades Couped Sables. And to the said [blank] his heires Ofspring & Posterity for ever, These Armes or Ensignes of honour following, Viz. A Feeld Argent, A Fesse betwene three Fuzels gules. And to the said Simon Ferdinando his heires ofspring & posterity for ever, These Armes or Ensignes of honour following. Viz. A Feelde argent twoe barres wavee Asure, On a Canton gules three Fuzels of the first. As in these presentes Depicted more plainly ap[ ]ether[ ] with their severall Creastes or Cognoyzances, as in the Margynes herof are playnly & severally Depicted & sett forth2.
To have & to hold all & singuler the severall mencioned Armes, Ensignes of honour, Creastes & Cognoyzances, as afore is expressed, To the said Renowned Cittie of Ralegh in Virginea With the Appertenances, And to the wurshipfull the said Governour and and Assistants, Citesyns & Comynaltye of the same And to their Successours, And to their heires Ofspring & Posterities of the said Governour & Assistants & every of them for ever.
And they to use beare enjoye & shewe forth the same at his & their & every of their libertie & plesure, at all tymes for ever, & in all places Universally through all Regyons k kyngdomes Contryes & Domynyons whatsoever heat Christen or heathen, by Sea or by Land. Which severall Armes Ensignes of honour Creastes & Cognoyzances & every part & parcell therof I the said William Dethick alias Garter Principall King of Armes Doe by these presentes Ratyfye Confirme geve & Grant unto th said Cittye And to the said John White, Roger Bayly, Ananyas Dare, Christopher Cooper [blank] Willm Fullwoodd, Roger Pratt, Dionyse Harvye, John Nicholls, George Howe, [blank] & [blank] Symon Ferdinando, & to every of them in Severaltye And to the Heires Ofspring & Prosterytyes of the & every of them for ever without [ ] to thintent th[ ] premisesses may be Divulged & the Remembrance therof had in perpetuytye, Doe Requyer all Prynces Nobles & Gentilz to tak Notyce herofe and to permit the same to passe with the priviledges & Favours of honour. In wytnes wherof Ec.
Transcribed by Robert York, MA, Archivist of the College of Arms.
1 "…Tudor heraldic standards surely reached their lowest level when even the names of the men whom grants of arms were being made evidently unknown to the herald." David Quinn, Roanoke Voyages, p.510 n. 1.
2 No such illustrations appear in the margins
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