Lords Proprietor
Encyclopedia
Lords Proprietor was the name for the chief or highest (often noble) owners or proprietors of certain English proprietary colonies
in America, such as Carolina, New Jersey and Barbados.
The Isles of Scilly
in England
were also ruled the Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly.
Finally, the Lord of Mann
, currently Queen Elizabeth II, is a Lord Proprietor.
Lords Proprietors means topmost landlords. Just as in the word landlord, lord does not relate to nobility.
and South Carolina
).
In 1629, King Charles I of England granted Sir Robert Heath (the attorney general) the southern half of the English land in the New World between 36 degrees and 31 degrees north latitude from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The land was named “Province of Carolina” or land of Charles. This area included what is now known as North Carolina and South Carolina. Sir Robert’s attempts at settlement failed and in 1645, during the English Civil War
, he was stripped of all of his possessions as a Royalist supporter of the King. The first permanent settlers in Carolina came from Virginia. In 1663, eight members of the English nobility received a charter from King Charles II to establish the colony of Carolina. These men were known as the Lords Proprietors of Carolina and were the ruling landlords of the colony. They were the Earl of Clarendon (high chancellor of England), the Duke of Albemarle (master of the King’s horse and captain of his forces), Lord William Craven, Lord John Berkeley, Lord Anthony Ashley (chancellor of the King’s exchequer), Sir George Carteret (knight and baronet and vice-chamberlain of the King’s household), William Berkeley (knight) and Sir John Colleton (knight and baronet).
The proprietors divided Carolina into three sections: Albemarle in the north and Clarendon and Craven in the South. The settlers arrived in 1670 and set up the first permanent settlement in Albemarle. The Lords Proprietors were anxious to secure Carolina against Spanish attacks from San Augustin in Florida and to do so, they needed to attract more colonists. The Lords Proprietors offered English settlers inducements consisting of religious toleration, political representation in an assembly that had power over public taxes, exemption from quitrents and large grants of land. In terms of religion, the Lords allowed any religion except atheists. The Lords also had a generous headright system whereby they granted one hundred and fifty acres of land to each member of a family. They postponed collection of quitrents, amounting to half a pence per acre per year, until 1689. An indentured male servant who served his term received his freedom dues from his master and a grant of one hundred acres from the Lords Proprietor. In order to attract planters with capital to invest, the Lords Proprietor also gave the owner and master the one hundred and fifty acre headright for every slave imported to the Colony. These incentives drew 6 600 colonists to the colony by 1700 compared with only 1 500 in the Spanish colony of Florida. Carolina attracted English settlers, French Protestants (Huguenots) and other colonists from Barbados and the West Indies.
The first government in Carolina began in Albemarle Country in 1664 when William Drummond was appointed as the governor. Clarendon County was dissolved in 1667. Proprietary authority was weaker near the Virginian border. The Lords Proprietors established a North Carolina with its own assembly and deputy governor. In 1712, the division of Carolina was into North and South was completed with the elevation of the deputy governor to governor of North Carolina.
The Lords Proprietors failed to protect the settlers when enemies attacked or threatened the Colony. For example, during Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713), the colonists drove French and Spanish forces away from Charlestown. Again, between 1715 and 1718, the colonists defended themselves against attacks by the Yamasee Indians and pirates. During these times of conflict, the colonists received little or no help from the proprietors. The elite group of settlers in Carolina, former West Indians known as the Goose Creek Men, grew increasingly frustrated with the Lords Proprietor because they meddled in politics but failed to defend the colony against Spanish and Native American attacks.
In 1719, the South Carolina assembly sent a petition to England requesting that the proprietors be replaced with Crown administration. The Crown in England (King George I) appointed royal governors for North and South Carolina, converting the colony’s status to “royal colony” (England ruled the colony but allowed the people self-government). In 1729, the Crown bought out seven of the eight of the Lords Proprietors for £22 500, approximately the amount they had spent on the colony. The eighth proprietor, John Carteret aka Lord Granville, refused to sell and retained title to the lands and quitrents in the northern third of North Carolina.
When the Crown purchased their interest in 1729 their successors proved to be:
† Some of these 1729 interests had been acquired not by inheritance but by purchase.
* The Carteret interest continued until Independence when the Crown paid compensation for the Carteret loss.
Lords Proprietary of East Jersey
Lords Proprietary of West Jersey
jointly with John Fenwick
(b. 1618–d. 1683)
In 1664, the English gained control of New Jersey from the Dutch. King Charles II granted the country to his brother, the Duke of York. In turn, the Duke sold the colony to two of his friends, Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. The area was named “New Jersey” after Sir Carteret’s home island of Jersey in the English Channel. The grant gave them the power of government in the colony. Berkeley and Carteret, however, established a constitution and gave freemen the right to elect an Assembly. A tax could not be levied without the Assembly’s approval. The Governor was appointed by the Lords Proprietor and was allowed to select his own Council, which constituted the upper branch of the Legislature. The new colony attracted many settlers because Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret sold the land to the colonists at low prices and allowed them political and religious freedoms.
The Dutch re-conquered the area in 1673 but then surrendered to the English in 1674. Lord John Berkeley sold his half of New Jersey to Edward Byllynge and John Fenwick. In 1676, Carteret and Fenwick negotiated a division of the province into two sections: East Jersey which was held by Carteret and West Jersey which was held by Fenwick. Sir George Carteret died in 1680. His property was left to Trustees who put East Jersey up for sale in a public auction. In 1682, the property was sold to William Penn
and eleven associates who each sold half of their share to twelve others, forming an association of twenty-four proprietors. This body became known as the Board of Proprietors of East Jersey. This board exercised government control, which eventually led to many conflicts within the colony. In 1702, East and West Jersey surrendered the right to government to the English Crown under Queen Anne.
In the 1690s, the Lords Proprietors were keen to implement their plan for a colonial aristocracy (an attempt to stabilize Carolina politics). One document is a grant or patent issued by the Lords Proprietors of South Carolina in 1699. It was issued to an Englishman named John Wyche, a relative of the chief Proprietor, giving him the status of Landgrave with the right to claim 48000 acres (194.2 km²) of land in a certain region. John Wyche was appointed as the Secretary to the Province and served in this role in the colony for a short period of six months before he received another appointment in Hamburg. Some of the documents relate to Wyche’s activity in the colony. His successor to the Secretary position was John Wilmot. After a revolt against the Lords Proprietors in 1719, the colony came under royal control. This change in power was formalized by an Act of the English parliament in 1729 called “An Agreement with Seven of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina, for the Surrender of their Title and Interest in that Province”.
The documents include information about Wyche’s land-claims and the petition of the Cyril family for an endorsement of their rights under the 1699 grant (a claim that the Privy Council in London disallowed). The grant was originally written in Latin and is engrossed on vellum with the Great Seal of the Proprietors attached. This seal and document is one of two such seventeenth century documents to survive with the seal intact.
1. Sir Robert Heath’s Patent 5 Charles I, October 30, 1629
In this patent King Charles I of England gave Sir Robert Hearth, the attorney general, property in the New World.
2. A Declaration and Proposals of the Lord Proprietor of Carolina, August 25- September 4, 1663
This charter issued by King Charles II of England proposed the formation of the Lords Proprietor and gave the lands of Carolina to the eight proprietors: the Earl of Clarendon, Duke of Albemarle, Lord Craven, Lord Berkeley, Lord Ashley, Sir George Carteret, William Berkeley and Sir John Colleton. This declaration gave the proprietors the power to protect their colony, the right to settle the colony, freedom of religion and one hundred acres of land for each man.
3. Charter of Carolina- March 24, 1663
This charter outlined how the eight proprietors should rule Carolina. It gave the land to the proprietors, allowed for patronage, gave the proprietors absolute power in the colony, gave the colony’s government the right to make laws, authorized the authority to make ordinances, gave instructions to defend the colony against enemies, outlined trade regulations, gave the proprietors building rights in the colony, allowed for an army and allowed the practice of religion conformed to the Church of England.
4. The Concession and Agreement of the Lords Proprietors of the Province of New Caesarea, or New Jersey, to and With All and Every the Adventures and All Such as Shall Settle or Plant There- 1664
This document outlines the distribution of power in New Jersey by the Lords Proprietors. The document includes the role Governor of the province, the right for the Governor to choose six counsellors, the role of the Chief of Secretary, the role of the Surveyor General and the colonists’ duty as subjects of the King of England.
5. A Declaration of the True Intent and Meaning of us the Lords Proprietors, and Explanation of There Concessions Made to the Adventures and Planters of New Caesarea or New Jersey- 1672
This declaration outlines the rules for the General Assembly and the Governor.
6. His Royal Highness’s Grant to the Lords Proprietors, Sir George Carteret, 29th July, 1674
This document from King Charles II of England, reiterates Sir George Carteret’s claim to his land in America as laid out by the original patents.
Quitrents- a fixed rent payable to a feudal superior in commutation of services
, in his or her capacity as Lord of Mann
, is considered to be the Lord Proprietor of the Isle of Man
. This usage is generally left ignored.
Proprietary colony
A proprietary colony was a colony in which one or more individuals, usually land owners, remaining subject to their parent state's sanctions, retained rights that are today regarded as the privilege of the state, and in all cases eventually became so....
in America, such as Carolina, New Jersey and Barbados.
The Isles of Scilly
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly form an archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain. The islands have had a unitary authority council since 1890, and are separate from the Cornwall unitary authority, but some services are combined with Cornwall and the islands are still part...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
were also ruled the Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly.
Finally, the Lord of Mann
Lord of Mann
The title Lord of Mann is used on the Isle of Man to refer to Queen Elizabeth II, who is the island's Lord Proprietor and head of state.-Relationship with the Crown:The title is not correctly used on its own...
, currently Queen Elizabeth II, is a Lord Proprietor.
Lords Proprietors means topmost landlords. Just as in the word landlord, lord does not relate to nobility.
Proprietary Colonies
A proprietary colony was a type of settlement dominant in the English Colonies during the period from 1660 to 1690 during which time the English Crown awarded land in the New World to resourceful groups or individuals with the intent that it should be developed by them. Proprietary colonies in the New World were owned by an individual proprietor or by a group of proprietors under a charter from the monarch of England. Charles II used proprietaries to meet demands for territorial expansion and to raise funds to repay his debts. These proprietors were feudal Lords of the land with the right of absolute rule but remained subject to their monarch who might remove their privileges, see Sir Robert Heath. They passed laws and decrees, levied taxes, ordered the construction of public buildings and established land grants and purchases. Proprietors collected quitrents from settlers to whom they granted land, for their own profit. The proprietary movement was successful in attracting a diverse group of settlers, not only settlers from England, which helped to shape the character of the New World.Carolina
There were eight Lords Proprietor of the Province of Carolina (by 1729, when seven of their descendants, all but the heir of Carteret, sold their shares to the Crown, it was split into two provinces: North CarolinaProvince of North Carolina
The Province of North Carolina was originally part of the Province of Carolina in British America, which was chartered by eight Lords Proprietor. The province later became the U.S. states of North Carolina and Tennessee....
and South Carolina
Province of South Carolina
The South Carolina Colony, or Province of South Carolina, was originally part of the Province of Carolina, which was chartered in 1663. The colony later became the U.S. state of South Carolina....
).
- the Duke of AlbemarleGeorge Monck, 1st Duke of AlbemarleGeorge Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, KG was an English soldier and politician and a key figure in the restoration of Charles II.-Early life and career:...
(1608–1670) - the Earl of ClarendonEdward Hyde, 1st Earl of ClarendonEdward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon was an English historian and statesman, and grandfather of two English monarchs, Mary II and Queen Anne.-Early life:...
(1609–1674) - the Baron Berkeley of Stratton (1607–1678)
- the Earl of Craven (1608–1697)
- Sir George CarteretGeorge CarteretVice Admiral Sir George Carteret, 1st Baronet , son of Elias de Carteret, was a royalist statesman in Jersey and England, who served in the Clarendon Ministry as Treasurer of the Navy...
(c.1610–1680) - Sir William Berkeley (1606–1677)
- Sir John ColletonJohn ColletonSir John Colleton, 1st Baronet served Charles I during the English Civil War. He rose through the Royalist ranks during the conflict, but later had his holdings seized when the Cavaliers were finally defeated by Parliamentary forces...
(1608–1666) - the Earl of Shaftesbury (1621–1683).
In 1629, King Charles I of England granted Sir Robert Heath (the attorney general) the southern half of the English land in the New World between 36 degrees and 31 degrees north latitude from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The land was named “Province of Carolina” or land of Charles. This area included what is now known as North Carolina and South Carolina. Sir Robert’s attempts at settlement failed and in 1645, during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, he was stripped of all of his possessions as a Royalist supporter of the King. The first permanent settlers in Carolina came from Virginia. In 1663, eight members of the English nobility received a charter from King Charles II to establish the colony of Carolina. These men were known as the Lords Proprietors of Carolina and were the ruling landlords of the colony. They were the Earl of Clarendon (high chancellor of England), the Duke of Albemarle (master of the King’s horse and captain of his forces), Lord William Craven, Lord John Berkeley, Lord Anthony Ashley (chancellor of the King’s exchequer), Sir George Carteret (knight and baronet and vice-chamberlain of the King’s household), William Berkeley (knight) and Sir John Colleton (knight and baronet).
The proprietors divided Carolina into three sections: Albemarle in the north and Clarendon and Craven in the South. The settlers arrived in 1670 and set up the first permanent settlement in Albemarle. The Lords Proprietors were anxious to secure Carolina against Spanish attacks from San Augustin in Florida and to do so, they needed to attract more colonists. The Lords Proprietors offered English settlers inducements consisting of religious toleration, political representation in an assembly that had power over public taxes, exemption from quitrents and large grants of land. In terms of religion, the Lords allowed any religion except atheists. The Lords also had a generous headright system whereby they granted one hundred and fifty acres of land to each member of a family. They postponed collection of quitrents, amounting to half a pence per acre per year, until 1689. An indentured male servant who served his term received his freedom dues from his master and a grant of one hundred acres from the Lords Proprietor. In order to attract planters with capital to invest, the Lords Proprietor also gave the owner and master the one hundred and fifty acre headright for every slave imported to the Colony. These incentives drew 6 600 colonists to the colony by 1700 compared with only 1 500 in the Spanish colony of Florida. Carolina attracted English settlers, French Protestants (Huguenots) and other colonists from Barbados and the West Indies.
The first government in Carolina began in Albemarle Country in 1664 when William Drummond was appointed as the governor. Clarendon County was dissolved in 1667. Proprietary authority was weaker near the Virginian border. The Lords Proprietors established a North Carolina with its own assembly and deputy governor. In 1712, the division of Carolina was into North and South was completed with the elevation of the deputy governor to governor of North Carolina.
The Lords Proprietors failed to protect the settlers when enemies attacked or threatened the Colony. For example, during Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713), the colonists drove French and Spanish forces away from Charlestown. Again, between 1715 and 1718, the colonists defended themselves against attacks by the Yamasee Indians and pirates. During these times of conflict, the colonists received little or no help from the proprietors. The elite group of settlers in Carolina, former West Indians known as the Goose Creek Men, grew increasingly frustrated with the Lords Proprietor because they meddled in politics but failed to defend the colony against Spanish and Native American attacks.
In 1719, the South Carolina assembly sent a petition to England requesting that the proprietors be replaced with Crown administration. The Crown in England (King George I) appointed royal governors for North and South Carolina, converting the colony’s status to “royal colony” (England ruled the colony but allowed the people self-government). In 1729, the Crown bought out seven of the eight of the Lords Proprietors for £22 500, approximately the amount they had spent on the colony. The eighth proprietor, John Carteret aka Lord Granville, refused to sell and retained title to the lands and quitrents in the northern third of North Carolina.
When the Crown purchased their interest in 1729 their successors proved to be:
- (Albemarle) (in trust for) Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke of BeaufortHenry Scudamore, 3rd Duke of BeaufortHenry Somerset-Scudamore, 3rd Duke of Beaufort was born Henry Somerset, the elder son of Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort and his second wife, Rachel Noel. As his father's eldest son and heir to his father's title he was known as Marquess of Worcester, a courtesy title...
and his brother, then Lord Charles Somerset - (Clarendon) James Bertie (1674-1735)
- (Berkeley) Joseph Blake of the province of South Carolina
- (Craven) William Craven, 3rd Baron Craven (1700-1739)
- (Carteret) John Carteret, Baron CarteretJohn Carteret, 2nd Earl GranvilleJohn Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, 7th Seigneur of Sark, KG, PC , commonly known by his earlier title as Lord Carteret, was a British statesman and Lord President of the Council from 1751 to 1763.-Family:...
(1690-1763), governor of the kingdom of Ireland who retained his interest* - (Wm Berkeley) Henry BertieHenry Bertie (proprietor)Henry Bertie , English politician, was the third son of James Bertie, 1st Earl of Abingdon and his wife Eleanora Lee....
(1675–1735) & Mary Danson, widow of St Andrews Holborn & Elizabeth Moor, widow of London - (Colleton) Sir John Colleton of Exmouth Devon
- (Shaftesbury) † (in trust for) John Cotton of East Barnet Middlesex
† Some of these 1729 interests had been acquired not by inheritance but by purchase.
* The Carteret interest continued until Independence when the Crown paid compensation for the Carteret loss.
Lords Proprietary of East JerseyEast JerseyThe Province of East Jersey and the Province of West Jersey were two distinct, separately governed parts of the Province of New Jersey that existed as separate provinces for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. East Jersey's capital was located at Perth Amboy...
- August 1665–14 January 1680: Sir George CarteretGeorge CarteretVice Admiral Sir George Carteret, 1st Baronet , son of Elias de Carteret, was a royalist statesman in Jersey and England, who served in the Clarendon Ministry as Treasurer of the Navy...
(b. c.1610–d. 1680) - January 1680–1682 : 8 Proprietors
- 1682–1688 : 24 Proprietors (1st time)
- 1692–April 1703: 24 Proprietors (2nd time)
Lords Proprietary of West JerseyWest JerseyWest Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey. The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702...
- August 1665–18 March 1674: John Berkeley, Baron Berkeley of Stratton (b. 1602–d. 1678)
- 18 March 1674–February 1675: Edward ByllyngeEdward ByllyngeEdward Byllynge was a British colonial administrator and governor of New Jersey from 1680 to 1687, until his death in England. Byllynge owned a large section of land in New Jersey with the Quakers....
(1st time) (d. 1687)
jointly with John Fenwick
John Fenwick
Sir John Fenwick, 3rd Baronet was an English Jacobite conspirator, who succeeded to the Baronetcy of Fenwick on the death of his father in 1676....
(b. 1618–d. 1683)
- February 1675–September 1683: Trusteeship
- September 1683–1687: Edward Byllynge (2nd time) (s.a.)
- February 1687–1688: Daniel CoxeDaniel CoxeDr. Daniel Coxe was a governor of West Jersey from 1687-1688 and 1689-1692.-Biography:The Coxe family traced their lineage to a Daniel Coxe who lived in Somersetshire, England in the 13th century and obtained a doctor of medicine degree from Salerno University. Daniel Coxe's father was also called...
(b. c.1640–d. 1730) - 1692–April 1703: 12 Proprietors
In 1664, the English gained control of New Jersey from the Dutch. King Charles II granted the country to his brother, the Duke of York. In turn, the Duke sold the colony to two of his friends, Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. The area was named “New Jersey” after Sir Carteret’s home island of Jersey in the English Channel. The grant gave them the power of government in the colony. Berkeley and Carteret, however, established a constitution and gave freemen the right to elect an Assembly. A tax could not be levied without the Assembly’s approval. The Governor was appointed by the Lords Proprietor and was allowed to select his own Council, which constituted the upper branch of the Legislature. The new colony attracted many settlers because Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret sold the land to the colonists at low prices and allowed them political and religious freedoms.
The Dutch re-conquered the area in 1673 but then surrendered to the English in 1674. Lord John Berkeley sold his half of New Jersey to Edward Byllynge and John Fenwick. In 1676, Carteret and Fenwick negotiated a division of the province into two sections: East Jersey which was held by Carteret and West Jersey which was held by Fenwick. Sir George Carteret died in 1680. His property was left to Trustees who put East Jersey up for sale in a public auction. In 1682, the property was sold to William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
and eleven associates who each sold half of their share to twelve others, forming an association of twenty-four proprietors. This body became known as the Board of Proprietors of East Jersey. This board exercised government control, which eventually led to many conflicts within the colony. In 1702, East and West Jersey surrendered the right to government to the English Crown under Queen Anne.
The Seal
Two documents remain with the Lords Proprietors original seal kept intact.In the 1690s, the Lords Proprietors were keen to implement their plan for a colonial aristocracy (an attempt to stabilize Carolina politics). One document is a grant or patent issued by the Lords Proprietors of South Carolina in 1699. It was issued to an Englishman named John Wyche, a relative of the chief Proprietor, giving him the status of Landgrave with the right to claim 48000 acres (194.2 km²) of land in a certain region. John Wyche was appointed as the Secretary to the Province and served in this role in the colony for a short period of six months before he received another appointment in Hamburg. Some of the documents relate to Wyche’s activity in the colony. His successor to the Secretary position was John Wilmot. After a revolt against the Lords Proprietors in 1719, the colony came under royal control. This change in power was formalized by an Act of the English parliament in 1729 called “An Agreement with Seven of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina, for the Surrender of their Title and Interest in that Province”.
The documents include information about Wyche’s land-claims and the petition of the Cyril family for an endorsement of their rights under the 1699 grant (a claim that the Privy Council in London disallowed). The grant was originally written in Latin and is engrossed on vellum with the Great Seal of the Proprietors attached. This seal and document is one of two such seventeenth century documents to survive with the seal intact.
Documents
A number of primary sources are important in relation to this time period and the Lords Proprietors.1. Sir Robert Heath’s Patent 5 Charles I, October 30, 1629
In this patent King Charles I of England gave Sir Robert Hearth, the attorney general, property in the New World.
2. A Declaration and Proposals of the Lord Proprietor of Carolina, August 25- September 4, 1663
This charter issued by King Charles II of England proposed the formation of the Lords Proprietor and gave the lands of Carolina to the eight proprietors: the Earl of Clarendon, Duke of Albemarle, Lord Craven, Lord Berkeley, Lord Ashley, Sir George Carteret, William Berkeley and Sir John Colleton. This declaration gave the proprietors the power to protect their colony, the right to settle the colony, freedom of religion and one hundred acres of land for each man.
3. Charter of Carolina- March 24, 1663
This charter outlined how the eight proprietors should rule Carolina. It gave the land to the proprietors, allowed for patronage, gave the proprietors absolute power in the colony, gave the colony’s government the right to make laws, authorized the authority to make ordinances, gave instructions to defend the colony against enemies, outlined trade regulations, gave the proprietors building rights in the colony, allowed for an army and allowed the practice of religion conformed to the Church of England.
4. The Concession and Agreement of the Lords Proprietors of the Province of New Caesarea, or New Jersey, to and With All and Every the Adventures and All Such as Shall Settle or Plant There- 1664
This document outlines the distribution of power in New Jersey by the Lords Proprietors. The document includes the role Governor of the province, the right for the Governor to choose six counsellors, the role of the Chief of Secretary, the role of the Surveyor General and the colonists’ duty as subjects of the King of England.
5. A Declaration of the True Intent and Meaning of us the Lords Proprietors, and Explanation of There Concessions Made to the Adventures and Planters of New Caesarea or New Jersey- 1672
This declaration outlines the rules for the General Assembly and the Governor.
6. His Royal Highness’s Grant to the Lords Proprietors, Sir George Carteret, 29th July, 1674
This document from King Charles II of England, reiterates Sir George Carteret’s claim to his land in America as laid out by the original patents.
Definitions
Headright system- Each settler received a single headright (grant of land) for himself or herself.Quitrents- a fixed rent payable to a feudal superior in commutation of services
Lord of Mann
The British monarchBritish monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
, in his or her capacity as Lord of Mann
Lord of Mann
The title Lord of Mann is used on the Isle of Man to refer to Queen Elizabeth II, who is the island's Lord Proprietor and head of state.-Relationship with the Crown:The title is not correctly used on its own...
, is considered to be the Lord Proprietor of the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. This usage is generally left ignored.
See also
- List of Proprietors of Maryland
- British colonization of the AmericasBritish colonization of the AmericasBritish colonization of the Americas began in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia and reached its peak when colonies had been established throughout the Americas...
- DonatorioDonatorioA Donatário, a Portuguese word roughly meaning 'endowed' sometimes anglicized as Donatary, was a private person who was bestowed by the Crown with a considerable piece of land, called a donátaria, which was handed over at his discretion, exempt from normal colonial administration through some...
Sources and references
- WorldStatesmen USA – here States N
- North Carolina Manual
- The Statutes at large of South Carolina. editor Thomas Cooper. Columbia SC 1836