New Jersey Concession of Lord's Proprietors (February 10, 1664) Agreement of Province of New Caesarea, or New Jersey, with Every Adventurer and Such as Shall Settle or Plant There:
<ITEM. That no person qualified as aforesaid within the said Province, at any time shall be any ways molested, punished, disquieted or called in question for any difference in opinion or practice in matter of religious concernments, who do not actually disturb the civil peace of the said Province;
But that all and every such person and persons may from time to time, and at all times, freely and fully have and enjoy his and their judgments and consciences in matters of religion throughout the said Province they behaving themselves peaceably ant quietly, and not using this liberty to licentiousness, nor to the civil injury or outward disturbance of others;
Any law, statute or clause contained, or to be contained, usage or custom of this Realm of England, to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding...
AND THAT THE PLANTING OF THE SAID PROVINCE MAY BE THE MORE SPEEDILY PROMOTED
1. We do hereby grant unto all persons who have already adventured to the said Province of New Caesarea or New Jersey, or shall transport themselves, or servants, before the first day of January, which shall be in the Year of Our Lord one thousand six-hundred sixty-five, these following proportions, viz: To every freeman that shall go with the first Governor, from the port where he embarks...for the settlement of a plantation there, armed with a good musket, bore twelve bullets to the pound, with ten pounds of powder, and twenty pounds of bullets...and with six months provision for his own person arriving there, one hundred and fifty acres of land English measure...
And for every Christian servant, exceeding the age aforesaid, after the expiration of their time of service, seventy-five acres of land for their own use.
2. ITEM. To every master or mistress that shall go...one hundred and twenty acres of land...And for every weaker servant or slave, male or female, exceeding the age of fourteen years, arriving there, sixty acres of land: And to every Christian servant to their own use and benefit sixty acres of land...
4. ITEM. For every weaker servant or slave, aged as aforesaid, that shall be so carried or sent thither within the second year, as aforesaid, forty-five acres of land of like measure: And to every Christian servant that shall arrive the second year, forty-five acres of land of like after the expiration of his or their time of service, for their own use and benefit.
5. ITEM. To every free man and free woman, armed and provided as aforesaid, that shall go and arrive with an intention to plant...threescore acres of land of like measure: And for every able man servant...armed and provided as aforesaid, the like quantity of threescore acres of land. And for every weaker servant or slave, aged as aforesaid, that he or she shall carry or send within the third year, thirty acres of land: And to every Christian servant so carried or sent in the third year, thirty acres of land of like measure, after the expiration of their time of service.
AND THAT THE LANDS MAY BE THE MORE REGULARLY LAID OUT AND ALL PERSONS THE BETTER ASCERTAINED OF THEIR TITLE AND POSSESSION
The Lords proprietors of the Province of New Caesarea or New Jersey, do hereby grant unto A. B. of the in the Province aforesaid, a plantation containing acres English measure, bounded (as in the certificate) to hold to him or her, his or her heirs or assigns for ever, yielding and paying yearly...the first payment of which rent to begin the five and twentieth day of March, which shall be in the Year of Our Lord one thousand six hundred and seventy, according to the English account...
3. ITEM. We do also grant convenient proportions of land for highways and for streets, not exceeding one hundred foot in breadth in cities, towns and villages, &c. and for Churches, forts, wharfs, keys, harbors and for public houses; and to each parish for the use of their ministers two hundred acres, in such places as the General Assembly shall appoint...
Given under our seal of our said Province the tenth day of February in the Year of Our Lord one thousand six hundred sixty and four.> 1664NJ001
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American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement.
Endnotes:
1664NJ001. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). New Jersey, February 10, 1664, Concession and Agreement of Lord's Proprietors of Province of New Caesarea, or New Jersey, with Every Adventurer and Such as Shall Settle or Plant There.