IAMES, By the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, & Ireland, De [...]n­der of the Faith, &c. To all and singuler Archbishops, Bishops, Archdeacons, Deanes, and their Offici­als: Parsons, Vicars, Curats, and to all spirituall persons: And also to al Iustices of Peace, Maiors, Sheriffes, Bayliffes, Constables, Churchwardens, & Headboroughes: And to all Officers of Citties, Boroughes, and Townes corporate: And to all other our Officers, Ministers, and Subiects whatsoe­uer they bee, aswell within Liberties, as without, to whom these presents shall come, greeting.

WHEREAS wee are credibly certified by a Certificate vnder the hands of our trus [...]y and welbe­loued Subiects Sir Fulke Grevill Knight, Chancellor of our Exchequer, Sir Thomas Leigh, sir Ed­ward Deuereux, and sir Thomas Holt Knights & Baronets, sir Edward Greuill, sir Clement Fisher, sir Clement Throgmorton, sir Richard Verney, sir Thomas Lucy, sir Henry Dymocke, sir William Someruill, sir Thomas Bea [...]on, and sir Henry Rainsford Knights, Thomas Spencer, Edward Boughton, Bartholomew Hales, Iohn Repington, Willi­am Combe, and William Barnes Esquiors, Iustices of the Peace within our Counties of Warwicke & Gloucester: That vpon Saterday the Nynth day of Iuly in the yeare of our Lord God, One Thousand Sixe Hundred and Fourteene, there happened a sodaine and te [...]ible Fire within our Towne of Stratford vpon Avon within our County of Warwicke, which within the space of lesse then two howres consumed & burnt Fifty & Fower dwelling houses, many of them being very faire houses, besides Barnes, Stables, & other howses of Office, together also with great store of Corne, Hay, Straw, Wood, & Timber therin, Amounting in all to the value of Eight Thowsand Pounds & vpwards The force of which Fier was so great (the wind sitting ful vpon the Towne) that it dispersed into so many places thereof, whereby the whole Towne was in very great danger to haue beene vtterly consumed and burnt; by reason whereof, and of two seuerall Fiers happening in the said Towne within these Twenty yeares, to the losse of Twenty Thousand Pounds more, not onely our said poore Subiects who haue now sustained this great losse, are vtterly vndoone and like to perish, but also the rest of the Towne is in great hazard to be ouerthrowne & vndoone, the Inhabitants there beeing no waies able to relieue their distressed neighbors in this their great want & misery. AND wheras the said Towne hath béen a great Market Towne whereunto great recourse of people was made, by reason of the w [...]kely Market, Faires, and other frequent mee­tings, which were there holden and appointed, and now being thus ruinated & decayed, it is in great hazard to beé vtterly ouer­throwne, if either the resort thither be neglected, or course of trauellers diuerted, which for want of spéedy reparation may bee occasi­oned. And forasmuch as our sayd distressed Subiects the Inhabitants of the said Towne are very ready & willing to the vttermost of their powers to réedifie & new build the say Towne againe, Yet finding the performance therof far beyond their abilty, they haue made their humble suite vnto vs, that we would be pleased to prouide some conuenient meanes that the said Towne may be againe réedified & repayred aswell for the reliefe of the distressed people within the same, as also for the restoring and continuing of the sayd Market, and haue humbly besought Vs to commend the same good & laudable déed and the charitable furtherance thereof, to the be­neuolence of all our louing Subiects, not doubting but that all good and wel-disposed Christians will for common charity and loue to their Country, and the rather for our Commendation heerof, be ready with all willingnes to extend their charitable reliefe towards the comfort of so many distressed people and the speedy performing of so good and charitable a worke.

KNOWE yee therefore, that wee (tendering the lamentable estate and lesses of our sayd distressed Inhabitants, together with the humble suit of all our foresaid Iustices made vnto Vs on their behalfes) Of our especiall Grace and Princely compassion, haue giuen & granted, and by these our [...]etters Patents doe giue and graunt vnto our foresaid trusty & welbeloued Subiects, Sir Richard Verney, sir Henry Rainsford Knights, Bartholomew Hales Esquior, and the Bayliffe & Burgesses of the sayd Towne of Stratford vpon Avon, and to their Deputie & Deputies, the bearer or bearers hereof, full power, licence and authority, to aske, gather receiue, & take the Almes & charitable beneuolence of all our louing Subiects whatsoeuer Inhabiting within our Counties of Kent, Surr [...]y, Sussex, Southampton, Wiltes, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, & Cornwal, with our Citti [...]e of Canterbury, Rochester, & the Cinque Ports, and in our Citties of Chichester, & Winchester, with the Isle of Wight, and Towne of Southampton, & in our Citties of Salisburie, Exeter, Bristow, Bath, & Wels, with our Towne & County of Poole in our County of Dorset: And in all other Cities, Townes Corporate, priuiledged places, Parishes, Villages, and in all other places whatsoeuer within our said Coun­ties, and not else where, for & towards the new building, reedifying & erecting of the said Towne of Stratford vpon Avon, & the re­liefe of al such our poore distressed subiects, their Wiues & Children, as haue sustained losse & decay by the misfortune of the said Fire.

WHEREFORE wee wil & command you, and euery of you, that at such time and times as the sayd Sir Richard Ver­ney, sir Henry Rainsford, Bartholomew Hales, the Bayliffe & Burgesses aforesaid or any of them, or their Deputie or Deputies, the bearer or bearers héerof, shall come & repaire to any your Churches, Chappels, or other places to aske, and receiue the gratuities & charitable beneuolence of our said Subiects, quietly to permit & suffer them so to do, without any manner your lets, or contradictions. And you the said Parsons, Vicars, and Curats, for the better stirring by of a charitable deuotion, deliberately to publish and declare the Tenor of these our Letters Patents vnto our said Subiects, Exhorting and perswading them to extend their liberall contribu­tions in so good & charitable a deede. And you the Churchwardens of euery Parish where such Collection is to bee made (as afore­said) to collect and gather the Almes and charitable beneuolence of all our louing Subiects, And what shall bée by you so gathered, to endorse on the Backe-side heerof, and deliuer the same to the bearer or bearers heereof, when as therevnto you shall be required. A­ny Statute, Lawe, Ordinance, or prouision héertofore made to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

IN witnesse wherof, wée haue caused these our Letters to be made Patents for the space of One whole yeare next after the date héerof to endure. Witnesse our selfe at Westminster the Eleauenth day of May, in the Fourteenth yeere of our R [...]gne of England, Fraunce, and Ireland [...] and of Scotland, the Nyne and Fortieth.

God saue the King.