William Howel,
Edmund Warner,
Henry Lewis,
Samuel Miles.
The CHARTER of the City of PHILADELPHIA.
WILLIAM PENN, Proprietary and Governor of the Province of Pensylvania, &c. To all to whom these Presents shall come, sends greeting. KNOW YE, That at the humble Request of the Inhabitants and Settlers of this Town of Philadelphia, being some of the first Adventurers and Purchasers within this Province, for their Encouragement, and for the more immediate and entire Government of the said Town, and better Regulation of Trade therein: I have by Virtue of the King's Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of England, erected the said Town into a Borough, and by these Presents do erect the said Town and Borough of Philadelphia into a CITY; which said City shall extend the Limits and Bounds, as it is laid out between Delaware and Skuylkill.
AND I do for me, my Heirs and Assigns, grant and ordain, that the Streets of the said City, shall for ever continue as they are now laid out and regulated; and that the End of each Street extending into the River Delaware, shall be and continue free for the Use and Service of the said City, and the Inhabitants thereof, who may improve the same for the best Advantage of the City, and build Wharfs so far out into the River there, as the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common-council, herein after mentioned, shall see meet.
AND I do nominate Edward Shippen to be the present Mayor, who shall so continue until another be chosen, as is herein after directed.
AND I do hereby assign and name Thomas Story to be present Recorder, to do and execute all Things which unto the Office of Recorder of the said City doth or may belong.
AND I do appoint Thomas Farmer to be the present Sheriff, and Robert Assheton to be the present Town-clerk, and Clerk of the Peace, and Clerk of the Court and Courts.
AND I do hereby name, constitute, and appoint, Joshua Carpenter, Griffith Jones, Anthony Morris, Joseph Wilcox, Nathan Stanbury, Charles Read, Thomas Masters, and William Carter, Citizens and Inhabitants of the said City, to be the present Aldermen of the said City of Philadelphia.
AND I do also nominate and appoint John Parsons, William Hudson, William Lee, Nehemiah Allen, Thomas Paschal, John Bud, jun., Edward Smout, Samuel Buckley, James Atkinson, Pentecost Teague, Francis Cook, and Henry Badcocke, to be the twelve present Common-council Men of the said City.