British Royal Proclamations Relating to America, 1603-1783

by Great Britain. Sovereign

That the Purchaser of uncleared Lands shall clear and cultivate One Acre in every Twenty in each Year, until Half the Land so purchased shall be cleared; and, in Default thereof, shall pay Five Pounds per Annum for every Acre not cleared, pursuant to such Condition; and such Purchaser shall also be obliged to settle and constantly keep upon the Lot so purchased, One White Man or Two White Women for every Hundred Acres, as the same shall be cleared.

That each Purchaser shall, besides the Purchase-Money, be subject to the Payment of an Annual Quit-Rent to Us, Our Heirs, and Successors, of Six-pence per Acre, under the Penalty of Five Pounds per Acre upon Non-payment thereof; such Quit-Rents, in the Case of the Purchase of cleared Lands, to commence from the Date of the Grant; and the first Payment to be made at the Expiration of the First Year; and in Case of the Purchase of the uncleared Lands, such Quit-Rents to commence at the Expiration of Twelve Months from the Time each Acre is cleared.

That in Case of Failure in the Payment of the Purchase-Money in the Manner above directed, the Purchaser shall forfeit all Right to the Lands purchased.

That no Person shall purchase at any publick Sale more than Five Hundred Acres of cleared or uncleared Lands, in the Islands of Grenada, and the Grenadines, Tobago, and St. Vincent's, and in the Island of Dominica the Quantity shall be restrained to Three Hundred Acres; and in Order to enforce this necessary and essential Regulation, that a Condition shall be inserted in every Grant, to be made in Consequence of such Purchase, that in Case any Purchase shall be made contrary thereto, so that the Property of the Purchaser in the Islands where the Lands lie, shall thereby amount to more than the above Quantity respectively, the same shall be void, the Money paid thereon forfeited, and the consequential Grant of no Effect.

That all and every Purchaser of Lands, upon the foregoing Terms and Conditions, shall immediately, upon the Payment of the first Twenty per Cent. of the Purchase-Money, receive a Bill of Sale, signed by the said Commissioners, which shall entitle such Purchasers to a Grant of the said Lands, under the Seal of the Islands, containing the aforementioned Conditions and Reservations: Which said Purchase, and Grant in Consequence thereof, duly registered in the proper Offices, shall be good and valid in Law against Us, Our Heirs and Successors, unless the same shall be revoked: And We do hereby declare the same revocable by Our Commissioners of Our Treasury, or Our High Treasurer for the Time being, within Twelve Months from the Date thereof; in which Case such Purchase and Grant shall become void and of no Effect; and upon Notice of such Revocation, the said Commissioners shall return to such Purchaser the Money paid upon the Purchase, with legal Interest thereon, and reasonable Allowance for any Improvements made on the said Lands.

And whereas the Establishing Towns in proper Situations, within the said Islands, will conduce greatly to the Convenience of the Inhabitants, and the Benefit of Trade and Commerce; We have therefore thought fit, with the Advice of Our Privy Council, to direct a proper District in every Parish in each Island, to be laid out for that Purpose, into Lots for Tenements of different Size and Extent; and each Town-Lot to have a proportionate Allotment of Land contiguous to such Town, for a small Field or Pasture, allowing one Acre for every ten Foot in Front of the Town-Lot to which it is to be annexed; but no Field-Lot to exceed the Quantity of Six Acres.

And We do hereby further publish and declare, that such of these Town and Pasture-Lots, in each Island, as consist of Lands, which have been already cleared and improved, shall be set up to Sale by publick Auction, at a Price per Foot in Front of each Town-Lot, and a Price per Acre of the Field-Lot, to be fixed upon such Lot, by the said Commissioners, in like Manner as upon the Allotments for Plantations.

And We do further publish and declare, that the Lots, so set up to Sale by Auction, shall not be sold but upon the following Terms and Conditions; that is to say,

That the Purchase-Money, shall be paid in the same Proportion, by the like Installments and upon the same Conditions as are required in the Case of the Purchase of Allotments for Plantations.