Minto
Minto Town Charter (1772)
GEORGE the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and so forth. To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting. Whereas our loving Subject Andrew Elliot Esquire by his humble Petition in Behalf of himself and his Associates presented unto our Right trusty and Right wellbeloved Cousin John Earl of Dunmore then our Captain General and Governor in Chief of our Province of New York, and read in our Council for our said Province on the Fourteenth Day of June which was in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy one, did set forth among other Things in Substance, That the Petitioner and his Associates had discovered a certain Tract of Land vested in us situate Eastward of Lake Champlain then in the County of Albany but now in the County of Charlotte lying adjoining to other Lands located on the River known by the Name of Onion River, and Containing Thirty Thousand Acres, And that the Petitioner and his Associates were desirous of obtaining our Letters Patent for the said Tract of Land intending to cultivate and improve the same. And therefore the Petitioner did humbly pray that our said Captain General and Governor in Chief would be favorably pleased to grant unto him the Petitioner and his Associates the Tract of Land aforesaid on the usual Terms: Which Petition having been then referred to a Committee of our Council for our said Province, our said Council did afterwards on the same Day in Pursuance of the Report of the said Committee humbly advise and consent that our said Captain General and Governor in Chief should by our Letters Patent grant unto the Petitioner and his Associates and their Heirs the Tract of Land aforesaid under the Quit Rent, Provisoes, Limitations and Restrictions prescribed by our Royal Instructions. And Whereas afterwards on the Eighth Day of the Month of May now last past on the further Petition of the said Andrew Elliot in Behalf of himself and his Associates it was ordered by our trusty and well beloved William Tryon Esquire our Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over our said Province of New York and the Territories depending thereon in America, Chancellor and Vice Admiral of the same, that the said Tract of Land should be erected into a Township by the Name of Minto with the usual Privileges granted to other Townships within our said Province. In Pursuance whereof and in Obedience to our said Royal Instructions our Commissioners appointed for the Setting out all Lands to be granted within our said Province, have set out for the said Andrew Elliot, and for his Associates to wit, James Duane, Johnston Fairholme, Walter Rutherford, John Harris Cruger, William McAdam, Peter Middleton, John Kelly, Anthony Kendal, James Coggeshel, William Tuckey, Archibald Thompson, James Penny, Christopher Codwise, James Moran, John B. Sebring, Charles Williams, Lambert Moore, Thomas Moore, John Copp, John Moore, John Crook, Jonathan Fish, John Church, Samuel Stevens, William Kennedy, John Bowles, James Leadbetter, Simon Stevens and Joseph Blanchard, All that certain Tract or Parcel of Land situate, lying and being in the County of Charlotte, in our Province of New York, Beginning at the Southeast Corner of a Tract of Land granted to Samuel Wells and others known by the Name of the Township of Deerfield, and runs thence along the Southern Bounds of the said Township of Deerfield North Sixty eight Degrees West one Hundred and sixty Chains Then South two hundred and Ten Chains Then South Sixty Degrees East five Hundred and forty Chains; Then North thirty Degrees East five Hundred and forty five Chains; Then North Sixty Degrees West six Hundred and eighty three Chains to the Easternmost Bounds of the said Tract of Land known by the Name of the Township of Deerfield; and then along the last mentioned Bounds South three Hundred and Ninety three Chains and fifty Links to the Place where this Tract began, Containing Thirty Thousand Acres of Land and the usual Allowance for Highways. And in Setting out the said Tract of Land our said Commissioners have had Regard to the profitable and unprofitable Acres, and have taken Care that the Length thereof doth not extend along the Banks of any River otherwise than is conformable to our said Royal Instructions, As by a Certificate thereof under their Hands bearing Date the Eighth Day of the said Month of May and entered on Record in our Secretary’s Office for our said Province may more fully appear. Which said Tract of Land set out as aforesaid according to our said Royal Instructions, We being willing to grant to the said Andrew Elliot and his said Associates their Heirs and Assigns for ever, with the several Privileges and Powers herein after mentioned. Know Ye that of our especial Grace, certain Knowledge and meer Motion, We have given, granted, ratified and confirmed, and do by these Presents for us, our Heirs and Successors give, grant, ratify and confirm unto them the said Andrew Elliot, James Duane, Johnston Fairholme, Walter Rutherford, John Harris Cruger, William McAdam, Peter Middleton, John Kelly, Anthony Kendal, James Coggeshel, William Tuckey, Archibald Thompson, James Penny, Christopher Codwise, James Moran, John B Sebring, Charles Williams, Lambert Moore, Thomas Moore, John Copp, John Moore, John Crook, Jonathan Fish, John Church, Samuel Stevens, William Kennedy, John Bowles, James Leadbetter, Simon Stevens and Joseph Blanchard, their Heirs and Assigns for ever, All that the Tract or Parcel of Land aforesaid set out, abutted, bounded, and described in Manner and Form as above mentioned; Together with all and singular the Tenements, Hereditaments, Emoluments and Appurtenances thereunto belonging or appertaining. And also all our Estate, Right, Title, Interest, Possession, Claim and Demand whatsoever of in and to the same Lands and Premises and every Part and Parcel thereof. And the Reversion and Reversions, Remainder and Remainders, Rents, Issues and Profits thereof, and of every Part and Parcel thereof, Except and always reserved out of this our present Grant unto us, our Heirs and Successors for ever, All Mines of Gold and Silver, and also all white or other Sorts of Pine Trees fit for Masts of the Growth of Twenty four Inches Diameter and upwards at twelve Inches from the Earth for Masts for the Royal Navy of us, our Heirs and Successors. To have and to hold one full and equal thirtieth Part (the whole into thirty equal Parts to be divided) of the said Tract or Parcel of Land, Tenements, Hereditaments, and Premises by these Presents granted, ratified and confirmed and every Part and Parcel thereof with their and every of their Appurtenances (Except as is herein before excepted) unto each of them our Grantees above mentioned, their Heirs and Assigns respectively, To their only proper and seperate Use and Behoof respectively for ever as Tenants in Common and not as Joint Tenants. To be holden of us, our Heirs and Successors in free and common Socage as of our Manor of East Greenwich in our County of Kent within our Kingdom of Great Britain. Yielding, Rendering and Paying therefore yearly and every Year for ever unto us, our Heirs and Successors, at our Custom House in our City of New York, unto our or their Collector or Receiver General there, for the Time being, on the Feast of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary commonly called Lady Day, the yearly Rent of Two Shillings and six Pence Sterling for each and every Hundred Acres of the above granted Lands, and so in Proportion for any lesser Quantity thereof, Saving and except for such Part of the said Lands allowed for Highways as above mentioned, in Lieu and Stead of all other Rents, Services, Dues, Duties and Demands whatsoever for the hereby granted Lands and Premises or any part thereof. And we do of our especial Grace, certain Knowledge and meer Motion create, erect and constitute the Tract or Parcel of Land herein granted and every Part and Parcel thereof a Township for ever hereafter to be, continue and remain, And by the Name of Minto for ever Hereafter to be called and known.
Provided further and upon Condition also nevertheless and we do hereby for us, our Heirs and Successors, direct and appoint that this our present Grant shall be registered and entered on Record within six Months from the Date thereof in our Secretary’s Office in our City of New York in our said Province in one of the Books of Patents there remaining; And that a Docquet thereof shall be also entered in our Auditor’s Office there for our said Province and that in Default thereof, this our present Grant shall be void and of none Effect, Any Thing before in these Presents contained to the Contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. And we do moreover of our especial Grace, certainKnowledge and meer Motion, consent and agree, that this our present Grant being registered, recorded, and a Docquet thereof made as before directed and appointed shall be good and effectual in the Law to all Intents, Constructions and Purposes whatsoever, against us, our Heirs and Successors notwithstanding any Misreciting, Misbounding, Misnaming, or or [sic] other Imperfection or Omission of in or in any wise concerning the above granted or hereby mentioned or intended to be granted Lands, Tenements, Hereditaments and Premises or any Part thereof. In Testimony whereof, we have caused these our Letters to be made Patent, and the Great Seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. Witness our said trusty and well beloved William Tryon Esquire our said Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over our said Province of New York, and the Territories depending thereon in America, Chancellor and Vice Admiral of the same at our Fort in our City of New York the Ninth Day of October in the Year of our Lord One Thousand seven Hundred and Seventy two, and of our Reign the Twelfth.
The text of the original New York Land Grant charter for Minto was copied from a previously written source on file at the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum.