By way of corrigendum to Miss Woolley's paper, it should be mentioned, out of Mr. F. H. Norton's notes to his edition of the Journal of Hugh Finlay, that the Virginian act of 1661/2, cited on p. 22, above, was preceded by an act of similar tenor in 1657.--EDITOR.]
WILLIAM AND MARY by the Grace of God &c To all to whome these presents shall come GREETING whereas our Trusty and welbeloved servant Thomas Neale Esquire hath lately humbly represented unto us that there never yet hath bin any post established for the conveying of Letters within or between Virginia Maryland Delaware New Yorke New England East and West Jersey Pensilvania and Northward as far as our Dominions reach in America And that the want thereof hath bin a great hindrance to the Trade of those parts And he the said Thomas Neale haveing humbly desired us to grant to him Letters Patents for the settling of such a post at his owne charge and Wee being fully satisfied that the same may be of service to Trade and correspondence and alsoe willing to encourage such an undertakeing know yee therefore that wee of our especiall grace certaine knowledge and meer mocon and with and under the condicons and agreements herein after mentioned on the part and behalfe of the said Thomas Neale his executors and assignes to be performed have given and granted and by these presents for us our heires and successors doe give and grant unto the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes full power and authority to erect settle and establish and from time to time dureing the Terme herein after mentioned shall and may continue and enjoy within every or any the chiefe Ports of the severall Iselands Plantacons or Colonies belonging or to belong unto us our heires or successors in America an Office or Offices for the receiving and dispatching away of letters and packquetts with full power and authority and free liberty leave and lycence to and for him the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes and to and for such person or persons as he or they shall from time to time in this behalfe nominate to receive at the respective Offices aforesaid of and from any Masters of Ships Passengers or others any letters or Pacquetts whatsoever which shall be brought into the said Colonyes and Iselands or any of them from England or from any other parts whatsoever or which shall be sent from any parts or places of such respective Colony or Iseland to any other parts or places of the same and to dispatch send away carry and deliver the same to the respective persons and places to whome or which they shall be directed or sent within the said Colonys and Iselands or any of them and to take or receive to the onely use and behoofe of him the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes for the postage or conveyance of all such letters and Packquetts as shall be soe dispatcht sent away carried and delivered such rates and sumes of money as shall be proportionable to the rates for the post or carriage of letters sett downe and ascertained in and by an Act of Parliament made in the Twelfth yeare of the reigne of our late Royall Uncle King Charles the Second of Blessed memory entituled (an act for erecting and establishing a Post Office) or such other rates or sumes of money as the Planters and others will freely agree to give for their letters or Pacquetts upon the first settlement of such Office or Offices And further Wee have given and granted and by these presents for us our heires and successors doe give and grant unto the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes and to such person and persons as he or they shall from time to time nominate as aforesaid full power and authority and free liberty leave and lycence at the said Office or offices so to be settled as aforesaid to collect and receive such letters or pacquetts as the Planters or any others will send or bring to the same and to dispatch such of them away for England as shall be directed thither by the first ship that from time to time shall be bound for any Port Towne of England to be there delivered to the Deputy or Deputies of our Postmaster or Postmasters Generall for the time being by him or them appointed or to be appointed for the said Port Towne To the end such Deputy or Deputys may from time to time send the same away to the Generall Post Office in England to be delivered according to the severall and respective direccons of the same as by the said Act of Parliament is prescribed and to dispatch away such of the said letters or Pacquetts as shall be directed or are to be carried from any of the said Islands Colonys or Plantacons from time to time To have hold use exercise and enjoy the said Office and Offices with the powers authorities priviledges leav