JOSIAH WILLARD’S SECOND COMMISSION as SECRETARY OF THE PROVINCE OF THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY

    28 March, 1728

    [COMMISSION FROM HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE THE SECOND TO JOSIAH WILLARD ESQR TO BE SECRETARY OF THE PROVINCE OF THE MASSACHUSETS BAY]

    George the Second by the Grace of God [of Great Britain France & Ireland King Defender of the Faith] &c. To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting

    Whereas Our late Royall Father George the First King of Great Britain &c Did by his letters Patents vnder his Great Seal of Great Britain bearing date at Westminster the sixteenth Day of June in the third Year of his Reign Give and Grant vnto his Trusty & Welbeloved Josiah Willard Esquire the Office or place of Secretary of his Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England in America To have hold Exercise and Enjoy the said Office or Place unto the said Josiah Willard by himself or his sufficient Deputy or Deputies (for Whom he should be Answerable) for and during his Pleasure and his Residence within the said Province with all Fees Rights Profits Priviledges and Advantages Whatsoever thereunto belonging As by the said recited letters Patents (relation being thereunto had) may [more] [now] fully and at large appear In which said Office by Virtue of the Statute in such Case made and Provided he [was] [has] continued for the Space of Six Months from the Time of the Demise of his said late Majesty and by virtue of our Royall Proclamation for that purpose Issued bearing date the Fifth Day of July in the First Year of Our Reign He is continued untill Our Pleasure be further known or other Provision be made concerning the said Office Now know Yee that Wee have Revoked and Determined And by these Presents do Revoke and Determine the said recited Letters Patents and every Clause Article and thing therein contained And Further Know yee that Wee of our Especiall Grace certain Knowledge and meer motion have Given and Granted and by these Presents do Give and Grant unto Our Trusty & Welbeloved the said Josiah Willard the said Office or place of Secretary of Our Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England in America and him the said Josiah Willard Secretary of Our said Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England in America Wee do make Ordain and Constitute by these Presents To have hold Exercise and Enjoy the said Office or Place vnto the said Josiah Willard by himselfe or his Sufficient Deputy or Deputyes (for whom he shall be answerable) For and during Our Pleasure and his Residence within Our said Province with all Fees Rights Profits Priviledges and Advantages whatsoever thereunto belonging in as full and ample manner as he the said Josiah Willard or any other Secretary of Our said Province hath formerly held and Enjoyed or of Right Ought to have held and Enjoyed the same In Witness [&c] [whereof We have caused these our Letters to be made Patents] Witness Our Selfe at Westminster the [eight &] Twentieth [Eighth] Day of March [In the first year of our Reign]

    By Writt of Privy Seal

    [COCKS]

    [Prov. of the Massachusets Bay Sworn before me in Council June 18. 1728.

    WM Dummer

    Examined per J Willard Se͞c͞r͞y]

    Public Record Office, Patent Roll, 1 George II, Part 4, No. 14 Compared with the record of Royal Commissions (Crown Commissions, 1628–1663, p. 34) in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.205

    JOSIAH WILLARD ESQR SECRETARY OF THE MASSACHUSETS BAY 1727

    George R.

    Our Will and Pleasure is, that you prepare a Bill for Our Royal Signature to pass Our Great Seal, containing Our Grant of the Office or Place of Secretary of Our Province of Massachusets Bay in New England in America unto Our Trusty and Welbeloved Josiah Willard Esqr to have, hold, exercise and enjoy the same by himself or his sufficient Deputy or Deputies (for whom he shall be answerable) for and during Our Pleasure and his Residence within Our said Province, with all Fees, Rights, Profits, Privileges and Advantages whatsoever thereunto belonging, in as full and ample manner as he the said Josiah Willard or any other Secretary of Our said Province hath formerly held and enjoyed the same; And you are to insert in the said Bill a clause for revoking the Letters Patents whereby We constituted the said Josiah Willard Secretary of Our said Province. And for so doing this shall be your Warrant. Given at Our Court at St James’s the 29th Day of February 1727. In the first year of Our Reign.

    By His Majesty’s Command,

    HOLLES NEWCASTLE.

    To Our Attorney or Sollicitor General

    Public Record Office, Colonial Office, Class 324, Vol. 50, pp. 53–54