17 | Circular from the Board of Trade

    Duplicate/

    Whitehall Octr. 31 1760.

    Sir,

    Inclosed you will receive an Order from the Lords of his Majesty’s most Honble. Privy Council, notifying to you the Death of Our late gracious Sovereign Lord King George of ever-blessed Memory, and directing you to proclaim the High and Mighty Prince George Prince of Wales, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, and of all the Dominions thereunto belonging, &c. Defender of the Faith &c. We do therefore earnestly recommend to you, that you do proceed without loss of time to the Execution of these Orders, and that His Majesty be accordingly proclaimed in the most Solemn manner and most proper parts of Your Government, and you are to return to Us a speedy Account of your Proceedings herein.

    Inclosed you will also find His Majesty’s Warrant authorizing you to make use of the Old Seal of the Province until a new one can be prepared, together with four printed Copies of His Majesty’s Proclamation, continuing all Officers in the Plantations, civil and Military, in their respective Employments, till His Majesty’s Pleasure shall be further signified; which Proclamation you will take care to make publick in such manner, that All His Majesty’s Subjects may be fully apprized of His Majesty’s Pleasure in this respect.

    Under the same Cover We likewise transmit to you an Instruction, signed by His Majesty containing His Majesty’s Directions for an Alteration in the Prayers for the Royal Family, to which you will not fail to pay a due Obedience.

    We are, Sir, Your most Obedient and most humble Servants,

    Dunk Halifax

    Andrew Stone.

    WG Hamilton

    Wm. Sloper

    Francis Bernard Esquire Govr. of Massachusets Bay.

    dupLS, RC BP, 9: 153-156.