THE COPY OF SIR WILLIAM Erskin and john Meldrum, their Letters Patents for the Lights at Winterton.  
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  
LONDON, Printed by William jones dwelling in Red-crosse-streete. 1618.   

THE COPY OF SIR William Erskin and john Meldrum, their Letters Patents for the Lights at Winterton.  
JAMES by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland Defender of the faith etc.  
To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting. Whereas we have been lately informed, that the Seas near and about the parts of Wintertonnesse in our County of Norfolk are of great danger and peril for passing of Ships sailing unto the North Coast in dark and foul nights, by reason of a Sand lying in length from the main land two furlongs or there about, upon the which of late years many great losses have happened to our Subjects sailing near the same Coast, aswell by the lamentable wrack of divers Ships there as by the loss of many of our subjects their lives and goods, which have been occasioned by the want of Light houses and lights that might have been provided and set up, at or as near the said Nesse for direction of Sailors trading or passing to and fro those parts which by the help of such lighthouses and lights might have well been saved and prevented. And that for the scaping and preventing of the dangers of those parts for the time to come, it is very convenient and necessary that light-howses should be there erected with lights therein continually burning, and maintained in the night time, for the direction and safe conduct of Ships passing by or alongst the said coast in the night time in dark and fowl nights, and that almost all the masters and owners of shiping, trading to our Town of Newcastle for Coals, Fishermen and other Masters and Owners of other shipping, tratrading upon the said North coast, have heretofore greatly desired the erection of lighthouses & lights there to be set up and maintained, and have offered to contribute for, and towards the erection and continual maintenance of the same, as by an inquisition or certificate taken at the City of Norwich in the County of Norfolk the eight day of januarie last passed before john Corbett, john Smith, Owen Sheppard, and Roger Godsalue, Esquires: our Commissioners by virtue of Our Commission under our great seal of England, bearing date at Westminster the sixteenth day of December last passed, unto them and others directed by the oaths of sundry good & lawful men of our Towns of great Yarmouth and Winterton in the said County, and returned into and remaining of record in our Court of Chancery: amongst other things more at large it doth and may more appear. We therefore out of our princely office and care intending hereafter to provide for as well the safety of the lives and goods of our subjects & others as of the shipping of our Kingdoms, (being a principal honour & strength of the same) and unwilling that our loving subjects and others passing by the said North Coast should undergo & continue still under the danger and hazard of the said perilous Sands whereunto by woeful experience they have heretofore been too much subject. And having been informed by our learned Counsel that the erection and maintenance of such lighthouses and Lights in places needful for the safety of our subjects, is a right and power remaining in us, notwithstanding the power or authority heretofore given by the statute made in the eight year of the Reign of our late decree Sister Queen Elizabeth to the Master, Wardens, and Assistants of the Trinitie-house of Debtford Strand for erecting of Beacons, Signs, and Sea marks, have thought fit and necessary, and by these presents we do for us, our Heirs & successors, will ordain and appoint that some one or more convenient Lighthouse or Lighthouses shall be erected made and set up, at or near such fit and convenient place or places at or within the space of two miles of Winterton aforesaid as by the persons hereafter by us named & authorized in that behalf their Executors, Administrators or Assigns their substitute or substitutes or some or one of them shall be thought meet and necessary from time to time and that continually in the night season in dark & foul nights sufficient lights shall therein by the persons hereafter named their Executors or Assigns, substitute or substitutes, or some or one of them and at their proper costs and charges from time to time be kept and maintained for the direction, condition, and preservation of Ships, Hoys, Barks, Fishermen or other vessels whatsoever which shall sail or pass by or alongst the said North Coast, and that as well the said Lighthouse or lighthouses which sha' I hereafter be by them so built and erected, shall or may from time to time by the said persons hereafter by us named and appointed their Executors, Administrators, or Assigns, substitute or substitutes be altered, renewed, removed, and changed as by the accidents and movables, and channels at or near Wintertonesse aforesaid shall or may require for the safer conduction & guiding of sailors ships, Fisher-barkes, and other vessels whatsoever, passing or repassing from Port to Port, by or alongst the said Coast as well by night as by day.  
And for as much as the erection, reparation, removing, changing, and continual maintaining of the said lighthouses and Lights in the same there Will from time to time require a great and continual charge for the supportation and maintenance of the same. We will, ordain, and appoint for us our Heirs and successors that there shall be collected and taken of an for every Ship, Hoy, Bark, Fisherman, or other vessel whatsoever that shall pass from port to port by or alongst the said North Coast a duty or payment of one penny upon the Tun according to the burden of the said ship, Hoy, Bark or vessel, in the whole voyage outward and inward, (that is to say) one half penny upon every Tuune for the said whole voyage outward and inward of and from the Masters or owners of such ships, Barks, Hoys, and vessels & one other half penny upon every Tun as aforesaid of and from the Merchants or owners of the goods in the said Ships, Barks, Hoys or vessels for the time being, which said duty or payment of one penny to be paid upon every Tun as aforesaid we will shall be delivered and paid to the hands of such officer and officers or other person or persons as the persons hereafter named, or either of either of them, their, or either of their executor's Administrators or assigns or any of them shall nominate, depute and appoint in any our custome-houses, to receive and take the same by the Masters and owners of the Ships, Hoys, Barks or vessels, for the time being, who shall and may lawfully demand, receive, and take the moiety, or one half thereof, according to the true meaning of this our grant, of, and from the Merchants & owners of the goods in the Ships, Hoys, Barks and vessels, from time to time, according to the quantity of the goods & merchandises wherewith the said Ships, Hoys, Barks or vessels shall be fraught or laden.  
And that the said persons hereafter named, their or either of their executors, Administrators or Assigns, substitute or substitutes one or more of them shall or may likewise lawfully demand, receive & take of every Ship, Hoye, Bark, Fishermen or vessel being the Ship, Hoye, Bark or vessel of any Alien, Denizen or stranger, not being our natural born subjects, that shall happen to sail, or pass from port to port, by or alongst the said North coast, the like duty of one penny upon the Tun, in the voyage outward and inward, as aforesaid, which we will and ordain, for us, our Heirs, and Successors, shallbe collected and taken by the persons hereafter named, their Executors, Administrators, Deputies, or Assigns, at or in the Port, Harbour, creak, or Road within in any part of our Dominions where the said Ships, Hoys, Barks or vessels of any such stranger, shall harbour or put in although the same ship, or vessel shall not be there unloaded or discharged of any the goods or merchandises, wherewith it shall be fraught or laden.  
And that the same duty of one penny upon the Tun as aforesaid being once paid, and the receipt thereof being testified by those who shall be appointed to receive the same, the said Masters and owners of ships and other vessels, aswell our natural born subjects as strangers, shall be then freed and discharged of and from the payment of the said duty, in every or any Port or Ports in which the said Ships or vessels, shall or may happen or come in every or any such voyage as aforesaid.  
KNOW YE therefore that we as well in consideration of the premises, as for divers other good causes & considerations us hereunto moving of our special grace, certain knowledge and mere motions, have given and granted and by these presents for us, our Heirs and Successors, we do give and grant unto our trusty and well-beloved servants, Sir William Erskine knight, & john Meldrum Esquire, their Executors, Administrators and Assigns, as well in regard of the true, faithful, and acceptable service by the said Sir William Erskine & john Meldrum to us heretofore done, and as being the first suitors unto us for the erecting & setting up of Lighthouses at or near Winterton aforesaid as also for other good causes and considerations us thereunto moving free liberty, licence, power and authority, that they or any of them shall and may lawfully make, build, erect set up, remove, & maintain, or cause to be made, builded, erected, set up, removed and maintained in all such place and places of the said North Coast within the compass of two miles of the Town of Winterton in our County of Norfolk as to them shall seem most fit, needful and requisite, such & so many convenient Light-howses, with continual Lights to be burning in them during all the night time, whereby the said Seafaring men may take notice and be warned of the dangers thereabouts and so be the more able to avoid and escape them, and the said ships and vessels may the better arrive and come into their Ports and Harbours without peril, as to them the said Sir William Erskine and john Meldrum, their Executors, Administrators and Assigns or any of them shall be thought fit, requisite and needful.  
And for the great and continual charges to be from time sustained & borne in and about the erecting and maintaining of the said Lights and Light-howses, we do for us, our Heirs and Successors, will ordain, give and grant to the said Sir William Erskine and john Meldrum their Executors, Administrators, Deputies and Assigns full power and authority, that they & every of them shall and may lawfully demand, receive, have and take of, and from the Masters and Owners of Ships, Hoys, Barks, Fishermen, and other Vessels passing or sailing by or alongst the said North Coast one penny upon the Tun according to the burden of the same Ships or vessels for every whole voyage inward & outward as aforesaid, to be from time to time answered & paid either in such Port or places where the same Ship or Vessel shall be fraught or laden, or else in such Port or place where the same Ship or Vessel shall be discharged and unladen as aforesaid. Nevertheless our will and pleasure is that for the erection, reparation renewing, removing and continual maintenance of all or any such Lighthouse or Lighthouses heretofore erected and set up or which hereafter shall or may be erected, renewed, altered, removed and maintained, at or as near Winterton or within two miles' compass of the same as aforesaid, no other or further duty or payment to be demanded or taken of our subjects or others, than the aforesaid duty or payment of one penny in the Voyage upon the Tun outward and inward as aforesaid.  
AND WE do further of our special grace, certain knowledge, & mere motion for us, our Heirs, and successors, give and grant unto the said Sir William Erskine & john Meldrum, their Executors, Administrators, and Assigns, full power and authority that they and every of them at their wills and pleasures shall or may lawfully erect, set up alter, change, renew and remove by or at their proper costs and charges, and by and with the advise and direction of expert and skilful Seafaring men dwelling or trading upon the aforesaid Coast, such and so many Lights and Lighthouses, at or as near Winterton aforesaid; or within the compass of two miles thereof as aforesaid as shall be thought fit & as just occasion or necessity shall require. To have, hold, exercise and enjoy the said liberties, licences powers & authorities & the said duty or payment of one penny upon the Tun as aforesaid before by these presents given and granted and every of them unto the said Sir William Erskine and john Meldrum their Executors, Administrators and Assigns, for and during the full end and term of fifty years from the date of these presents fully to be complete and ended.  
AND for as much as any other order or course cannot well be taken for the due leaviing of the said duty or payment of one penny upon the Tun in the Voyage outward and inward as aforesaid for and towards the effecting & continuance of this so good and necessary a work, then by appointing the payment and collection of the same, to be had and made within the Ports, Harbours, Roads and Creeks, unto the which the said Ships, Barks, and Vessels shall or do come and abide, we do by these presnts for us, our Heirs and Successors, will ordain and appoint & also straightly charge command, and authorize all and every the Customers, Collectors, controllers, Receivers of entries of ships, Water-baylife and all other the officers whatsoever of and concerning the Customs to us, our Heirs & Successors, and all other the Wardens or keepers of any our Havens and Ports now being, and which from the time hereafter shall be as well in our several Ports of London & Newcastle, as in all & every other the Ports, Harbours, Creeks, Roads, and places within our Realem of England, to whom it shall or may appertain, that they or some of them being first lawfully deputed & appointed by the said persons herein before named their Executors, Administrators or Assigns or some of them for the levying and receiving the said duty of one penny upon the Tun as afore said from time to time & at all times hereafter during the said term of fifty years before such time as they or any of them shall or may give any Cocket or other discharge whatsoever, or before they shall receive or take any entry respectively of or for any Sip, Bark or Vessel which hereafter shall pass or repass by or alongst the North Coast aforesaid shall demand, collect and receive the said duty and allowance of one penny upon the Ton in the voyage, outward & inward herein before specified, respectively of and for all and every such Ship, Hoy, Bark, or Vessel, belonging to any Merchant, fishermans, or other person or persons our natural born Subjects Denizens and Strangers as shall sail and trade from Port to Port by or along the Coast aforesaid, except the Master or Owner of the same Ship Bark or Vessel shall produce and show forth a receipt or acquittance of and for the payment of the said duty under the hand and seal of such officer or officers as shall be deputed and appointed by the said persons herein before named, their Executors, Administrators or Assigns in every or any such Customehouse or place from whence the said Ship or Vessel shall come testifiing the payment and receipt thereof to be there duly had and made.  
And that all and every such Customer, collector, or other officer in our said Custome-houses to be appointed and deputed as aforesaid, shall yield and make just and true accounts and payments, of all and every such collectors, sum & sums of money, as by him, them, or any of them, shall be collected or received from time to time, unto the said Sir William Erskine Knight, and john Meldrum, their Executors Administrators or Assigns, to be by them either or any of them, received and retained to their own proper use and behoof, for and in respect of their great and continual charges, to be sustained and borne, in erecting, renewing, altering removing and continual maintaining of the said lighthouses and lights, in the night season as aforesaid, without any account or other thing therefore, or for any part thereof by them to be made or given for the same, other than the yearly rent hereby to us our Heir & Successors reseeved, yielding, and paying therefore unto us our Heirs & Successors, the yearly rent or some of six pounds therteene shillings & four pence of lawful money of England, at the receipt of our Exchequer at Westminster, or to our receiver or Receivors, of our County of Norfolk for the time being, at the feast of the Annunciation of the blessed virgin Mary, and at S. Michael the Archangel, by even & equal proportion, during the said term, or within thirty days next after either of the said feasts.  
And to the end, that the said S. William Erskine and john Mildrum, their Executors, Administrators and Assigns, shall and may the better have & enjoy the full force benefit and effect of this our present grant. And to the intent and purpose, that the Master Wardens and Assistances of the Trinity House of Debtford Strand aforesaid, and all others whosoever, may be restrained during the term of Fifty years aforesaid, from continuing, repairing, renewing removing & maintaining, any Light-house or lighthouses all ready erected and set up, since March last, within the space of two Miles of the Town of Winterton aforesaid, and from errecting, & setting up during the said term, any other new Light-house or lighthouses, at or near the said Town, or within two miles thereof, and of & from the receiving, having or taking, by any ways, means, or pretences whatsoever, any collection, contribution, some or sums of money, whatsoever for the same, during the said Term of Fifty years before specified, notwithstanding any former course, taken or had, by, or for the said Master Wardens and assistances of the Trinity house of Debtford Strand aforesaid, for the lighthouses since March last by them ecected, at or near Wintetton aforesaid.  
We do by these presence, for us, our Heirs and Successors, authorizice, the Lords of our Privy Council for the time being, & we do also straightly charge, require and command all Mayor's Sheriffs, justices of peace, Captains of our Castles, & Forts, Bailiffs and other Officers and Ministers whatsoever, of us, our Heirs and Successors to whom it doth & shall appertain, that they and every of them be from time to time hereafter aiding & assisting unto the said William Erskin Knight & john Meldrum, their and either of their Executors, Administrators and Assigns, substitures, factors and servants, and every of them, in and concerning the premises upon every complaint to be made touching or concerning the same, according as justice shall be by them or any of them desired and requested in that behalf, and these presents or the enrolment thereof shall be unto them & every of them a sufficient warrant and discharge for the doing, performing and executing the same.  
AND lastly we do hereby signify and declare our express will and pleasure to be, and we do for us, our Heirs & Successors, straightly charge and command the said Master, Wardens, and Assistants of the Trinity house of Debtford Strand and their successors, that they and every of them, their factors and servants appointed by them shall and do immediately from henceforth surcease & desist aswell of and from erecting or setting up of any Light-house or lighthouses at Winterton aforesaid or within two miles' compass thereof as aforesaid as of and from the continuing or maintainig of any Light or Lights burning in any Lighthouse or lighthouses since March last by them there erected or set up, and that they and every of them shall forbear from henceforth to demand, receive or take any duty, payment allowance, or benefit of or from any our subjects or others trading or passing by or alongst the said Coast for or in respect of the same Light-house or lighthouses by or under any colour pretence or pretext whatsoever, any Act, Statute, Ordinance, Provision, Charter and Grant, heretofore had made, enacted, or provided, or any other cause, consideration, matter, or thing, to the contrary thereof in any wise, notwithstanding, and that upon the pain and peril of incurring our high and heavy displeasuere for their contempt or neglect of this our royal will and commandment herein so expressly declared in this behalf, although express mention of the true yearly value or certainty of the premises or of any of them, or of any other gift or grant by us or any of our Progenitors or Predecessors to the aforesaid Sir William Erskine & john Meldrum or either of them before these times made in these presents, is not made, or any Statute, Act, Ordinance, Provision, Proclamation or Restraint heretofore had made, set forth, ordained or provided or any other matter, cause or thing whatsoever to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.  
In witness whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Patents, witness ourself at Westminster the 18 day of Feb. in our 15 year of our Reign of England, and of Scotland the 51.