I R  DIEV ET MON DROIT HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon or coat of arms  
JAMES By the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc. To all and singular Archbishops, Bishops, Archdeacon's, Deans, and their Officials, Parsons, Vicars, Curates, and to all spiritual persons. And also to all justices of Peace, Mayor, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables, Churchwardens and Head boroughes: And to all Officers of Cities, Boroughes, and Towns corporate: And to all other our Officers, Ministers, and Subjects whatsoever they be, aswell within Liberties, as without, to whom these presents shall come, greeting:  
WHEREAS we are credibly given to understand, aswell by the humble supplication and petition of our poor distressed Subject Anne Challons, the distressed Widow of Captain Henry Challons late of Stonehouse in the County of Devon, as also by a Certificate under the hands of our trusty and well-beloved Subject's Sir Charles Cornwallis Knight, one of our justices of Peace within our County of Norfolk, Sir Allen Apsley Knight, Lieutenant of our Tower of London, Sir Ferdinando Gorge Knight, Governor of our Fort at Plymouth, and one of our justices of Peace within our County of Devon, Captain john Barley of Caverton in our County of Buckingham, and Captain john Smith of our City of London, That our foresaid Subject Captain Henry Challons, was in his life time a Gentleman of worth and reputation and very serviceable for his Prince and Country, who was one of the first sent out by virtue of our geacious Letters Patents for to settle a Plantation in the North parts of America, in whose passage thither in a Ship called the Harry of Stonehouse, whereof he was owner, and wherein all our foresaid justices and loving Subjects were adventures 07 for that voyage, it so fortuned that the said Ship was by the Spanish Fleet coming out of the West Indieses taken, who not only confiscated both Ship and goods but also detained him and his Company prisoners at which time our foresaid trusty and well-beloved Subject's Sir Charles Cornwaillis was then our Ambassador in Spain, by reason of which untimely accident together also with other losses sustained in Ireland, our said poor Subject lost to the value of Three Thousand pounds and upwards to his utter ruin and overthrow, who grew so greatly oppressed both outwardly in body and inwardly in mind as despairing of relief, he died in Prison, leaving behind him a distressed Wife and many poor Children without any means to sustain them, whose woeful and unhappy estate we much pity and have thought good according to our accustomed clemency towards the distressed, to commend the same unto the charitable consideration of all our loving and weldisposed Subjects within certain Counties hereafter mentioned, not doubting but that all good Christians well weighing the premises, will be ready and willing as feeling members one of another's miseries, to extend their liberal contributions towards the relief and comfort of a poor unfortunate Widow and her Four fatherless Children.  
KNOW ye therefore, That of Our especial Grace and Princely Compassion, We have given and granted, and by these our Letters Patents, do give and grant unto our said poor Subject Anne Challons, and to her Deputy and Deputies, the bearer or bearers hereof, full power, licence, and Authority to ask, gather, receive, and take the Alms and charitable benevolence of all our loving Subjects whatsoever, Inhabiting within our Counties of Middlesex, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Suffolk, and Northampton, with our City of Westminster and the Liberties thereof, and in our Cities of Canterbury, Rochester, and the Cinque Portes, with our Cities of Chichester, and Peterborough, with our Borough of Southwark, And in all other Cities, Towns Corporate, Privileged places, Parishes, Villages, and in all other places whatsoever within our said Counties and not else where, for and towards the relief and maintenance of our said poor Subject and her Fatherless children.  
WHEREFORE we will and Command you and every of you, that at such time and times, as the said Anne Challons, or her Deputy or Deputies, the bearer or bearer hereof, shall come and repair to any your Churches, Chapels, or other places, to ask and receive the gratuities and charitable benevolence of our said Subjects, quietly to permit and suffer them so to do, without any manner your lets or contradictions, And you the said Parsons, Vicars, and Curates, for the better stirring up of a charitable devotion, deliberately to publish and declare the Tenor of these our Letters Patents, or the Copy or Brief thereof, unto our said Subjects upon some Sabaoth day, when as the same shall be tendered unto you. Exhorting and persuading them to extend their liberal contributions in so good and charitable a deed. And you the Churchwardens of every Parish, where such Collection is to be made (as aforesaid) to collect and gather the Alms and charitable benevolence of all our loving Subjects, aswell Strangers as others, and what shall be by you so gathered to deliver it to the bearer or bearers of these our Letters Patents and to no other person, when as thereunto you shallbe required. And lastly, whereas we are informed of the great abuse which is now crept in amongst these poor people, who sell their licences unto some other person, whereby men's charity goeth not the right way, but unto such as deserve it least: That from hence forth our will and pleasure is, that if it may appear unto you or any of you, that the said Anne Challons, hath contracted any bargain, or made or shall make sale of these our Letters Patents, whereby the benefit should pass from her to any other person, That thereupon these our Letters Patents shall be void and of none effect. Any Statute, Law, Ordinance, or Provision, herefore made to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.  
In witness whereof, We have caused these our Letters to be made Patents for the space of One whole year next after the date hereof to endure.  
Witness ourself at Westminster, the Ninetéenth day of january, in the Eighteenth year of our Reign of England, France, and Ireland: And of Scotland the Four and Fiftieth. 1620. ❀ Steward. ❀ God save the King▪   

Printed By Roger Wood, and Thomas Symcocke.   

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