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 Headboroughes: 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, by a Certificate under the hands and Seals of our trusty & well-beloved Subjects, the Mayor, aldermans, & Sheriffs, of our Town of Kingston upon Hull, within our County of York, That our poor distressed Subject William Chapman of the same Town, Master and Marryner, hath heretofore been a man of good worth and ability and a very skilful and sufficient person in his vocation, having had heretofore frequent trading and Commerce in diverse places beyond the Seas, until such time as it pleased God to visit him with sundry great losses from time to time, as namely by the King of Poland in Dansk, under whom he was forced to serve in a Ship called the Angelever, in which Ship he was the same voyage taken by the King of Sweveland, who despoiled him of all he had in the said ship. And afterwards he making in the said Ship a Fishing voyage to the Wardhouse for the good of the Country, it so fortuned that the said Ship & goods to the value of Eleven hundreth pounds, was taken by certain Denmark's to his great hindrance and almost utter undoing. Also he made another voyage for Amsterdam in the good Ship called the Content, in which voyage be lost Seaventy pieces of Carsey to the value of One hundred and Fourscore pounds more, by reason of all which losses and hinderances together with some ill Debtors (Amounting in the whole loss to the value of Fifteen hundred pounds) our said poor, Subject is now quite undone, who before these untimely losses lived in good credit and used the trade of Merchandise, relieved the poor and set many men at work, and yet he is not now able to help himself, nor to sustain his poor Wife and Children, who live in great want and are like to continue the rest of their days in great misery, unless some charitable course be forthwith taken for the relief and comfort of our said poor Subject, whose poor and unhappy estate we much pity, and have thought good (upon the humble request of all our foresaid trusty and well-beloved Subjects, the Mayor, aldermans and Sheriffs, made unto Us on his behalf) to commend the same unto the charitable consideration of all our loving & weldisposed Subjects within certain places 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 misery, to extend their liberal contributions towards the relief and comfort of their poor distressed Brother in this his great necessity.  
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 William Chapman, and to his Deputy and Deputies, the bearer or bearers hereof, full power, licence, and Authority to ask, gather, receive, and take to Alms and charitable benevolence of all our loving Subjects whatsoever. Inhabiting within our Counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, & Kent, with our Cities of Canterbury, Rochester and the Cinque Portes, with our City of Norwich, 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 recovery of his said losses, and the relief and maintenance of himself, and his poor Wife, and Children.  
WHEREFORE we will and Command you and every of you, that at such time and times, as the said William Chapman, or his Deputy or Deputies, the bearer or bearers 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 & declare the Tenor of these our Letters Patents or the Copy of Brief thereof, unto our said Subjects upon some Sabaoth day, when as the same shall be tendered unto you. Exhorting & 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 henceforth our will and pleasure is, that if it may appear unto you or any of you, that the said William Chapman, hath contracted any bargains, or made or shall make sale of these our Letters Patents, whereby the benefit should pass from him to any other person, That thereupon these our Letters Patents shall be void & of none effect. Any Statute, Law, Ordinance, or Pronision, heretofore 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 Five and Twentith day of january, in the Eighteenth year of our Reign of England, France, & 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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