blazon or coat of arms incorporating the Commonwealth Flag (1649-1651) The Keepers of the Liberties of England by Authority of Parliament, To all Parsons, Ministers, Lecturers, vicars, and Curates; As also to all Justices of the Peace, Mayors, burghers, sheriffs, bailiffs, Constables, Overseers of the Poor, and Headboroughs. As also to all Officers of Cities, Burroughes and Towns corporate; And to all other Officers, Ministers, and People whatsoever, as well within Liberties as without, to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting.  
WHEREAS At the general Quarter Sessions of the Peace holden at Bury St. edmond's in the County of Suffolk the Nineteenth day January in the Year of our Lord God, One thousand six hundred fifty and one, before Sir Tho. Barnardiston, William Playters Baronet, Wil. Heweningham Esq. Sir William Soam Kt. John Clark, Thomas Cook, James Calthorpe, Samuel Moody, Rich. Brewster, Thomas chaplain, Esquires, Justices of the Peace for the aforesaid County, then, and there sitting: It appeared as well upon the view and knowledge of some of the said Justices, as also upon the Petition of the Inhabitants of New Market in the said County of Suffolk, and by divers Affidavits before them in open Court made, that upon the Eleventh day of August, in the said Year of our Lord God, One thousand six hundred fifty and one; There happened a sudden and lamentable Fire within the said town and Parish of Newmarket, which in a short space consumed, and burned down to the ground, Nine dwelling Houses, with Barns, Stables, and outhouses, and much Corn, Hay, and householdstuff to the value of Two thousand five hundred sixty five pounds, and upwards, as by the particular Valuation, and several Affidavits, thereupon made to the said Court, appeared, whereby many of the poor distressed Inhabitants became utterly destitute of habitation, or any means of livelihood, and likely to be utterly undone, and perish, unless special and speedy care be taken for their relief; And God in mercy move the hearts of well-disposed people in compassion towards them. For the furtherance of which pious and charitable work: The Parliament having been acquainted with the particulars of the said sad and lamentable Accident, did thereupon the Fifteenth day of August last past, Order, That the said distressed Inhabitants of Newmarket aforesaid, shall be Authorised by Letters patents, under the Great seal of England to Collect and gather the charity of well-disposed people, within the Cities and Counties hereafter mentioned. Know ye therefore, That We being willing and desirous that such relief might be afforded to them herein, as to others in like cases hath been heretofore granted, and not doubting, but that all good Christians within the said respective places (having a fellow-feeling of their miseries and distresses, occasioned as aforesaid, will be ready to extend their liberal Contributions towards the relief, help, and Comfort of their distressed Brethren in this their great Necessity) Have, Given and Granted; And by these Our Letters patents, do Give and Grant unto the said Inhabitants of Newmarket aforesaid, and to their Deputy and Deputies, the Bearer and Bearers hereof, full Power, Licence, and Authority to ask, gather, receive, and take the alms and charitable Benevolence of all good and well-disposed people Inhabiting within the Cities of London Westminster, York and Norwich, with the Suburbs and Liberties thereof: And in the Counties of Lincoln, Norfolk, Suffolk Cambridge and York and all the Cities, Towns Corporate, privileged places, Parishes, Villages, and all other places whatsoever, within the said Cities, and Counties before specified, and not elsewhere, towards the relief of themselves and their languishing Families. Wherefore, We Will and Command you, and every of you, That at such time, and times as the said Inhabitants, or their said Deputy, or Deputies, the Bearer, or Bearers hereof; shall come and repair to any of your Churches, chapels, or any other places, to ask, and receive the gratuities, and charitable Benevolence of good, and well-disposed people, quietly to permit, and suffer them so to do, without any manner of Let disturbance, or Contradiction whatsoever. And you the said Parsons, Ministers, Lecturers, Vicars, and curates, for the better stirring up of a charitable Devotion, are deliberately to publish and declare the Tenor of these Letters patents, or the Copy, or Brief thereof unto the people upon some Sabbath day next after the same shall be tendered or delivered unto you, exhorting, and persuading them to extend their liberal Contributions in so good and charitable a deed. And you the Overseers of the poor of every Parish where such Collection is to be made as aforesaid, to collect, and gather the alms and charitable Benevolence as well of strangers, as your fellow-parishioners. And what shall be by you so gathered, to be by the Minister and yourselves, endorsed on the backside of these Letters patents, or the Copy or brief thereof in words at length, and not in figures. And the sum and sums of Money so gathered, and endorsed, to deliver to the Bearer or Bearers of these Letters patents, and to no other person or persons whatsoever, when you shall be by them thereunto required. And in case it so fall out that any Parish within the Cities or Counties aforesaid being destitute of a Minister, shall be without public Assemblies. Then the Overseers of the poor of the said Parish, or Parishes, so destitute as aforesaid, are hereby required to go from house to house to gather and receive the charity and benevolence of the Inhabitants of the same. And lastly, Our Will and Pleasure is, for the more assurance of faithful, and equal dealing in the receipt, Account, and Distribution of the Moneys hereby to be collected, by virtue of these Presents. That no person or persons whatsoever shall receive any of the Moneys so collected, but such as shall be appointed thereunto by Deputation under the hands and seals of John Drury, John Cotterell, John Huske, John Bryant, and Thomas Green, or the major part of them, and that the moneys so collected and raised by virtue thereof, shall be distributed amongst such only of those damnified by the said Fire, as are in this case fit to be relieved by public charity. And by such proportions to each of them as shall be thought fit, and set down in writing under the hands of the said persons last above named, or the major part of them as aforesaid, at such times and places as shall be by them, or the major part of them from time to time appointed for that purpose; And they the aforesaid persons, or the major part of them, in like manner are to appoint in whose hands the moneys collected shall be kept, until the same shall come to be distributed, and how the accounts thereof shall be ordered, according to the true intent and meaning of these Our Letters Patents, Any Statute, Law, Ordinance, or Provision heretofore made to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding. In witness whereof, we have caused these Our Letters to be made patents for the space of Six months' next after the date hereof to endure and be in force, and no longer.  
witness ourselves at Westminster the Seventh day of September, In the year of our Lord God, according to the account used in England, One thousand six hundred fifty and three.