I2 R  dieu ET MON DROIT HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y 〈◇〉  English royal blazon surmounted by a crown and flanked by the English lion and Tudor rose on one side and the Scottish unicorn and thistle on the other  
By the King, A PROCLAMATION.  
For Restoring Corporations to their Ancient Charters, Liberties, Rights and Franchises.  
JAMES R.  
WHereas We are informed that several Deeds of Surrender, which have been lately made by several Corporations and Bodies Corporate, of and in Our Cities and Towns within Our Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales, of their Charters, Franchises and privileges, are not yet Recorded or Enrolled: And that upon the Proccedings and Rules for Iudgment, which have lately been had upon the Quo Warranto's or Informations in Nature of a Quo Warranto, Iudgments are not yet Entred upon Record; Whereupon, notwithstanding new Charters have been granted in the Reign of Our late Dear Brother, and in our Reign; Which said Deeds( being not enrolled or Recorded) do not amount unto, or in Law make any Surrender of the Charters, Franchises or Liberties therein mentioned; And such of the said Corporations or Bodies politic, against which Rules for Iudgments have been made in the Life time of Our late Dear Brother, or since, in Our Court of King's Bench( but no Iudgments Entred upon Record) are not Discorporate or Dissolved; And that it is in Our Power to leave such Corporations in the same Estate and Condition they were in, and to discharge all further Proceedings and Effects that may be of such Rules for Iudgments, and Deeds of Surrender: We do hereby Publish and Declare, That upon due Search and Examination made, We have satisfaction that the Deeds of Surrender made by the Corporations and Bodies politic of the said Cities and Towns, Except the Corporations following:( that is to say) Thetford, Nottingham, Bridgewater, Ludlow, Bewdley, Beverley, Teukesbury, Exeter, Doncaster, Colchester, Winchester, Lanceston, Lisderd, Plimpton, Tregoney, Plymouth, Dunwich, St. Ives, Fowy, East-Looe, Camelford, West-Looe, Tintegall, Penryn, Truro, Bodmyn, Hadleigh, Lestwythell, and Saltash, are not enrolled or Recorded in any of Our Courts: And that though Rules for Iudgments have passed upon Informations in Nature of a Quo Warranto against the Corporations and Bodies politic of several Cities and Towns, in Our said Kingdom and Dominion; Yet no Iudgments have been or are Entred upon Record upon any such Informations, Except against the City of London, Chester, Calne, St. Ives, Pool, York, Thaxted, Llanghour, and Malmesbury: And We of Our mere Grace and Favour, being Resolved to Restore and put all Our Cities, Towns and Burroughs in England and Wales, and also Our Town of Berwick upon Tweed, into the same State and Condition they were and was, in Our late Dear Brothers Reign, before any dead of Surrender was made of their Charters or Franchises, or Proceedings against them or the Corporations or Bodies politic, in or of the said Cities, Towns or Burroughs upon any Quo Warranto or Informations in Nature of a Quo Warranto had. We do hereby therefore Publish, Declare, Direct and Require, That the said Corporations and Bodies politic and Corporate of all the said Cities, Towns and Burroughs, whose Deeds of Surrender are not enrolled, nor Iudgments entred against them as aforesaid; And the Mayors, bailiffs, Sheriffs, Aldermen, Common Council-men, Assistants, Recorders, Town-Clerks, Magistrates, Ministers, Officers, Freemen, and all and every others the Members of or in every of them respectively upon the Publication of this Our Proclamation, Take on them and Proceed to Act as a Corporation or Body politic, and where Places are vacant by Death or otherwise, to make Elections, Constitute and Fill up the same,( Notwithstanding the usual Days and Times of Elections by the Ancient Charters and Constitutions shall happen to be past) and to Do, Execute and perform all and every Matter and Thing as they Lawfully might and ought to have done, if no such Deeds of Surrender, Rules for Iudgment, or other Proceedings upon any such Quo Warranto or Informations had been had or made. And for the better effecting Our said Intention, We have by Order made by us in Council, and under Our Sign Manual; And We do also by this Our Proclamation made with the Advice of Our said Council, Discharge, Remove, and Dismiss all and every Person and Persons of and from all Offices and Places of Mayors, bailiffs Sheriffs, Aldermen, Common Council-men, Assistants, Recorder, Town-Clerk, and all and every Office and Place, which they or any of them Have or Claim only by Charter, Patent, or Grant from Our Dear Brother, or from ourself since the Dates of the Respective Deeds of Surrender or Rules for Iudgment; Except such Corporations whose Deeds of Surrender are enrolled or against whom Iudgment is Entred; And that all and every such Person and Persons deliver up into the Hands and Custody of the said Persons hereby appointed and intended to Act and Execute the said Offices and Places, all and every the Charters, Records, Books, Evidences, and matters concerning the said respective Corporations.  
And We do hereby further Publish and Declare, That We have caused all and every the said Deeds of Surrender which can be found, to be delivered and put into the Hands of Our Attorney-General, to be by him canceled and returned to the Corporations and Bodies politic of the respective Cities and Towns whom they concern; And have also given to Our said Attorney Authority, and do hereby Warrant and Command him, not only not to proceed or enter Iudgment upon the said Quo Warranto's or Informations, in Nature of a Quo Warranto, or any of them, but to enter upon the respective Records, Noli prosequi's, and Legal Discharges thereof: And We do hereby Publish and Declare Our further Grace and Favour to the said Cities, Corporations and Burroughs, at any time hereafter, by any further Act to Grant, Confirm or Restore unto them all their Charters, Liberties, Franchises and privileges, that at the respective times of such Deeds of Surrender, or Rules for Iudgment made or given, they held or enjoyed. And in order to the perfecting Our said gracious Intentions, We do hereby likewise Publish and Declare Our Royal Will and Pleasure as for and concerning the restoring to such of Our Cities, Corporations and Burroughs within our said Kingdom and Dominion, which have made Deeds of Surrender, or have had Iudgment given against them, which Surrenders and Iudgments are Entred of Record, That Our Chancellor, Attorney-General and Sollicitor-General, without Fees to any Officer or Officers whatsoever, upon Application to them made, shall, and they are hereby required to prepare and pass Charters, Instruments, Grants and Letters Patents for the Incorporating, Regranting, Confirming and Restoring to all and every the said Cities, Corporations and Burroughs, their respective Charters, Liberties, Rights, Franchises and privileges, and for restoring the respective Mayors, bailiffs, Recorders, Sheriffs, Town-Clerks, Aldermen, Common Council-men, Assistants, Officers, Magistrates, Ministers and Freemen, as were of such Cities, Corporations or Burroughs at the time of such Deeds of Surrender, or Iudgments respectively given or had, and for the putting them into the same State, Condition and Plight they were in at the times of such Deeds of Surrender, or Iudgments made or given. And whereas divers Burroughs that were not heretofore Corporations, have since the Year One thousand six hundred seventy nine, had Charters of Incorporation Granted and Passed unto them; We hereby further Express and Declare Our Royal Pleasure, to determine and annul the said last mentioned Charters and Corporations; And to that end, We have in pursuance to the Power reserved in the said Charters, by Our Order in Council, and under Our Sign Manual, Removed and Discharged; And We do also by this Our Proclamation, made with the Advice of Our said Council, Remove and Discharge all and every Person of or in the said last mentioned Corporations, of and from all Offices and Places of Mayors, bailiffs, Recorders, Sheriffs, Aldermen, Common Council-men, Assistants, and of and from all and every other Office and Place from which We have Power reserved by the said Charters respectively, to Remove or Discharge them: And We do hereby Promise and Declare, that We will Do and Consent to all such Acts, Matters and Things as shall be necessary to render these Our gracious Intentions and Purposes effectual, it being Our gracious Intention to call a Parliament as soon as the general Disturbance of Our Kingdom by the intended Invasion, will admit thereof.  
Given at Our Court at Whitehall the 17th day of October, 1688. In the Fourth Year of Our Reign. 
 GOD SAVE THE KING.   

London, Printed by Charles Bill, Henry Hills, and Thomas Newcomb, Printers to the Kings Most Excellent Majesty. 1688.