Where of our owne knowledge and certeine science we doe vnderstande , that our Towne and Port of Hasting , in our Countie of Sussex , being the auncient Towne of our Cinque Portes , is scituated vpon the maine Sea , verie neere the middest of a great Bay or open place , lying betweene two points of the land , which stretche foorth farre into the Sea , called the Beachy and the Nasse , distant eache from the other thirtie miles , right opposite to the Realme of Fraunce , the auncient enemie of our Countrey : as we are credibly enfourmed , the same Towne hath of long time beene a place not onely very well inhabited with warlike people , and greatly replenished with good Mariners and other men meete and seruiceable for our Nauy , well stored with Shippes , Barkes , Crayers , and Boates , but also sufficiently furnished with Armour , and Artillery of all sortes , both for Sea & Land : also very meete and commodious for Fishing , and the Bay plenteously abounding with all sorts of Fish , according to the seuerall seasons of the yere : by reason whereof the same Towne hath of long time bene by the inhabitants thereof , in time of warres , manfully defended against the sundry inuasions and attempts of the French Nation , our coaste therabouts lying very open against the French , by them often kept from spoilc . Our Marchants and louing Subiects , and other Trauellers sayling along that coast , haue often times by their Shippes , and often times by their harborough , beene saued and rescued from the furie of the enemies , and the tyrannie of Pirates : our Nauy , and the Nauy of sundry our noble Progenitors . Kinges of this Realme , the better appoimed by reason of their skilfull Mariners , and cunning Seamen : Also our household , our Citizens of London , and our Countreys to the said Port adioyning , greatly benefited by their fishing . And where our said Towne hath of long time had a Peere or Harborough made of Timber , and other things set and placed in the Sea , for the succour of the Seamen , and defence of their Shippes , Barkes , Crayers and Boates , against the great rage and furie of the Sea , which hath bin alwaies mainteyned at the great and importable charges of the inhabitants of our saide Towne of Hasting , vntill of late time the same Peere or Harborough was at a sudden , by the great violence and extreme rage of the Sea , broken downe and caried away : sithence which time the Towne is much decayed , the traffique of Marchants thither forsaken , the fisshing , by reason of the dangerous landing ▪ litle vsed , the riche and wealthy men gone thence , and the poore men yet remaining would gladly doe the like , if without offence of our lawes they might be elsewhere receiued , whereby our people are likely to perishe , and our saide Port likely to be subuerted and become desolate , or els the people there by necessitie driuen to commit great and heynous offences , to the great hinderance of the publique weale , vnlesse some speedie remedie be for them prouided . And where we be enformed by diuers of our priuie Counsell and Nobilitie , and by diuers Artificers verie cunning and skilful in that kinde of facultie , that a verie good Hauen or Rhoade , for the arriuing and sauegard of Shippes , Barkes , Crayers and Boates , may nere vnto the said Porte with no great charge be made , to the great reliefe of the inhabitants , and of all Marchants and trauellers sayling along the narrowe Seas , and to the strength of our said Coaste : and that the Inhabitants of our saide Porte be ready and willing to bestowe their landes , goodes , and labours , to the vttermost of their power , to accomplish the same : notwithstanding of themselues very vnhable to finish so great a worke , likely as it is thought to amount vnto the summe of foure thousand poundes . We therefore considering the premisses , & minding to prouide for the preseruation of our people , the maintenance of our Nauy and Towne , for the defence of our Coaste , & of Marchants & trauellers , and that the prouision of our householde , our Citie and Countrey be not diminished , at the humble sute of our Bailife , Iurates , & Comminaltie of our saide Towne of Hasting , do by these our letters Patents not onely giue & graunt vnto our said Bailife , Iurates , and Comminaltie , full power and authoritie , to make newe , & finishe one Hauen , in such place or places nere vnto our saide Towne and Port , as to them shall seeme most conuenient , and to the finishing & accomplishing thereof , yeeld our Royall assent and consent : but also for the furtherance & better helping forth of the same , we do commed the same good & laudable intent and purpose , to the charitable and liberall contribucion & beneuolence of all and singuler our louing subiects dwelling within any our Realmes and Dominions , that the rather for our recommendation , the more liberall contribucion by our sayde Subiects may be yeelded to the finishing of the said Hauen , a worke tending much to the defence of our Realmes , and to the profite of the common wealth of the same , and which wilbe cause to auoide manie great inconueniences that may insue by the neglecting thereof : & also be au euident declaration of the forwarde and willing mindes of all our louing Subiects , to augment the prosperitie of our Realmes and Countreys . We of our speciall grace , certaine knowledge , and meere mocion , haue giuen and graunted , and by these our letters Patent , doe giue & graunt full licence , permission , and authoritie to our faithfull and welbeloued Subiects , Richard Calueley , and Iohn Iefferey , Iurates of our saide Towne of Hasting , and William Relfe of Ore Gentleman , and to euery of them , and to all and euery other person or persons that shal be thereunto deputed and assigned by them , or by any two of them , by writing vnder the common seale of our saide Towne of Hasting , to aske , receiue , collect , and take of all maner of persons whatsoeuer , Spirituall or Temporall , Englishe borne or Straungers , in all places , as well within liberties as without , exempt or not exempt , our Citizens of London or els where , within any our Realmes , Cities and Dominions wheresoeuer , Christian contribucion & beneuolence of all our saide louing Subiectes , that it may or shal please God to mooue or stirre them to giue , contribute , yeelde and paye towardes the new making of the said Hauen . And for the better and more speedie execution of this our pleasure , we doe by these our saide letters Patent , will , require , & straightly commaund all our Sherifes in their seuerall Sheires & Counties , all our Iustices of peace in their seuerall limittes , and all Maiors , Baylifes , and all other head Officers , within all Cities , Townes corporate , and other Iurisdictions , and also all Parsons , Vicars , Ministers , & Curates of Churches and Parishes , not onely of their owne partes to be helping with their liberall deuotion to ward the said good and laudable worke , but also to recommende our speciall pleasure , and the furtherance of the said Hauen in their seueral Counties , Limittes , Cities , Townes , Liberties , Parish churches , Hamlets , or Villages , for the better obteining of liberal contribution thereunto . And further our wil & pleasure is , that some of the honorable of our priuie Counsel shal vpon the sight of these presents , or of the Exemplification of the same , at the request of the said Richard Calueley , Iohn Iefferey , & William Relfe , or of any of thē , direct their letters to the Lord Maior of our Citie of London , & to the Iustices of peace of the same Citie , to all Sherifes in euerie our Sheires or Counties within our Realme & Domimons , and to all Maiors , Bailifes , Gouernors , & head Officers of Cities , Boroughs , Townes corporate , Ilandes , & Franchised places , commaunding the said Lord Maior , the Iustices , the said Sherifes , Bailifes , Gouernors , and head officers aforesaid , that they & euery of them , within their seueral Limittes , Iurisdictions or liberties , which shal be next after the receipt of the said letters , or of these presents , or the Exemplification of the same , shall direct the tenor of this our pleasure to all & singuler Iustices of peace within their seuerall Limittes , Iurisdictions or Liberties , requiring , and straightly commaunding them & euery of thē in our name , to appoint with all conuenient speede within their seuerall Limittes , one Constable in euery Hundred , Rape , Lathe , or Wapentake at the least , & one Churchwarden in euery Parish , and them to commande & exhort , not onely to be liberall them selues in their contribucion , but also that the saide Constables & Churchwardens shal write the name of euery Parish , and of euery man of habilitie within the same , and of them to aske & receiue their deuocion , & earnestly in our name to exhort them to liberalitie , in contributing to the making of the saide Hauen , and truely to write downe the summe which euery man shall giue , and the money which they shal thereby collect and receiue , and the names of euery giuer , and the true summe which euery one shall giue , & also the names of al such as shal not giue , or shal refuse to contribute , in writing shal within one moneth next after they shal haue notice of this our pleasure , deliuer vp vnto such our Iustices of peace of whom they receiued their charge , if he shal then be liuing , otherwise to such of our Iustices as shal be next dwelling thereaboutes . And that our further pleasure is , that our said Iustices of peace shal by their warraunt call before them , al & singuler such persons as shal refuse to giue or contribute liberally towards this good worke , and vnderstand the cause of their refusall , & vnto them declare our pleasure , exhorting and perswading them to conformitie , which if they shal notwithstanding , obstinately refuse , then to certifie their names and dwelling places to vs , or to our priuy Counsel . And that our said Iustices of peace and euery of them , shall at the Sessions or generall assemblie , holden next within their saide seuerall Sheires , Limittes , Iurisdictions or Liberties , deliuer and yeelde vp vnto the said Lorde Maior , Sherifes , Maiors , Bailifes , Gouernours , or head Officers , by bill indented , vnto which their handes or markes shal be set , whereof the one part shal remaine with the said Iustices , the other with the said Lorde Maior , Sherifes , Maiors , Bailifes , and other head Officers , all such summes of money as they shal haue receiued as aforesaid , together with the same writings made of the names & of the money giuers : and the said Lorde Maior , Sherifes , Maiors , Bailifes , Gouernors and head Officers , and euery of them shal within one moneth next after the receipte thereof , transport and carrie , or cause to be carried vnto our saide Citie of London , al such summes of money as they shall haue receiued towards the same contribucion , together with the saide billes indented , and the same money there shal pay , and the saide bils indented there deliuer to our louing Subiects , Thomas Smith Esquier , one of the Customers of our Citie of London , Iohn Heynes Esquier , Sericant of our Catry , and William Heynes Gentleman , Purueior of our prouision of Sea fish , or to one of them at the newe Mansion house of the saide Thomas Smith , within our saide Citie of London , who vpon the receipt thereof shall giue vnto the saide Lorde Maior , Sherifes , Maiors , Bailifes , Gouernors , and other head Officers from time to time , an acquittance of the receipt therof , and shal keepe the same money and billes indented in one Cheste , to remaine with the said Thomas Smith vnder three seuerall lockes , whereof one Key to remaine with the saide Thomas Smith , another with the saide Iohn Heynes , and the third with the saide William Heynes , and that they from time to time , vpon demand therof to be made at the newe Mansion house of the saide Thomas Smith , within our said Citie of London , shall yeelde and pay ouer the same money , and deliuer the said bils indented so by them receiued , & euery part thereof vnto our welbeloued , the right honorable Anthony Viscount Montague , Knight of the most honorable order of the Garter , William Lorde Cobham , Warden of our Cinque Portes , and Constable of our Castle of Douer , Thomas Lorde Buckhurst , the saide Richard Calueley , Iohn Iefferey , and William Relfe , or to any three of them , wherof some one of the right honorable aforesaid or his sufficient deputie to be one : which said right honorable Anthony Viscount Montague , William Lord Cobham , Thomas Lorde Buckhurst , and the said Richard Calueley , Iohn Iefferey , and William Relfe , we do ordeine , appoint and constitute , Surueyors of the saide worke , giuing them , & to any three of them , whereof some one of the said honorable , or his sufficient deputie to be one , full power and authoritie to set out , direct , gouerne , order , and rule the said worke , and the workemen about the same , and the said workemen and laborers to pay , or cause to be paied : and of their proceedings and successe in the said worke , to certifie vs or our priuie Counsell vnder their handes and scales euery halfe yeere : So that expresse mention of the certaintie of the premisses , or of any other gift or graunt heretofore made by vs , or by any of our progenitors to the said Richard Calueley , Iohn Iefferey , and William Relfe , and in these presentes be not rehearsed or declared , or any act , statute , ordinance , prouision , or restraint to the contrary hereof , had , made , ordeined or prouided , or any other cause or matter whatsoeuer to the contrary in any wise , notwithstanding .

In witnesse whereof we haue caused these our letters to be made Patentes :