WHereas in the first Session of our Parliament holden at Westminster the nineteenth day of March in the yeere of our raigne of England , France and Ireland the first , and of Scotland the seuen and thirtieth ; It was amongst other things Enacted , That no woman nor any childe vnder the age of one and twenty yeeres ( Except Saylers or Shipboyes or Apprentice , or Factor of some Merchant in trade of Merchandize ) should bee permitted to passe ouer the Seas , except the same should be by licence of vs , our Heires or Successors , or some fixe or more of our priuy Councell , thereunto first had vnder their handes , vpon paine that the Officers of the Port that should willingly or negligently suffer any such to passe , or should not enter the names of such Passengers licenced , should forfeit his Office , and all his goods and Chattels , And vpon paine tha the owner of any Ship or Vessell , that should wittingly or willingly cary and such ouer the Seas , without licence as is aforesaid , should forfeit his Ship or Vessell , and all the Tackle , And euery Master or Mariner , of or in any such Ship or Vessell , offending as is aforesaid , should forfeit all their goods , and suffer imprisonment by the space of twelue moneths without Baile , or Maineprise , As by the saide Acte of Parliament amongst other things may more at large appeare :

And whereas many such our Subiects , That is to say , women and persons vnder the age of twenty and one yeeres , haue from time to time iust and necessary causes and occasions to goe and passe ouer the Seas , In which cases for euery such women and persons vnder the age of twenty and one yeeres to obteine such licence , either from our selues , or from sixe of our said Priuy Counsel according to the said Law , is very inconuenient , and almost impossible ; Wee haue therefore thought conuenient , for the case aswell of our selfe and our said Counsell , as of such of our Subiects as are of the condition mentioned in the saide Acte of Parliament , to graunt our Commission to persons of trust in certaine Ports of our Realme , lying most apt and conuenient for passage , That is to say , London , the Cinque Ports , Harwich , Yarmouth , Hull , and Waymouth , to licence such women and persons vnder the age of twenty and one yeeres , as shall haue iust cause to passe out of our Realme , vpon due examination had of them , to passe without perill to themselues , or the Officers of our said Ports , Notwithstanding the said Statute or any thing therein conteined . And we haue thought it fit to giue publique knowledge hereof to alour Subiects , and to all our Officers whom it may concerne , to the ende they may know what shall bee lawfull for them to doe in those cases .