IAMES , By the Grace of God , King of England , Scotland , France , and Ireland , Defender of the Faith , &c. To all and singuler Archbishops , Bishops , Archdeacons , Deanes , and their Officials , Parsons , Vicars , Curats , and to all spirituall persons : And also to all Iustices of Peace , Maiors , Sheriffes , Bayliffes , Constables , Churchwardens and Headboroughs : And to all Officers of Cities , Boroughes , and Townes corporate : And to all other our Officers , Ministers , and Subiects whatsoeuer they be , aswell within Liberties , as without , to whome these presents shall come , gréeting .

WHEREAS wee are credibly giuen to vnderstand by a Certificate vnder the hands of our Right trusty and welbeloued Robert Lord Willoughby , sir Peregrine Bartie , sir William Armyne , and sir Iohn Hatchet Knights , Henry Hale , and Thomas Butler Esquiors , Iustices of the Peace within our County of Lincolne : That our poore Subiect Henry Thomson of Edenham in our said County Minister , hath alwaies béene a man of honest life and conuersation , and very diligent and watchfull in the place whereunto it pleased God to call him , who for the space of Twenty yeares and vpwards very zealously and industriously preached the word of God vnto the people , and prooued a carefull Pastor ouer the Flocke committed to his charge , freely feeding them with that Spirituall foode wherewith God had indued him , to their good , and his great comfort , but hée is now fallen into great want and pouerty by reason of many crosses , and losses , wherewith it hath pleased God to visite him , as with sicknes , suertiship , and such like : but especially by reason of a lamentable and fearefull Fier , happening on the Eight and Twentith day of December , in the yeare of our Lord God 1610 , which consumed and burnt in the night time his Barne ( beeing twenty yards long , and one and twenty foote wide , ) full of Corne , together also with a Stable thereunto adioyning , and many other necessaries , which Barne will not be repaired for a Hundred Pounds , besides the losse of all his Corne and other goods , to the vtter vndooing of our sayd poore Subiect , who hath consumed that small remainder of his estate , in the time of his sickenesse , which hath continued euer since this lamentable accident , whereby hee was not able to séeke for any reliefe vntill this present , And now béeing destitute of all Spirituall promotion , is no way able to sustaine his poore Wife , and Children , who liue in great want , and héereafter are like to perish for want of things necessary , vnlesse the charitable beneuolence of our louing and well disposed Subiects be somewhat bountifully extended towards them in this their great extreamitie .

KNOWE yée therfore , that we ( tendering the lamentable and distressed estate of our sayd poore Subiect ) Of our especiall Grace & Princely compassion , haue giuen and granted , and by these our Letters Patents doe giue and graunt vnto our sayd poore Subiect Henry Thomson , & to his Deputie or deputies the bearer or bearers hereof , full ●…ower , licence , and authority to aske , gather , receaue , & take the Almes and charitable beneuolence of all our louing subiects whatsoeuer inhabiting within our Counties of Lincolne , Leicester , and Northampton , with our Citties ●…f Lincolne and Peterborough : And in all other Citties , Townes corporate , priuiledged places , Parishes , Vil●…ages , and in all other places whatsoeuer within our sayd Counties , and not elsewhere , for and towards the new ●…lding of his said Barne , the recouery of his losses , and the reliefe and maintenance of himselfe , his poore Wife , ●…d Children .

WHEREFORE wée will and commaund you and euery of you , that at such time and times as the sayd Henry Thomson , or his Deputy or Deputies the bearer or bearers hereof , shall come & repaire to any your Churches , ●…happels , or other places to aske , and receaue the gratuities and charitable beneuolence of our sayd Subiects , ●…etly to permit and suffer them so to do , without any manner your lets or contradictions . And you the said Parsons , ●…ars , and Curats , for the better stirring vp of a charitable deuotion , deliberatly to publish & declare the Tenor of ●…se our Letters Patents vnto our said subiects , Exhorting and perswading them to extend their liberall contri●…tions in so good and charitable a déede . Any Statute , Law , Ordinance , or prouision heretofore made to the con●…ry in any wise notwithstanding .

IN witnesse whereof we haue caused these our Letters to be made Patents for the space of One whole yeare next ●…er the date hereof to endure . Witnesse our selfe at Westminster the Eleuenth day of Februarie , in the Tenth ●…e of our Raigne of England , France , and Ireland ; & of Scotland the Sixe and Fortieth .