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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Instructions to the Lords Proprietors of Carolina concerning pirates
William III, King of England, 1650-1702
February 10, 1700
Volume 01, Pages 526-527

[B. P. R. O. B. T. Proprieties. Vol. 26. P. 149.]

To our Right Trusty and Right Wellbeloved, our Right Trusty & Wellbeloved and our Trusty & Wellbeloved the Lords Proprietors of our Province of Carolina in America.

William R.

Right Trusty and Right Wellbeloved, Right Trusty and Wellbeloved, and Trusty and Wellbeloved, Wee greet you well. Whereas we have been informed that several Pirates have been lately seized in our Plantations in America, and it being necessary that due care be taken for bringing them and all others that may in like manner be seized hereafter to condign punishment, we do hereby stricktly charge & require that you cause to be sent hither in safe custody all Pirates who are or shall be seized in our Province of Carolina whereof you are Proprietaries, at the time of your receiving this direction, and that you cause also to be sent hither the Witnesses and other evidences upon which the said Pirates have been seized & which may be of any use towards their conviction here that so they may be tryed and punished according to Law, and in the meanwhile to take care that the goods and effects of the said Pirates be secured, so that they may hereafter be disposed of as shall by law be determined.

-------------------- page 527 --------------------

Which method of sending Pirates hither, together with the Evidences produced against them, and securing their Effects you are upon pain of our Displeasure in like manner to observe from time to time as a standing Rule, with regard to all other Pirates that shall at any time hereafter be seized in our said Province of Carolina. So we bid you heartily farewell.

Given at our Court at Kensington the 10th day of February 1699 in the eleventh year of our Reign

By his Majesty's Command
JERSEY

Memdm his Majesty signed this
Letter the 10th of Febry 1699-1700.