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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Charter granted by George III, King of Great Britain to Hillsborough
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820; Tryon, William, 1729-1788
July 09, 1770
Volume 08, Pages 215-217

[B. P. R. O. America & W. Ind. N. C. Vol. 218.]
Copy of Charter to the Inhabitants of Hillsborough

George the third by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King Defender of the Faith and so forth.

To all and singular our Faithful Subjects, Greeting:

Whereas a part of our Province of North Carolina in Orange County by an Act of the General Assembly of our said Province

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hath been erected into a Town and called by the Name of Hillsborough and many of our loving subjects have settled themselves and Families within the same. Know ye that we being willing to incourage all our good and faithful subjects as well at present residing & inhabiting as those who shall hereafter become Residents and Inhabitants of the said town of Hillsborough of our Royal Grace Good Will, certain knowledge and mere motion have given and granted and by these Presents for us our heirs and successors do give and grant to all Freeholders of the said Town legally qualified full power and authority to name elect and send one Person having a good Title in Fee simple to a Lott of Land consisting of one acre within the said Town to represent the same in the house of Assembly of our said Province of North Carolina and therein to sit vote, do and consult to those things which by the General Assembly of our said Province shall happen to be done or enacted. And we do hereby grant and order that a Writ of Election for a Member of Assembly to represent the said Town shall be issued and sent to the Sheriff of the County of Orange for the time being when and so often as an Assembly shall be called or occasion require, and that at such Election the said Sheriff or his Deputy shall attend at the Court House in the said Town and there take the votes of those who by this Charter are intitled to vote in a fair and open manner after Proclamation made by entering in a List the name of each voter who shall vote at such Election and the Poll shall be kept open until sunset unless the Candidates there present shall agree to have it closed sooner then the Sheriff or his Deputy before whom such Election is taken shall cast up the number of Votes given for each candidate and shall declare the person who has the greatest number of votes duly elected a Member of Assembly for the said Town and in case of an Equality of votes between the Candidates or any two of them then shall the Sheriff or his Deputy before whom such Election was made give the casting vote Provided always that all such Electors shall before they or any of them are allowed to vote at such Election make Oath of his Qualification if any Candidate or Person in his behalf shall require the same. And further we of our Special Grace, certain knowledge and mere motion for Us our heirs and successors by these Presents do give and grant to the Inhabitants of the said Town of Hillsborough forever full power and authority to have hold and keep a Market weekly at the said Court House in the said town of Hillsborough that is to say on
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every Saturday throughout the year with all the priviledges immunities to a weekly public market belonging or pertaining And also two Fairs yearly to be held and kept at the said Court House on the first Tuesdays in May and November to continne for that and the two following days for the sale and vending all manner of black Cattle, Provisions Goods Wares and Merchandizes whatsoever and that during the continuance of the said Fair and for one day immediately preceding and one day immediately succeeding the same all persons coming to bring at and going from the said Fair together with their black Cattle Goods Wares and Merchandizes whatsoever shall be exempt and priviledged from all arrests and attachments and executions except for Breach of the Peace and for carrying into Execution the Judgments Orders and Decrees hereafter mentioned. And we further give and grant full Power and Authority to the Justice of the Peace of the said County of Orange for the time being or any three of them, summarily to hear and determine all such Controversies and Debates as may during the continuance of the said Fair arise among the Buyers and Sellers in the Course of their Dealings and Transactions at the Fair in as full and ample Manner as is incident to a Court of Pie Powder in all such cases in our Kingdom of Great Britain. In Testimony whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made patent—Witness our trusty and well beloved William Tryon Esquire our Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over our said Province at Newbern this ninth day of July in the year of our Lord 1770, and in the tenth year of our reign.

Wm. TRYON.