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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Commission to appoint Nathaniel Johnson as Governor of Carolina, with instructions
Carolina. Lords Proprietors.
June 18, 1702
Volume 01, Pages 554-557

[B. P. R. O. North Carolina. B. T. Vol. 4. P. 92.]

The Right Honble John Granville Esqre one of her Majestyes most Honble Privy Councill Palatine the Right Honble William Lord Craven the Right Honble John Lord Carteret the Honble Maurice Ashley Esqre Sr John Colleton Bartt and the rest of the true and absolute Lords and Proprietors of Carolina in America

To Our Trusty and Wellbeloved Sr Nathaniell Johnson Kt Governor of South and North Carolina

Wee the said True and Absolute Lords & Proprietors of the Province aforesd Reposing Special Trust and Confidence in the Courage Loyalty and prudence of you the said Sr Nathaniell Johnson Doe hereby constitute and appoint you during our pleasure Governor of Our whole province of Carolina and you are to doe and execute All things in due manner and forme That shall belong to your Command or the trust wee have repose in you according to the severall powers Granted you by this present Commission Wee do hereby further Impower constitute and appoint you our said Governor to be Admirall Captaine Generall and Commander in Cheif of All the Forces Raised or to be raised by Sea and Land within our said province and over them to appoint a Lieutenant Generall or Lieutenant Generalls Vice Admirall or Vice Admiralls both in South and North Carolina And Wee doe hereby further Impower you upon all Occasions dureing your abode in America to constitute a Deputy or Deputy Governours both in South and North Carolina dureing you pleasure And to constitute and appoint all and singuler Offices in and for the Government of our said province province dureing your pleasure And the pleasure of us the Lords Proprietors Wee doe hereby Impower you in case of your departure at any time from Carolina to England to appoint and constitute a Deputy Governour or Deputy Governours both in South and North Carolina with such powers as you shall thinke necessary Provided the same be agreeable to and doe not exceed those by vs granted to your selfe Wee doe further give you full power and authority with the advice and consent of any three or more of our

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Deputyes to Grant and Sell Land in fee Reserving twelve pence for One hundred acres per ann as an acknowledgmt And to settle the Quitt Rents by Patents or Indentures and by such a method as you our sd Governour with any three or more of our Deputyes shall thinke fitt soe as when money cannot be had a true value may be settled in the Best of such Commodityes as the Country is capable of produceing Wee doe further Impower you to Escheat Land and afterwards to Lett it for Rent or Sell the same And wee doe hereby Farther Impower you our said Governour by and with the advice and consent of Our Councell and Generall Assembly of our Province or any part thereof wherein there is a Distinct Government to alter any former Lawes that shall be thought fitt to be changed And to enact all such reasonable Lawes and Statutes for the better Government of our said province as you with the advice and consent of Our Generall Assembly shall thinke expedient provided the said Lawes be not contrary to the powers granted to vs in Our Charter from the Crown and as neare as possibly agreeable to the Fundamentall Constitutions excepting in what relates to Juryes wherein we have already given Directions And we Doe hereby Repeale and make void all other Commissions Given by vs to Former Governours of our said Province Given under our hands and The Great Seale of Our province this eighteenth day of June 1702

[GREAT SEAL
OF
CAROLINA]
J GRANVILLE Palatine
CRAVEN
J GRANVILLE for LORD CARTERET
JOHN COLLETON

A Duplicate of the same Commission undr the Great Seale was signed also by the same partyes

Instructions for Sr Nathaniell
Johnson Knight Our Governour of South
and North Carolina

Wee Herewith send you a Commission to be Our Governour in Cheife of South and North Carolina and to Record the same with those Instructions

In the Government of Our affairs in our said province committed to your care you are to follow such Rules as we have Given in Our Fundamentall Constitutions Temporary Lawes and Instructions to Our Former Governours and entered upon Record in Our said Province And to be guided by the same or soe many Articles thereof as shall in your Judgement seeme most fitt to be put in practice

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You are with the Assistance of the Grand Councill To Inspect into All our Constitutions and what of them you shall thinke most expedient for the Better Establishment of Our Government for the Good and welfare of Our people You are to present to the Generall Assembly for their concurrence and we Will and Ordaine That what shall be by you and our Grand Councill and Assembly soe agreed on you cause to be transmitted to vs that the same may be considered of and Ratyfied vnder the hands & seales of vs the Palatine ourselfe and three or more of vs the Lords proprietors ourselves before they are published and putt in Execution as Lawes in Carolina

Any Law past before it hath been Ratyfyed under the Hands and Seales of us the palatine ourselfe and three or more of vs the Lords proprietors ourselves vnder our hands and seales and by Our Order published in the Generall Assembly of the Landgraves and Cassiques and Delegates for the Countyes shall cease to be a law whenever wee the palatine and three or more of us the Lords proprietors signifye Our Discent to it vnder Our hands and seales

You are to take all Immaginable Care to see the Acts of Trade and Navigation duely to be observed

You are with our Trustees to use your endeavour for the selling of land But to Reserve a Quitt Rent of Twelve pence a yeare for One hundred acres And so proportionably Your price for the same neare the Settlements not to be under Twenty pounds a thousand acres and at Two hundred miles Distance or neare the mountains Ten pounds for a thousand acres and not under and also to grant land at a penny an acre yearely Quitt Rent And that all Future Grants containe a provision to make the Land escheate unless a Settlement be made within the space of four years And that not above Five hundred acres to be Lett to any one person without a warrant under our hands and seales But for the Lands in Albemarle County You are to sell the at such Rates and prices as by Our Instructions to our Late Governour John Archdale Esqre

You are to cancell all our Blank Deputations for Landgraves and Cassiques

You are to take great care That the Indians be not abused and that all means may be vsed to civilize them And that you endeavour you utmost to create a Firm Friendship with them And to Bring them over to your part for your better protection and defence against the Enemy the neighbouring French and Spanyards against whom you are to protect our said province And we assure you of our utmost assistance for your security

Having received Letters of Complaints from the Comissioners of Trade and plantations with an Inclosed Opinion of Councell at Law

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against an Act past in Carolina the first of March 170 0/1 for the Better Regulating the proceeding of the Court of Admiralty in Carolina and the fees of the same as tending to the Incouragement of vnlawfull trade Injurious to the officers of the Admiralty there and differing from the Manner of practice in the High Court of Admiralty here in England The copy of which Bill transmitted us came not to our hands or wee have not the same by vs Therefore wee direct you with Our Grand Assembly to inspect into the same and to make all the necessary and due alterations therein And send us the same for our determination

You are to transmitt to us as soon as you can conveniently get it handsomely transcribed a full and exact account of our yearly rents what they amount to in the whole and the particular men from whom due and what from each man Also what has been received, by whom and how applyed and what land to whome and for what sold—Given under our hands and seals this eighteenth day of June Anno Dni 1702.

J GRANVILLE. Palatine (l s)
—CRAVEN (l s.)
J GRANVILLE for Ld CARTERET (l s.)
J COLLETON