- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
John Cabot's Second Patent
from King Henry VII
To the king
Please it your highness, of your most noble and abundant grace, to grant to John Cabot, Venetian, your gracious letters patent in due form to be made according to the wording hereafter ensuing, and he shall continually pray to God for the preservation of your most noble and royal estate to long endure.
Henry, King
Sends greetings to all men to whom these present shall meet: Know you that we, by our special grace and motivated by several causes, have given and granted and by these present give and grant to our well beloved John Cabot, Venetian, sufficient authority and power that he, his deputy or deputies of sufficient wealth, may take at his pleasure six English ships in any port or ports or other places within our realm of England or our dominions, if the said ships be of the burthen of 200 tons or under, [and carrying] their essential and necessary provisions for the safe conduct of the said ships. And these [the said John is] to convey and bring them to the land and isles recently discovered by the said John in our name and by our order, paying for them and all of them as if we should in or for our own cause pay and none otherwise.
And the said John by himself, his deputy or deputies of adequate wealth, may take and receive into these ships all such masters, mariners, pages and other of our subjects who, of their own free will, wish to go with him in these same ships to the said land or isles, without any impediment, hindrance, or disturbance from any of our officers, ministers or subjects, regardless of any grievance they may have with the said John, his deputy or
This document appears in the Compendium: Chapter I
Annotation:
Second letters patent issued by Henry VII of England granting John Cabot authority to outfit up to six English ships and return to the lands he had recently discovered (February 3, 1498). The document expands royal support for exploration while maintaining a system of private financing, illustrating how the English Crown encouraged overseas expansion with limited direct investment and laid the groundwork for later English claims in North America.
Author:
Transcript Source: https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/exploration/cabot-patent-1498.php
deputies or with any other of our said subjects. Nor are they to impede, hinder or disturb, or attempt to impede, hinder or disturb any of them sailing with the said John in the said ships to the said land or isles. Given as an order to all and everyone of our officers, ministers and subjects saying or hearing these letters patent. Without any further order from us, they are to assist and aid the said John, his deputy and all our said subjects sailing with him according to the wording of our letters patent, regardless of any statute, act or ordinance to the contrary which has been or will be made in the future.
Comments