Whereas Our Dearly Beloved Brother the late King of ever Blessed
Memory, for the Supporting and Managing of a Trade very beneficial
to this Our Kingdom, and Our Foreign Plantations upon the Coasts of
Guiny, Buiny, Angola, and other Parts and Places in Africa, from the
Port of Sally in South-Barbary inclusive, to the Cape De Bona Esperanza
inclusive, by His Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England,
bearing Date the Twenty seventh day of September, in the Four and
twentieth year of His Reign, did Incorporate divers of His Loving
Subjects, by the Name of the Royal African Company of England;[1] and
did thereby Grant unto the said Company the whole, intire, and onely
Trade into, and from Africa aforesaid, and the Islands and Places near
adjoyning to the Coast of Africa, and comprehended within the Limits
aforesaid, with Prohibition to all other His Majesties Subjects to
Trade there: And that in pursuance to such Grant, the said Company
have Raised a very Great Stock Sufficient to Manage the Trade thereof;
and have since been at great Charges and Expence in Fortifying and
Settling divers Garrisons, Forts and Factories for the better Securing
of the said Trade, whereby the same began to flourish, to the great
Commodity of this Kingdom, and Our Foreign Plantations, until of late
disturbed by several ill disposed Persons, who preferring their private
profit before the Publick Good, have contrary to the said Royal Grant,
and the Express Proclamation of the King Our Dearly Beloved Brother,
bearing Date the Thirtieth day of November, in the Six and twentieth
year of His Reign, in a Clandestine and Disorderly manner, Traded
into those Parts, to the apparent danger of the Decay and Destruction
of the said Trade, and in manifest Contempt and Violation of the
undoubted Prerogative of the Crown, whose Right it is by the known Laws
of these Our Realms, to Limit and Regulate such Foreign Trades into
those Remote Parts of the World; We taking the same into Our Princely
Consideration, Do not onely give Leave and Direct, That the Persons who
have so Contemptuously Violated the said Companies Charter, and the
said Proclamation, be Prosecuted in Our Name at Law, in order to their
Condign Punishment according to their Demerits: But for the Prevention
of the like evil Practices for the future, We have thought fit, with
Advice of Our Privy Council, to Publish and Declare Our Royal Will and
Pleasure to be, And We do hereby strictly Prohibit and Forbid all and
every of Our Subjects whatsoever, except the said Royal Company and
their Successors, and such as shall be Imployed or Licenced by them,
at any time or times hereafter to Send or Navigate any Ship or Ships,
Vessel or Vessels, or Exercise any Trade to or from any of the Parts
or Coasts of Africa from Sally, to Cape De Bona Esperanza, or any of
the Islands near adjoyning thereunto as aforesaid, or from thence to
carry any Negro Servants, Gold, Elephants Teeth, or any other Goods
and Merchandizes of the Product or Manufacture of the said Places upon
Pain of Our High Displeasure, and the Forfeiture and Loss of the said
Negroes, Gold, Elephants Teeth, and all other Goods and Merchandizes,
and the Ships and Vessels which shall be taken or found Trading in any
Place or Places upon the Coast of Africa aforesaid, within the Limits
aforesaid: And We do hereby also strictly Require and Command all Our
Governours, Deputy-Governours, Admirals, Vice-Admirals, Generals,
Judges of Our Courts of Admiralty, Commanders of Our Forts and Castles,
Captains of Our Royal Ships, Justices of the Peace, Provost-Marshals,
Marshals, Comptrollers, Collectors of Our Customs, Waiters, Searchers,
and all other Our Officers and Ministers Civil and Military, by Sea
or Land, in every of Our said American Dominions or Plantations, to
take effectual Care That no Person or Persons whatsoever, within
their respective Limits or Jurisdictions, (except the said Company
and their Successors, and such as shall be Employed or Licenced by
them) do Send or Navigate any Ships or Vessels, or Exercise any Trade
from any of Our said Dominions or Plantations, to any Part of the
said Coast of Africa, within the Limits aforesaid; Or from thence to
Import any Negro Servants, Gold, Elephants Teeth, or other Goods of
the Product of any of those Parts, into any of Our said Dominions or
Plantations in America; And if any Person or Persons shall presume to
Act or Do in any wise Contrary to this Our Royal Proclamation, To the
end Our Will and Pleasure herein may be the better Observed, We do
further Will and Require and strictly Command all Our said Governours,
Deputy-Governours, Admirals, Vice-Admirals, Generals, Judges of Our
Court of Admiralty, Commanders of Our Forts and Castles, Captains of
Our Royal Ships, Justices of the Peace, Provost Marshals, Marshals,
Comptrollers, Collectors of Our Customs, Waiters, Searchers, and all
other Our Officers and Ministers Civil and Military, by Sea or Land,
in every of Our said American Dominions and Plantations, That as often
as need shall require, They be Aiding and Assisting to the said Royal
African Company, their Successors, Factors, Deputies or Assigns, to
Attach, Arrest, Take, and Seize all such Ship or Ships, Vessel or
Vessels, Negro Servants, Gold, Elephants Teeth, or Goods, Wares and
Merchandizes wheresoever they shall be found, for Our use, according to
Our Royal Charter Granted to the said Company, upon Pain of Our High
Displeasure, and as they will Answer the Contrary at their Perils: And
We do hereby Require and Command all and every of Our Subjects who are
or reside in Africa aforesaid, within the Limits aforesaid, or who are
upon the Sea in their Voyage thither, Except such who are Imployed or
Licenced by the said Company, That they do within Four Months next
ensuing the Date hereof, Depart thence, and Return into this Kingdom,
upon Pain and Peril that may fall thereon.
Given at Our Court at Whitehall, the First Day of April, 1685. In the
First Year of Our Reign.