[The preceding pages were reprinted from the Publications of the Rhode
Island Historical Society, January, 1894. Subsequently there was
received from the Public Record Office in London, by the kindness of
Hubert Hall, Esq., F.S.A., a copy of the patent to Thomas Neale,
mentioned on page 8, preceding. The document is of fundamental
importance to the history of the colonial post office. It instituted,
for the first time, a royal intercolonial post, an American post office;
and the American post office was the first of American executive
departments, the first continental institution, and contributed, in its
way, toward the unification of America. The patent is therefore given in
full below. It is believed that it has never before been printed. It is
designated, "Patent Roll (Chancery) 4 William and Mary, Part I, No. 3."
Its date proves to be February 17, 1691/2, not February 7.
The patent to Thomas Neale was a piece of court favor. A few facts
respecting the man himself may be of interest. Thomas Neale was an
amusing person. All that the editor has been able to discover respecting
him shows, with the utmost consistency, the confirmed office-holder, the
determined and adventurous speculator, quick to seize any opportunity
for personal profit. In the first place, as to his marriage. Pepys,
January 1, 1663/4, mentions that there was much talk at the coffee-house
about a very rich widow, said to be worth L80,000, and young and
handsome. Her husband, Sir Nicholas Gold, a merchant, had not been dead
a week yet, and already great courtiers were looking after her. She was
the daughter of Sir John Garrard (Burke, Extinct and Dormant Baronetage,
214). June 20, 1664, Pepys tells a remarkable story of the bold manner
in which Neale had won this prize, Lady Gold and he having been married
in spite of her brother's opposition. By 1684 Neale had become installed
in the palace, in the doubtless lucrative office of groom porter
(_London Gazette_, July 28, 1684; Malcolm, "Anecdotes of London down to
1700," i. 378, iii. 50). The duties of this office are described by
Pepys under date of January 1, 1667/8. "They were," says Macaulay (iv.
391), "to call the odds when the Court played at hazard, to provide
cards and dice, and to decide any dispute which might arise on the
bowling-green or at the gaming table." Neale organized lotteries after
the Venetian manner, and in 1694 built extensively, for speculative
purposes, about the Seven Dials (Evelyn's Diary, Nov. 14, 1693; Oct. 5,
Nov. 22, 1694). In that same year he was employed by the government to
conduct the lottery loan for the State, though some, says Macaulay,
thought the treasury lowered itself thereby. But, after all, he was more
of a personage than would, perhaps, be gathered from Macaulay's
description. If he was not identical with the Thomas Neale who
represented Petersfield in the Parliament of 1661-78 (Parl. Hist., iv.
198), he was certainly member for Ludgershall in all the subsequent
parliaments of Charles II., in that of James II., and in the second and
third parliaments of King William (5 W. & M., c. 7, sec. 69; letter of
F. Bonnet to the Elector of Brandenburg, in Ranke, vi. 238; Parl. Hist.,
iv. 1082, 1157, 1301, 1346, v. 544, 961; Grey's Debates, viii. 380).
Moreover, a list in Harl. Misc. viii. 512, prepared in July, 1698,
identifies him with Thomas Neale, the master of the mint, Sir Isaac
Newton's predecessor in that office. No doubt he was the author of a
pamphlet on "Mending the Coin," London: 1695, which Allibone mentions.
In fact, Neale was master of the mint from 1679 to 1699 (Ruding, Annals
of the Coinage, i. 29, 35, ii. 30, 33, 46, 466). As the office was for
life, and Newton succeeded upon a vacancy (Brewster's Sir Isaac Newton,
ii. 193), it is probable that Neale died in 1699. He should have died
rich, for a report in the Commons' Journals in 1697 (xi. 447, 453) gives
us the characteristic touch that by his percentages on coinage he made
apparently above L14,000 a year, while a deputy, paid L400, did almost
all the work in his absence. Yet it seems that he died insolvent, and
failed to carry out a large building contract into which he had entered
with Sir Walter Clarges (Malcolm, Londin. Rediv., iv. 328). Malcolm also
says (Anecdotes of London in the Eighteenth Century, i. 36) that he left
money for a charity school. The "Gentleman's Magazine" (ii. 631),
mentions, under date of Feb. 17, 1732, the death of the widow of Thomas
Neale, Esq., act. 96, in Old Palace Yard.
By way of corrigendum to Miss Woolley's paper, it should be mentioned,
out of Mr. F. H. Norton's notes to his edition of the Journal of Hugh
Finlay, that the Virginian act of 1661/2, cited on p. 22, above, was
preceded by an act of similar tenor in 1657.--EDITOR.]
D con }
Neale Ar }
Grant }
3 }
WILLIAM AND MARY by the Grace of God &c To all to whome these presents
shall come GREETING whereas our Trusty and welbeloved servant Thomas
Neale Esquire hath lately humbly represented unto us that there never
yet hath bin any post established for the conveying of Letters within or
between Virginia Maryland Delaware New Yorke New England East and West
Jersey Pensilvania and Northward as far as our Dominions reach in
America And that the want thereof hath bin a great hindrance to the
Trade of those parts And he the said Thomas Neale haveing humbly desired
us to grant to him Letters Patents for the settling of such a post at
his owne charge and Wee being fully satisfied that the same may be of
service to Trade and correspondence and alsoe willing to encourage such
an undertakeing know yee therefore that wee of our especiall grace
certaine knowledge and meer mocon and with and under the condicons and
agreements herein after mentioned on the part and behalfe of the said
Thomas Neale his executors and assignes to be performed have given and
granted and by these presents for us our heires and successors doe give
and grant unto the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and
assignes full power and authority to erect settle and establish and from
time to time dureing the Terme herein after mentioned shall and may
continue and enjoy within every or any the chiefe Ports of the severall
Iselands Plantacons or Colonies belonging or to belong unto us our
heires or successors in America an Office or Offices for the receiving
and dispatching away of letters and packquetts with full power and
authority and free liberty leave and lycence to and for him the said
Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes and to and for
such person or persons as he or they shall from time to time in this
behalfe nominate to receive at the respective Offices aforesaid of and
from any Masters of Ships Passengers or others any letters or Pacquetts
whatsoever which shall be brought into the said Colonyes and Iselands or
any of them from England or from any other parts whatsoever or which
shall be sent from any parts or places of such respective Colony or
Iseland to any other parts or places of the same and to dispatch send
away carry and deliver the same to the respective persons and places to
whome or which they shall be directed or sent within the said Colonys
and Iselands or any of them and to take or receive to the onely use and
behoofe of him the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and
assignes for the postage or conveyance of all such letters and
Packquetts as shall be soe dispatcht sent away carried and delivered
such rates and sumes of money as shall be proportionable to the rates
for the post or carriage of letters sett downe and ascertained in and by
an Act of Parliament made in the Twelfth yeare of the reigne of our late
Royall Uncle King Charles the Second of Blessed memory entituled (an act
for erecting and establishing a Post Office) or such other rates or
sumes of money as the Planters and others will freely agree to give for
their letters or Pacquetts upon the first settlement of such Office or
Offices And further Wee have given and granted and by these presents for
us our heires and successors doe give and grant unto the said Thomas
Neale his executors administrators and assignes and to such person and
persons as he or they shall from time to time nominate as aforesaid full
power and authority and free liberty leave and lycence at the said
Office or offices so to be settled as aforesaid to collect and receive
such letters or pacquetts as the Planters or any others will send or
bring to the same and to dispatch such of them away for England as shall
be directed thither by the first ship that from time to time shall be
bound for any Port Towne of England to be there delivered to the Deputy
or Deputies of our Postmaster or Postmasters Generall for the time being
by him or them appointed or to be appointed for the said Port Towne To
the end such Deputy or Deputys may from time to time send the same away
to the Generall Post Office in England to be delivered according to the
severall and respective direccons of the same as by the said Act of
Parliament is prescribed and to dispatch away such of the said letters
or Pacquetts as shall be directed or are to be carried from any of the
said Islands Colonys or Plantacons from time to time To have hold use
exercise and enjoy the said Office and Offices with the powers
authorities priviledges leave and lycence herein before mentioned and
intended to be hereby granted and to take perceive and receive the rates
and sumes aforesaid unto him the said Thomas Neale his executors
administrators and assignes To the onely use and behoofe of him the said
Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes from the date of
these our Letters Patents for and dureing the Terme of twenty one yeares
from thence next ensueing and fully to be compleate and ended without
any account or other matter or thing to be therefore rendered or paid to
us our heires or successors other then the rent covenants and agreements
herein after mentioned rendring to us our heires and successors dureing
the said Terme the yearly rent of six shillings and eight pence to be
paid into our Exchequer in England at the Feast of St. Michaell the
Archangell yearly And Wee doe hereby for us our heirs and successors
authorize and comand the Postmaster and Postmasters Generall now and
for the time being of us our heires and successors from time to time to
issue such Deputacons as may better enable the said Thom Thomas Neale
his executors administrators and assignes and such person or persons as
he or they shall from time to time nominate to exercise and execute the
powers and authorities to him or them hereby given and granted or
menconed or intended to be given and granted in and about the premisses
dureing the said Terme of Twenty one yeares and Wee doe hereby also for
us our heires and successors strictly prohibit and forbid all and every
person and persons whatsoever (other then the said Thomas Neale his
executors administrators and assignes and such person or persons as he
or they shall nominate as aforesaid) to sett up exercise or execute the
like Office or Offices within the Iselands Colonys and Plantations
aforesaid or any of them at any time or times within or during the
continuance of the said Terme of one and Twenty yeares hereby granted
provided alwaies that nothing in these p'sents contained shall extend or
be construed to extend to restreyne any merchants masters or others
from sending any letters or pacquetts to or from the said Plantations or
Colonys or any of them by any masters of Ships or other vessells or by
any other person or persons which such merchants masters or others will
specially imploy or intrust for the carriage of the same according to
their respective direccons And the said Thomas Neale Doth for himselfe
his executors administrators and assignes covenant promise and grant to
and with us our heires and successors by these presents that he the said
Thomas Neale his executors administrators or assignes or such person or
persons as he or they shall nominate as aforesaid shall and will from
time to time upon his or their receipt or receipts of any letters or
Pacquetts which shall be directed into the said Iselands Colonyes and
Plantations or any of them from England or any other parts or from any
parts or places within the said Iselands Colonyes or Plantations to any
other parts or places within the same cause the said letters or
Pacquetts to be forthwith dispersed carried and delivered in the
severall parts of the said Iselands Colonies and Plantations as they
shall be directed and from time to time as he they or any of them shall
collect or receive any letters or Pacquetts to be sent from the said
Plantations Islands or Colonyes or any of them for England shall
dispatch and send away the same by the first Ship that shall be bound
for any Port of England to be there delivered to the next Deputy
Postmaster as aforesaid and where any letters or Pacquetts shall be
directed from any of the said Colonies Islands or Plantations to some
other of them that he or they shall dispatch and send away the same
according to the respective direccons by the first conveniency of
carriage or conveyance thereof and that these services shall be
performed with care and without any neglect or delay at the rates before
mentioned And the said Thomas Neale doth further for himselfe his
executors administrators and assignes covenant promise and grant to and
with us our heires and successors by these presents That he the said
Thomas Neale his executors administrators or assignes shall and will at
his and their own costs and charges keep accounts in bookes fairely
written of all the sumes of money and profitts whatsoever ariseing in
every yeare by the Office imployment or businesse aforesaid and of all
charges thereupon and shall suffer the said Bookes to be inspected from
time to time and coppies thereof or notes out of the same to be taken by
such person or persons as the Comissioners of the Treasury or High
Treasurer of England for the time being shall appoint and shall and will
within the Twentieth yeare of the said Terme of twenty one yeares hereby
granted produce the said Bookes themselves or soe many of them as shall
be then made to the Comissioners of the Treasury or High Treasurer of
England then being To the end he or they may have certaine knowledge of
the yearly value of the said Office or Offices for the future benefitt
of us our heires and successors And further that such publique orders as
the Governors of the said respective Plantacons Islands or Colonies from
time to time shall issue out for the Imediate service of us our heires
and successors shall be dispatcht and distributed by the said respective
Offices without any charge Provided that noe person or persons
whatsoever shall be capable of exerciseing the said Office or Offices or
any of them or any Deputacon relateing thereunto untill he or they doe
first take the oathes appointed by the Act of Parliament made in the
first yeare of our reigne Entituled (An Act for the abrogateing the
Oathes of Supremacy and allegiance and appointing other oathes) Provided
alsoe that if it shall at any time hereafter be made appeare to us our
heires or successors that this our grant is inconvenient to our subjects
in generall or that the powers hereby granted or mentioned to be granted
or mentioned to be granted or any of them is or are abused That then it
shall and may be lawfull to and for us our heires and successors by any
order of or made in our or their Privy Councill to revoake determine and
make void these our Letters Patents and every clause power and thing
therein contained any thing to the contrary thereof in any wise
notwithstanding Provided further that if the said Thomas Neale his
executors administrators or assignes shall not within the space of two
yeares next after the date of these our Letters Patents establish the
Post or Office thereby intended within the Colonys Islands and
Plantations aforesaid according to the true intent and meaning of these
Presents Then this our grant and every power matter and thing therein
contained shall cease and be void any thing to the contrary thereof in
any wise notwithstanding And the said Thomas Neale doth for himselfe his
executors administrators and assignes covenant promise and grant to and
with us our heires and successors that all letters or Pacquetts
collected or received in any of the Plantations Iselands or Colonys
aforesaid to be sent for England shall from time to time be carefully
put up and dispatched away by the first Ship bound for any Port of
England to be delivered by the next Deputy Postmaster in England without
any charge to the Post Office here excepting and reserveing unto us our
heires and successors the English Inland Postage of all such letters and
Pacquetts last mentioned to be sent for England It being hereby intended
and declared that the same shall not be accounted for to the said Thomas
Neale his executors administrators or assignes but that he and they
shall and is and are hereby obliged to satisfie and pay the masters of
such vessells for such conveyance and delivery of such letters and
pacquetts as shall be sent for England as aforesaid and alsoe that he
the said Thomas Neale his executors administrator or assignes shall and
will at his and their owne proper costs and charges nominate and appoint
a sufficient Officer in our City of London to receive and collect from
time to time all letters and Pacquetts for any of our Colonys or
Plantations aforesaid and to take care to send them duely away from time
to time by the first vessell bound for any of those Parts And further
that all letters comonly called State letters which are usually carried
Postage free here in England shall pass free thorow all our Plantations
and Iselands aforesaid And further alsoe that he the said Thomas Neale
his executors administrators or assignes shall and will at the end of
the first three yeares next ensueing after the date of these Presents
transmitt or cause to be transmitted to the Comissioners of the
Treasury or High Treasurer of England for the time being a true and
faithfull account in writeing upon oath of the whole profitts and
advantage ariseing or accrewing by and the charge of settling and
mannageing the said Office or Offices herein before granted or mentioned
to be granted and established and shall and will alsoe keep true and
faithful accounts in writeing of all the receipts and charges aforesaid
relating to the said Office or Imployment and that from and after the
expiracon of the said Three yeares next ensueing after the date of this
our Grant the like account shall be yearly transmitted as aforesaid if
thereunto required And for the better excution of the powers and
direccons herein contained Wee have given and granted and by these
Presents for us our heires and successors doe give and grant unto the
said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes full power
and authority from time to time dureing the said Terme of twenty one
yeares to sett up make use and have Ferrys over any River or Lake in our
said Colonies Iselands or Plantations where noe Ferrys are yet made nor
any grant thereof made or given to any other person or persons by us or
any of our Predecessors for the better conveyance of Postage and
Passengers as need shall require and to receive and take the Profitts
and advantage comeing or ariseing by such Ferrys to the use and benefitt
of him the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes
provided always and our will and pleasure is and Wee do here for us our
heires and successors Declare that in all cases where such Ferry or
Ferrys are to be sett up and made over other Persons land or water the
Proprietor or Proprietors thereof shall be first agreed with and his and
their consent gained therein according to Law and Justice In Witnesse &c
Witnesse ourselves at Westm the seaventeenth day of February
By Writt of Privy Seale.