Transcript

Britain's First Black Justice of the Peace?
C 202/194/8

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George the Third by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland King Defender of the Faith To our Beloved & Faithfull Charles Lewis    George Buckle    Zouch Turton & Rob[er]t Thompson Esq[quire]s & John Evans Gentleman
     Greeting Know yee that We have Jointly and Severally given you Power and Authority to Received the Oaths of our Beloved and Faithfull Nathaniel Wells Esquire
     One of the Keepers of Our Peace in the County of Monmouth for the well and faithfully Executing that Office according to a Certain Schedule to this Our Writ Annexed and the Oaths Specifyed in an Act of Parliament Passed in the first Year of William and Mary late King and Queen of England the Tenour of which is to these presents Annexed. And therefore we command you that you or One of you Receive the said Oaths and when you have so Received them that you or One of you Certify Us thereupon in Our Chancery under your Seals or the Seal of One of you Distinctly and Openly without Delay Remitting to us the writ Witness Our Self at Westminster the eighteenth day of January in the forty sixth year of Our Reign
Bathurst and Bathurst
By virtue of this Commission I did this day Receive the Oaths of the Within named Nathaniel Wells according to the Tenor of the said Commission and the several Schedules thereto Annexed and do hereby Certifye the same into his Majestys Chancery as I am within Comanded
     Witness my hand and Seal this Third day of February One thousand Eight Hundred and Six
[signature] Cha[rle]s Lewis
 
I AB do sincerely Promise and Swear that I will be faithfull and bear true Allegiance to His Majesty King George so help me God
I AB do Swear that I Do from my heart Abhor detest and Abjure as Impious and hereticall that Damnable doctrine and Position that Princes Excommunicated or deprived by the Pope or any Authority of the See of Rome may be deposed or Murthered by their Subjects or any other whatsoever And I Do declare that no Foreign Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or Ought to have any Jurisdiction power Superiority Preheminence or Authority Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall within this Realm so help me God
Ye shall Sweare that as Justice of Peace within the County of Monmouth in all Articles in the Kings Comission to you directed ye shall do equal right to the Poor and to the Rich after your cunning wit and power and after the Laws and Customs of this Realm and Statutes thereof made and ye shall not be of Councill with any person in any quarrell hanging afore you and that ye hold your Sessions after the form of Statutes thereof made and the Issues Fines and Amerciaments which shall happen to be made and all forfeitures which shall fall before you ye shall truely cause to be entered without any Concealment or imbezilling and truely send them to the Kings Exchequer ye shall not lett for Gift or other cause but well and truely ye shall do your Office of Justice of Peace in that behalfe & that ye take nothing for your Office of Justice of Peace to be done but of the King and Fees accustomed and Cost limitted by the Statute and ye shall not direct or cause to be directed any Warrant by you to be made to the Parties but ye shall direct them to the Bailiffs of the said County or other Kings Officers or Ministers or other indifferent persons to do Execut[i]on thereof so God you help and by the contents of this Book.
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