CLVII. James I. Proclamation to Virginia Company prohibiting
Lottery
March 8, 1620/21
State Papers, Domestic, James I, Volume 187. Printed, No. 89. (Proclamations
from 1603 to 1624)
Document in Public Record Office, London
List of Records No. 233
By the King
Whereas, at the humble suit and request of sundry Our louing and well
disposed Subiects, intending to deduce a Colony, and to make a Planta-
tion in Virginia, Wee, for the inlarging of Our Gouernment, increase of
Nauigation and Trade, and especially for the reducing of the sauage and
barbarous people of those parts to the Christian faith, did incorporate
diuers Noblemen, Gentlemen and others, aduenturers in the sayd Plan-
tation, and granted vnto them sundry Priuiledges and Liberties; amongst
which, for their better helpe and assistance to raise some competent
summes of money to prosecute the same Plantation to a happy end, Wee
did grant them licence to set foorth, erect and publish Lotteries, to con-
tinue for one yeere after the opening of the same, and further, during Our
pleasure; which liberty hath been by the same Company put in vse diuers
yeeres past. Now forasmuch as We are giuen to vnderstand, that although
Wee in granting the sayd Licence, had Our eye fixed vpon a religious and
Princely end and designe, yet the sayd Lotteries, hauing now for a long
time been put in vse, doe dayly decline to more and more inconuenience,
to the hinderance of multitudes of Our Subiects,
Wee whose care continually waiteth vpon the generall welfare of Our
people, haue thought it expedient, for the generall good of Our Subiects,
to suspend the further execution of the saide Lotteries, vntill vpon further
deliberation and aduisement, We shall be more fully informed of the
inconueniences and euils thereby arising, and may ordaine due remedy for
the same, without any conceit of withdrawing Our fauour in any degree
from the said Company or plantation, and good worke by them intended.
And therefore We doe heereby expresly charge and command the sayd
Company and their successors, and all their Officers, Ministers, and
Seruants, and all others, That from hencefoorth they desist and forbeare,
to vse or execute any manner of grant or Licence from Vs, for the keeping
and continuing of any Lotterie, or to keepe or continue any Lotterie,
within this Our Realme of England or the Dominions thereof, vntill such
time as Wee shall declare Our further pleasure therein. And Wee likewise
require all Justices, Officers and Ministers whatsoeuer, from hencefoorth,
diligently and carefully to see this Our pleasure executed, and to punish
the infringers thereof, as contemners of Our Royall command.
Giuen at Our Palace of Westminster the eighth day of March, in the
eighteenth yeere of Our Reigne of Great Britaine, France and Ireland.
God saue the King.
Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, and Iohn Bill, Printers to the
Kings most Excellent Maiestie, MDCXX.
