TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING:
Whereas the Master, Wardens and other free men of the Mystery or Art of the Tylers and Bricklayers of the City of London and the suburbs of the same (hereinafter referred to as the Tylers’ and Bricklayers’ Company) were incorporated by a Royal Charter of Incorporation granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth on the 3rd day of August in the year 1568 and in the tenth year of Her said Majesty’s Reign in which Charter among other rights and privileges it was granted that the said Tylers’ and Bricklayers’ Company should be persons able and capable in law to acquire possess and receive in fee and perpetuity lands tenements rents reversions and other possession to the value of Fifty Pounds per annum beyond reprises from any person or persons whatsoever willing to give devise sell or assign the same to them to have and to hold to them and their successors for ever in aid of the support of poor men and women brothers and sisters of the said company the statute concerning not putting lands or tenements to mortmain or any other statute act ordinance provision or restriction thing or matter thereof to the contrary made or provided to be made notwithstanding.
AND WHEREAS as the result of a Judgement in an action of Quo Warranto brought against the Corporation of the City of London given in the Court of King’s Bench in the Trinity Term in the 35th year of the Reign of His Majesty King Charles the Second the said Tylers’ and Bricklayers’ Company surrendered to His said Majesty all and singular the powers franchises liberties privileges and authorities whatsoever and howsoever granted or used or exercised by the Company by virtue of any right title or interest in them placed by any Charters Letters Patent Custom or Prescription.
AND WHEREAS the said Tylers’ and Bricklayers’ Company was afterwards reincorporated by a Royal Charter of Incorporation granted by His Majesty King James the Second on the 18th day of February in the year 1685 and in the first year of his said Majesty’s Reign in which Charter among other rights and privileges it was granted that the said Tylers’ and Bricklayers’ Company might have purchase receive and possess to them and their successors for ever manors messuages lands tenements possessions and hereditaments so that the same did not in the whole exceed the clear annual value of Three Hundred Pounds of lawful money of England the statute of not putting lands and tenements in mortmain or any other statute act ordinance or provision heretofore made or any other thing cause or matter to the contrary thereof notwithstanding and that they and their successors might forever have hold and enjoy all goods chattels lands tenements possessions and hereditaments which they then had and possessed or of which any persons were or should be seised to their use.
AND WHEREAS by a statute of the second year of the Reign of Their Majesties King William and Queen Mary Chapter 8 intituled “An Act reversing the Judgment in a Quo Warranto against the City of London and for restoring the City of London to its ancient rights and privileges” the said Judgement given in the Court of King’s Bench was reversed annulled and made void and it was enacted that all and every of the said Companies and Corporations of the said City of London should thence forth stand and be incorporated by such name and names and in such sort and manner as they respectively were at the time of the said Judgement given and every of them were thereby restored to all and every the lands tenements hereditaments rights titles estates liberties powers privileges precedencies and immunities which they lawfully had and enjoyed at the time of giving the said Judgement and that as well all surrenders as Charters Letters Patent and Grants for new Incorporating any of the said Companies or touching any of the liberties privileges or franchises made or granted by Their Majesties King James the Second and King Charles the Second since the giving of the said judgement should be void and were thereby declared null and void to all intents and purposes whatsoever Provided nevertheless that no person or persons should be in any wise prosecuted sued impeached or molested for any cause or thing by him or them lawfully acted or done in pursuance of any such Charters Letters Patent or Grants
AND WHEREAS by a Charter granted to the Mayor Aldermen and Commonalty of the City of London by His Majesty King Edward the Third on the 6th day of March in the year 1327 and in the first year of His Reign with the assent of the Earls Barons and all the Commonalty of his Realm summoned to his Parliament His said Majesty granted for himself and His Heirs to the Citizens of the said City that they might bequeath their tenements within the liberties of the aforesaid City as well in mortmain as in other manner as of ancient time they were accustomed to do which Charter was confirmed from time to time by his said Majesty’s successors and lastly by his Majesty King Charles the Second on the 24th day of June 1663 and again confirmed and restored by the said Statute of the second year of the Reign of Their Majesties King William and Queen Mary Chapter 8 intituled “An Act reversing the judgement in a Quo Warranto against the City of London and for restoring the City of London to its ancient rights and privileges.”
AND WHEREAS it has been represented to Us by the humble petition of the said Tylers’ and Bricklayers’ Company that by virtue of the said Charters divers lands tenements and hereditaments have been purchased and received whereof certain have been sold and other lands tenements and hereditaments have been purchased with the moneys thereof accruing but that doubts have arisen whether the said Company acting inder the powers of the said Charters conferred upon them of selling of otherwise disposing of any of the said lands tenements and hereditaments were and are entitled to apply the proceeds of sale thereof in the purchase or acquisition of other lands tenements and hereditaments and if so what if any is the limit to be imposed upon them.
AND WHEREAS the said Petitioners by their said petition further showed and submitted that it would be for the benefit and advantage of the Petitioners that the proceeds of sale of any of the lands tenements and hereditaments held by them under the powers aforesaid should if deemed desirable be applicable in the purchase or acquisition or on the security of other lands tenements and hereditaments or interests therein. And further that either the capital of the Petitioners or any surplus income which may from time to time become available for investment or re-investment should if deemed desirable be applicable in the purchase or acquisition of lands and hereditaments tenements rents or reversions or otherwise in or upon any real security freehold or leasehold And further that having regard to the amount of the present rents and profits arising from the lands and hereditaments now held by the Petitioners both on their own account and as Trustees for certain Charities which they administer and to the progressive increase in the value thereof and of such rents and profits and to the present favourable opportunity for further investment in lands and hereditaments or upon the security thereof it is desirable that the Petitioners should be given and granted licence and power to purchase accept and hold in mortmain in perpetuity messuages lands tenements or hereditaments in addition to those now belonging to them of a yearly value not exceeding Thirty Thousand Pounds in the whole.
AND WHEREAS the Petitioners by their said petition humble prayed that having regard to the circumstances therein set out We would be graciously pleased to grant to the Petitioners a Supplemental Charter for the purposes aforesaid subject to such terms and conditions (if any) as to Us might seem fit which we are minded to do.
NOW KNOW YE that We being satisfied that it is to the interest of the said Master and Wardens of the Mystery of Art of the Tylers and Bricklayers of London that the powers conferred by the said Charter of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth and by the said Charter of His Majesty King James the Second hereinbefore recited should be extended in manner herein after mentioned of Our Special Grace certain knowledge and mere motion DO by these presents for Us Our Heirs and Successors will grant and declare (notwithstanding anything in the said Charter or Letters Patent in Mortmain to the contrary) that the powers of the said Master and Wardens of the Mystery or Art of the Tylers and Bricklayers of London to hold land may be extended and that they may be for ever able and capable in the law (without any further licence in mortmain) to take purchase accept hold and enjoy to them and their successors messuages lands tenements or hereditaments in addition to those now belonging to them the clear yearly value of which shall not exceed in the whole £30,000 such value being computed as at the time of the acquisition or purchase of the same and from time to time to grant demise alienate or otherwise dispose of the same or any part thereof and further in the event of any of the lands messuages tenements or hereditaments now vested in them as aforesaid or which may be purchased or acquired by them hereafter under the powers hereby conferred upon them being at any time sold or disposed thereof may be applied by the said Petitioners in the purchase of other lands messuages tenements or hereditaments to be held by the said Petitioners in the purchase of other lands messuages tenements or hereditaments to be held by the said Petitioners and their successors in mortmain in perpetuity.
AND WE do remit any forfeiture which may have been incurred by the said Master and Wardens of the Mystery or Art of the Tylers and Bricklayers of London in the acquisition of lands and hereditaments since the Charter of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth bearing date the 3rd day of August in the 10th year of Her Late Majesty’s Reign.
AND WE do for Ourself Our Heirs and Successors give and grant Our Licence to any person or persons and any Body Politic or Corporate to assure in perpetuity or otherwise or to demise to or for the benefit of or to purchase from the said Master and Wardens of the Mystery or Art of Tylers and Bricklayers of London and lands tenements or hereditaments whatsoever situate in Great Britain or Northern Ireland within the limits of value aforesaid hereby nevertheless declaring that it shall not be incumbant upon such person or persons or Body to enquire as to the value of the property which may at any time or times be or have been acquired or held by the said Master and Wardens of the Mystery or Art of Tylers and Bricklayers of London.
AND WE do will ordain and declare that these presents shall be considered Supplemental to the said Charter of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and shall be construed therewith as one instrument.
AND WE do for Ourself Our Heirs and Successors grant and declare that this Our Charter or the enrolment thereof shall be in all things valid and effectual in law according to the true intent and meaning thereof and shall be taken construed and adjudged in the most favourable and beneficial sense for the best advantage of the said Master and Wardens of the Mystery or Art of Tylers and Bricklayers of London as well in Our Courts of Record as elsewhere by all Judges Justices Officers Ministers and other Subjects whatsoever of Us Our Heirs and successors and non-recital mis-recital or other omission defect or thing to the contrary notwithstanding.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF We have caused
These Letters to be made Patent.
WITNESS Ourself at Westminster the Twenty-first day of March in the second year of Our Reign.
BY WARRANT under the King’s Sign Manual.
SCHUSTER.