Majesty's Bermuda or Somers Islands in America do most humbly beseech Your Majesty that it may be enacted And be it enacted by your Majesty's governor council and assembly and it is hereby enacted and ordained by the authority of the same that no person whatever pretending or having pretended to be a minister of the Gospel or missionary from any religious society and not regularly invested with holy orders according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland shall be allowed to preach or propagate in these Islands any doctrine upon the Gospel by writing or printing or by speaking to teaching or in any wise lecturing or exhorting any public or collected audience whatever and that any person who shall violate or act repugnant to this law by preaching or propagating writing or printing or by speaking to teaching or in any way lecturing or exhorting any public or collected audience whatever as aforesaid shall be subject and liable to a fine of fifty pounds and to be imprisoned for the space of six months without bail or mainprize.

And be it further enacted and ordained by the authority aforesaid that every person or persons admitting or allowing in his her or their house or dwelling any person pretending or having pretended to be a minister of the Gospel or missionary from any religious society whatever and not invested with holy orders according to the rites and ceremonies aforesaid for the purpose of preaching or propagating any doctrine upon the Gospel by writing or printing or by speaking to teaching or in any wise lecturing or

exhorting as aforesaid any public or collected audience whatever shall be subject and liable to a fine of fifty pounds and an imprisonment of six months without bail or mainprize.

Passed the Assembly this 25 April 1800 and ordered to be laid before the council for concurrence.

APPENDIX P.

wife

Sumer Islands ye 9th of Ffebruary 1689* Loveing kinsman and landlord my respects presented unto you and unto my kinswoman your and relations wishing you welfare both temporall and eternall Yours of ye 5th of September last I have recd wherein you blame me for neglect of sendeing Indeed the last yeare I sent noe fruits for it was not likely that any would keepe it was soe late are the shipps went away and they which did send or carrey found it soe I did provide some plankes to have sent now and the Company† hath now sent an absolute order that noe cedar should bee shipt upon any termes unless it bee such as is pacyt wth goods or ffruits yet I have sent unto Mr. Trotts ffactor here some chest boards to pack tobaccoe in and have writt to Mr. Trott to deliver you ye chest or ye produce which you please to give him order I have here inclosed sent you an account of what I have sent and paid at

*How this letter found its way into the public records I cannot comprehend.

+ The Bermuda Company.

severall tymes If it please God I live another yeare I will indeavour to take some course to pay your money in London butt now I have noe tobaccoe for I have not land to make tobaccoe on neither have now any money or comodity in England For fruits had I opportunities when fruits are seasonable you should not have any occasion to blame mee for neglect I pray God if it bee his will to settle peace and trueth in our native country and to settle such a form of government as may be most agreeable unto his holy word Sr I should gladly present my kinswoman with a pine apple if it were possible but at this time of yeare there is not any if any bee they have not the rellish they have in August and September Thus desireing God to bless and keepe you with my best affections unto my kinswoman and landlady I committ you to ye protection of the Almighty and rest

Sr

Yours in what I may

Superscribed thus

GODHEARD ASSER

Ffor his kinsman and landlord John Basset of

Trehedie in ye county of Cornwall Esq. and wife

present.