or in any other matters relating to the Affairs or Government of the said Corporation who shall not at the time of such General Court have in his her or their Name and Right and for his her or their own Use and not in Trust for any other Five hundred Pounds or more Share or Interest in the said Capital Stock of the said Corporation And who also shall not at the time of holding any such General Court take the Oath hereafter mentioned if required thereunto by any Member or Members of the said Corporation then present having each Five hundred Pounds Share or Interest at least in the said Capital Stock before the Governor or Deputy-Governor or any two or more of the Directors of the said Corporation viz. I A. B. do Swear Oath of Electors that the Sum of Five hundred Pounds or more of the Capital Stock of the Body-Politique called by the name of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England doth at this time belong to me in my own Right and not in Trust for any other Person or Persons whatsoever None to have above one Vote And We do hereby Constitute Ordain and Appoint That no one Member of the said Corporation shall in any Election of Governor Deputy-Governor Director or other Officer of the said Corporation or in any the Business or Affairs of the said Corporation have or give any more than one Vote whatever his Share or Interest in the said Capital Stock shall be Proviso for Quakers Provided nevertheless That any Person or Persons commonly called or known to be Quakers who at the time of holding such General Court as aforesaid shall have Five hundred-Pounds Interest or Share or more in the said Capital Stock and shall then if thereunto Required by any Member or Members of the said Corporation then present having each Five hundred Pounds Share or Interest at least in the said Capital Stock make and Sign the following Declaration to wit I A. B. do sincerely and solemnly Declare in the presence of God That the Sum of Five hundred Pounds or more of the Capital Stock of the Body Politique called by the name of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England doth at this time belong to me in my own Right and not in trust for any other Person or Persons whatsoever shall be Capable of having a Vote at any General Court of the said Corporation Power to Administer the Oaths and Declaration to Electors And we do by these Presents for Us Our Heirs and Successors give full Power and Authority to the Governor or Deputy-Governor or any two or more of the Directors of the said Corporation for the time being to give and Administer the said Oath and Declaration to the said Members And do hereby Order and Direct them to Administer the same accordingly Provided farther Qualification of Governor And we do hereby for Us Our Heirs and Successors Constitute Ordain and Appoint that no Person shall at any time be capable of being Chosen a Governor of the said Corporation unless he shall at the time of such Election be a Natural born Subject of England or Naturalized and shall also then have in his own Name in his own Right and for his own Use Four thousand Pounds or more in the Capital Stock of the said Corporation And that no Person shall at any time be capable of being chosen Deputy-Governor of the said Corporation Qualification of Deputy-Governor unless he shall at the time of such Election be a Natural born Subject of England or Naturaliz'd and shall also then have in his own Name in his own Right and for his own Use Three thousand Pounds or more in the Capital Stock of the said Corporation Qualification of Directors And that no Person shall be capable of being chosen a Director of the said Corporation who shall not at the time of such Choice be a Natural born Subject of England or Naturalized And shall also then have in his own Name in his own Right and for his own Use Two thousand Pounds or more in the said Capital Stock Office vacant by lessening Stock And that no Governor Deputy-Governor or Directors shall continue in his or their respective Offices longer than the continuance of such their respective Interests and Stocks in their own Names and Rights and to their own Uses respectively But upon parting with or reducing his or their respective Share or Interest in the said Capital Stock to any lesser Sum or Sums than as aforesaid the said respective Offices or Places of such Governor Deputy-Governor or Directors so parting with reducing or diminishing their said Shares or Interests as aforesaid shall Cease Determine and become Vacant and others to be chosen in their rooms by a general Court of the said Corporation Oaths to be taken by Governors Provided also and We do by these Presents for Us Our Heirs and Successors Will Ordain and Appoint that the said hereby Nominated to be the first Governor or any Person hereafter to be Chosen to the said Office or Trust of Governor of the said Corporation shall not be capable of Executing or Acting in the said Office or trust of Governor at any time until he respectively shall have taken the Oaths appointed to be taken by an Act made in the First Year of Our Reign Oath of Allegiance Entituled An Act for the Abrogating of the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance and appointing other Oaths and shall not be capable of Executing of or Acting in the said Office or Trust of Governor at any time or times hereafter until he respectively shall have taken the Corporal Oath following To wit Oath for Stock I A. B. do Swear that the Sum of Four thousand Pounds of the Capital Stock of the Body Politique called by the name of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England whereof I am Appointed or Elected to be Governor doth at this time belong to me in my own Right and not in trust for any other Person or Persons whatsoever And likewise another Oath in the form or to the effect following That is to say I A. B. being Nominated or Elected to be Governor of the Company of the Bank of England Oath to the Company do Promise and Swear That I will to the utmost of my Power by all Lawful ways and means endeavour to Support and Maintain the Body-Politique or Fellowship of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England and the Liberties and Privileges thereof And that in the Execution of the said Office of Governor I will Faithfully and Honestly demean my self according to the best of my Skil and Understanding So help me God Oaths to first Governor to be Administred by the Lord Keeper Chancellor of the Exchequer Chief-Baron Oath to succeeding Governors How Administred And to any future Governor shall and may be Administred by the Chancellor of England or Keeper of the
prescribed to be taken by the respective Members having each Five Hundred Pounds or more as aforesaid before the said Governor or Deputy-Governors solemnly Promise and Declare as in the presence of God in Words or to the same effect Mutatis Mutandis with the said Oath last herein prescribed to be taken by the Members of the said Corporation having Five Hundred Pounds or more Interest or Share in the Capital Stock of the said Corporation and shall severally Subscribe the same together with the Declaration appointed for such Dissenters as scruple to take Oaths by another Act made in the first year of our Reign Intituled An Act for Exempting Their Majesties Protestant Subjects Dissenting from the Church of England from the Penalties of certain Laws which Declarations and Subscriptions the said Governor and Deputy Governor for the time being or either of them are hereby Impowered and Required to take and Administer Power to Administer Oaths to Officers And furthermore Our Will and Pleasure is and We do hereby for Us Our Heirs and Successors Ordain and Appoint That the said Court of Directors shall have Power and Authority to Administer an Oath to all the Inferiour Agents or Servants that shall be employed in the Service of the said Corporation for the Faithful and due Execution of their several Places and Trusts in them Reposed in the Words Oath to Officers or to the effect following that is to say J. A. B. being Elected into the Office or place of Treasurer to the Governor and Company of the Bank of England do Swear that I will be True and Faithful to the said Governor and Company and will faithfully and truely Execute and Discharge the said Office or place of Treasurer to the utmost of my Skill and Power so help me God And the like Oath to the other Agents and Servants Mutatis Mutandis Neglect or Refusal of Oaths And in case any Person hereby Nominated or hereafter to be Elected Governor Deputy-Governor or Director as aforesaid shall for the space of Ten days after such Nomination or Election neglect or refuse to take the respective Oaths hereby appointed to be taken as aforesaid or shall refuse or neglect to take upon him his or their Offices that then and in every such Case the Office and Place of every such Person so neglecting or refusing shall become vacant and others be chosen in their Places by a General Court of the said Corporation Dividends how made And We do hereby further Will and Appoint That no Dividend shall at any time be made by the said Governor and Company save only out of the Interest Profit or Produce arising by or our of the said Capital Stock or Fond or by such Dealing Buying or Selling as is allowed by the said Act of Parliament until Redemption by Parliament of the said yearly Fund of One Hundred Thousand Pounds And that no Dividend whatsoever shall at any time be made without the Consent of the Members of the said Corporation in a General Court qualified to Vote as aforesaid Four General Courts every year And We do hereby Will and Appoint that the said Governor or in his Absence the Deputy Governor for the time being shall from time to time and are hereby Required upon such notice to be given as aforesaid to Summon and Appoint Four General Courts at least in every year whereof one to be in the month of September another in the Month of December another in the Month of April and another in the Month of July And we do further Will and Appoint that if at any time or times there shall be a failure of holding a General Court in any of the said Months by the default of the Governor and Deputy-Governor or either of them that then and so often and in every such case any three or more of the Directors of the said Corporation shall and may Summon and call a General Court which shall meet and be holden in the Month next coming after the Month in which the same should have been holden upon the Summons of the Governor or Deputy-Governor as aforesaid And moreover We do by these Presents Will Direct and Appoint that the said Governor or in his absence the Deputy-Governor for the time being shall from time to time upon Demand to be made by any Nine or more of the said Members having each of them Five hundred Pounds or more Interst or Share in the said Capital Stock within ten Days after such Demand Summon and call such General Courts to be held of the Members of the said Corporation qualified for Electors as aforesaid A General Court to be Summoned at any time on demand and in default of the Governor or Deputy-Governor to Summon and call such Court it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Nine or more Members having each Five hundred Pounds Stock as aforesaid upon ten Days notice in Writing to be fixed upon the Royal Exchange in London to Summon and hold a General Court and there to do and dispatch any business relating to the Government or Affairs of the said Corporation and to hear and debate any Complaint that shall be made against any Governor Deputy-Governor or Directors for mis-management of his or their respective Offices And if such Governor Deputy-Governor or Directors shall not clear him or themselves of such Complaint to the satisfaction of the Major part of the Members of the said Corporation Misdemeanor of Governor Deputy Governor or Directors in the said General Court assembled That then within ten Days another General Court shall be called and held as aforesaid of the Members of the said Corporation qualified to Vote as aforesaid Finally to determine the same by the Majority of their Votes as aforesaid who may remove or displace all or any the said Governor Deputy-Governor and Directors for such Misdemeanors or Abuse of their Offices and Elect and Chose others in his or their rooms in the same manner as the said Elections between the Five and Twentieth Day of March and the Five and Twentieth Day of April are herein before directed to be made In case of Death of Governor Deputy-Governor or Directors And in every case where any Governor Deputy-Governor or Directors shall happen to dye or be removed or his Office shall otherwise become void before the Expiration of the time for which he shall have been Elected the Major part of the Members of the said Corporation to be Assembled in a General Court and being qualified as aforesaid shall and may Elect and Choose any other Member or Members of the said Corporation qualified as aforesaid into the Office of such Governor Deputy-Governor or Director that shall so Die or be removed or whose Office shall so become void which Person so to be chosen shall continue in the said Office until the next Usual time hereby appointed for Election and until others shall be duly Chosen and Sworn How the
name and on the behalfe of the said _____ Assign and Transferr _____ of the Interest or Share of the said _____ in the Capital Stock and Fund of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England and all Benefits arising thereby unto _____ his Heirs and Assigns Acceptance Witness my Hand _____ Under which transfer the Person or Persons Bodies Politick or Corporate to whom such Assignment or Transfer shall be made or some other Person by him or them lawfully Authorized thereunto shall Sign his or their Name or Names attesting that he or they do freely and voluntarily accept of the same And that the Entry Signed as aforesaid and no other way or method shall be the manner and method used in the Passing Assigning or Transferring the Interest or Share in the said Capital Stock or Fund and such Transfer or Assignment shall be good and available and Convey the whole Estate and Interest of the Party Transfering or Ordering the same to be Transfered Provided always that any Person having any Share or Interest in the said Capital Stock or Fund Diviseable by Will attested by 3 Witnesses Entry of the Devise in the Companies Books Governor or Deputy in his absence not to Vote in general Courts unless in Cases of Equality of Votes may dispose or devise the same by his last Will and Testament attested by Three or more credible Witnesses But however that such Devisee shall not Transfer the same or be intituled to receive any Dividend until an Entry or Memorandum of so much of the said Will as relates to the said Stock or Fund be made in the Book or Books or some other Book or Books to be kept by the said Governor and Company for that purpose And We do hereby Will and Appoint that the said Governor or in his Absence the Deputy-Governor shall not have any Vote in a General Court or Courts of Directors Save where there shall happen to be an Equality or Equal Number of Votes Provided nevertheless That all matters and things which the said Governor Sub-Committees Deputy-Governor or Directors shall in manner as aforesaid Order and Direct to be done by Sub-Committees or other Persons appointed under them shall and may by Vertue of such Orders be done by the said Sub-Committees or other Persons so appointed And We do for Us Our Heirs and Successors Grant and Declare Non-obstante That these Our Letters-Patents or the Inrollment thereof shall be in and by all things Valid and Effectual in the Law according to the true intent and meaning of the same and shall be taken construed and adjudged in the most favourable and beneficial Sense for the best Advantage of the said Corporation as well in Our Courts of Record as elsewhere notwithstanding any Non-recital Mis-recital Defect Incertainty or Imperfection in these Our Letters-Patents Without Fee in the Hanaper And Our Will and Pleasure is That these Presents to the Governor and Company aforesaid under the Great Seal of England shall be in due manner made and Sealed without Fine or Fee great or small to Us in Our Hanaper or elsewhere to Our Use therefore any ways to be rendred paid or made Covenant to grant further Power And We do hereby for Us Our Heirs and Successors Covenant Grant and Agree to and with the said Governor and Company and their Successors That We Our Heirs and Successors shall and will from time to time and at all times hereafter upon the humble Suit and Request of the said Governor and Company and their Successors Give and Grant unto them all such further and other Powers Privileges Authorities Matters and Things which we or they can or may lawfully grant and as shall be reasonably advised and desired by the Council learned of the said Governor and Company for the time being and shall be approved by Our Attorney or Sollicitor-General on Our behalf _____ In Witness c. CHVTE FINIS