By His Excellency
Edward Lord Cornbury, His Majesty's Capt. General and Governour
in Chief of the Province of New-York, and Territories depending thereon
in America, and Vice-Admiral of the same, &c.
A PROCLAMATION
WHereas it hath pleased Almighty God for our Sins, Immoralities and
Prophaneness to visit the City and Province of New-York with great Sickness
& Mortality, of a very Dangerous and Infectious Nature, Notwithstanding
which Divers of the Inhabitants of the said City have kept their Dead above
Ground several days without burying the same, which in all Probability hath been
a great occasion of spreading the Malignity of the said Distemper almost Over
the whole Province, whereby the greater number of the Inhabitants of the said
City dye daily. For Prevention on whereof, through Gods Mercy, for the future, I
have thought fit, by & with the advice and Content of her Majesties Council
for the said Prov?n? to publish and declare, and I do her by in her Majesties
Name Publish and Declare That of any Person or Persons whatsoever within the
said City of N. York shall, after Publication hereof, Presume to keep
therein any humane Corps or dead Body above Ground and uninterred a longer time
then the space of twelve hours, at the furthest, after the decase of such Corps
or body aforesaid, shall for every such Default forfeit and pay the Sum of Five
Pounds current Money of N. York, for the use of the Poor of the said
City. And the Mayor Aldermen High-Sheriff, High Constable, Petty Constable, and
all others her Majesties Officers of the said City of New-York, are
hereby Required, to the utmost of their Powers, to see this Proclamation put in
Effectual Execution, as they will answer the contrary at their Peril.
Given at Kings-Bridge the 17th Day of September, in
the First Year of the Reign of our Soveraign Lady ANNE, by the Grace of
God of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, QUEEN, Defender of the
Faith, &c. Anno Dom. 1702.
Cornbury.
God Save The Queen.
Printed and Sold by William Bradford, Printer to the Queens Most
Excellent Majesty, in New-York.
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