KING John granted to the Burgesses of Droytwich, and their Heirs, the Salt-springs there, with divers priviledges and franchizes, rendring the yearly fee farm rent of 100. l. Sterling, and the Salt water hath ever since been divided into four hundred and four Shares called Bulleries, which Bulleries have ever been bought, Sold and Descended as other inheritances at the Common Law,

The grantees of King John and their Heires have long since aliened and sold their whole inheritance in the Salt-springs to seve­ral Persons, who at this day stand seised in fee of the same and pay their proportions of the fee farm Rent reserv'd on the first grant: And from the time of King Johns grant to the Reign of Queen Mary the first, the Inheritors of the Salt-springs were deemed Burgesses of Droytwich, and whoever sold his Inheritance ceased to be a Burgess.

Queen Mary Inco [...]porated the Burgesses of Droytwich, by the name of Bayliffs and Burgesses, and granted them divers fran­chizes as a Corporation▪ and confirmed King Johns grant, but takes no farther notice of the Salt-springs, Nor appoints any select number, to govern the said Burrough or Salt-works, or any power to Elect new Burgesses, or to exclude any who in Right of their Estates ought to act as Burgesses.

But of Late years the greatest part of those ancient Inheritances coming into the hands of Gentlemen of Quality, and persons who lived remote, the Bayliffs and Burgesses inhabiting in the Corporation, taking advantage thereof, set up several contrivances whereby they assumed to themselves, not only the Governing and taxing the Salt-works at pleasure, but of excluding the greater number of the in­heritors (by a single negative voyce) from acting as Burgesses of the said Burrough, either in giving their votes in Electing their Re­presentatives in Parliament, or Governing their own Estates. and at the same time admitting meer strangers into the Corporation to strengthen their own party, by which undue practices in less then twenty years, they imposed above twenty thousand pounds, upon the Inheritors Estates in the Salt-spring without their consents, wherefore for prevention of the like oppressions for the future, the Principal Proprietors did obtain an Act of Parliament in the first Sessions of their present Majesties Reign, but did not then at all insist on their Right of Electing their Representatives in Parliament.

That the Inheritors of the Salt Springs are the undoubted Burgesses of Droyt­wich will appear.

I. The Fee-farm Rent on the first Grant is reserved from the Burgesses's of Droyt­wich, and to this day charged on, and paid by the Inheritors of the Salt-Springs.

II. The Burrough of Droytwich sent Members to Parliament long before the present Corporation (which had its be­ginning but from the first year of Queen Mary) as appears by Records in the Tower.

III. By divers Ancient Orders and By-laws of the said Burrough made, &c.