Kowloon Jarrant
This Indenture, made the eighth day of February in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight hundred and sixty five between OUR SOVEREIGN LADY VICTORIA, by the GRACE of GOD of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India, of the one part, and Tang Ting Sham of the other part.
WHEREAS by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, made and dated at Westminster, the Fifth day of April in the Sixth Year of the Reign of Her said Majesty, the Island of Hongkong and its Dependencies were erected into a Colony, and full power and authority to the Governor of the said Colony of Hongkong, for the time being, were given and granted in the Name of Her said Majesty, and on Her behalf (but subject nevertheless to such provisions as might be in that respect contained in any instructions which might from time to time be addressed to him by Her said Majesty,) to make and execute, in the Name and on the behalf of Her said Majesty, under the Public Seal of the said Colony, grants of Land, to Her said Majesty belonging, within the said Colony, to private persons for their own use and benefit, or to any Persons, Bodies, Politic or Corporate, in trust, for the public uses of Her said Majesty's Subjects there resident, or any of them.
AND WHEREAS by a Commission under Her Majesty's Royal Sign Manual and Signet, bearing date the twenty second day of June, in the Twenty third Year of the Reign of Her said Majesty, Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson, Knight, was constituted and appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the said Colony of Hongkong.
NOW THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH that in consideration of the yearly rent hereinafter reserved, and of the covenants, conditions, and agreements hereinafter contained, and on the part and behalf of the said Tang Ting Sham, his Executors, Administrators, and Assigns, to be paid, done, and performed, HER SAID MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA hath demised, leased, and to farm let, unto the said Tang Ting Sham, his Executors, Administrators, and Assigns, subject to the Conditions, Reservations, and Provisos hereinafter mentioned; All that piece or parcel of Ground lying and situate in Kowloon Number Eight District of Kowloon, and registered in the Land Office of the said Colony as Kowloon Form Lot Number One, which said piece or parcel of ground contains by admeasurement in the whole six acres and two-roods.
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said piece or parcel of Ground and Premises hereby demised, or intended so to be, with their and every of their Appurtenances, unto the said Tang Ting Sham, his Executors, Administrators, or Assigns, from the twenty fifth day of February AD 1865 for, and during, and unto the full end and term of 999 Years thence next ensuing, and fully to be complete and ended.
Yielding and paying therefor Yearly and every Year during the said term the Sum of Twenty nine dollars and twenty five Cents in Current Money of the said Colony of Hongkong, by Half-yearly Payments, on the Twenty-fourth day of June and the Twenty-fifth day of December, in each Year, free and clear of and from all Taxes, Rates, Charges, Impositions, and Assessments whatsoever, imposed or to be imposed upon or in respect of the said hereby demised Premises or any part thereof, during the term hereby granted.
Her said Majesty doth hereby reserve unto Her said Majesty, Her Heirs, Successors, and Assigns, full Power to resume and take possession of all or any part of the said Ground hereby demised, if required for any public Way or Ways, or for the Improvement of the Colony, or for any public purpose whatever, Three Calendar Months' notice being given to the Occupant, his Executors, Administrators, or Assigns, of its being so required, and a full and fair Compensation for the said Land, and the Improvements thereon, being paid to the said Tang Ting Sham, his Executors, Administrators, or Assigns.
AND ALSO Her said Majesty doth further reserve in manner aforesaid, all Stone and Gravel, and all other Materials upon or under the said Land, which may be required, at any time or times hereafter, for the Construction of any Public Buildings, Ways, or Bridges, or for any other public purpose or purposes, together with the Right of taking and removing the same.
AND ALSO, all Mines and Minerals, with full and free liberty and power to search for, dig, and take away the same, a full and fair Compensation for all such Damage that the said Land and improvements thereon may sustain, being paid to the said Tang Ting Sham, his Executors, Administrators, or Assigns.
And the said Tang Ting Sham, for himself, his Heirs, Executors, Administrators, and Assigns, doth hereby covenant, promise, and agree to and with Her said Majesty, Her Heirs, Successors, and Assigns, by these presents, that the said Tang Ting Sham, his Heirs, Executors, Administrators, or Assigns shall and will Yearly and every Year during the said Term of 999 Years hereby granted, truly pay or cause to be paid to Her said Majesty, Her Heirs, Successors, and Assigns, the Yearly Rent above reserved.
IN WITNESS whereof the said William Thomas Mercer, duly authorized by Her said Majesty as aforesaid, hath executed these Presents, and hereunto set the Public Seal of the Colony of Hongkong aforesaid, in the Name and on the behalf of Her said Majesty, the day and year first above written.
Examined and Certified to be Correct,
(Signed) W. Wilson.
(Signed) F. Fraser for Registrar-General.
Registered.
J. J. Mercer.
Public Seal of The Colony
Deputy Land Office
26th February 1896