[Notes 30-32 from Manx Soc Vol 12 ]

§ 30.

GEORGE IV. (George Augustus Frederick) succeeded his father George III. as King of Great Britain, Ireland, Man, &c., on the 29th January, 1820. On the 31st January, 1820, he issued the following proclamation as to persons being in office under the Crown. (See Notes on § 25.) (Liber Scaccar. 1820.) It may be observed that the Act of Queen Anne referred to in the proclamation has no reference whatever to the Isle of Man.

By the King,

A Proclamation requiring all persons being in office of authority or government at the decease of the late King, to proceed in the execution of their respective offices.

GEORGE R.—Whereas by an Act made in the sixth year of the reign of her late Majesty Queen Anne, intituled, An Act for the security of her Majesty’s person and government, and of the successors to the Crown of Great Britain, in the Protestant Line:

it was enacted that no office, place, or employment, civil or military, within the king-doms of Great Britain or Ireland, dominion of Wales, town of Berwick.upon-Tweed, Isles of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark, or any of his Majesty’s Plantations, should become void by reason of the demise of her said late Majesty, her heirs or successors, Kings or Queens of this realm, but that every person and persons in any of the offices, places, and employments aforesaid, should continue in their respective offices, places, and employments for the space of six months next after such death or demise, unless sooner removed and discharged by the next successor, to whom the Imperial Crown of this realm was limited and appointed to go, remain and descend ; And whereas by an Act made in the fifty-seventh year of the reign of his late Majesty King George. the Third, intituled An Act for the continuation of all and every person or persons in any and every office, place, or employment, civil or military, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Dominion of Wales, Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Isles of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all and every of his Majesty’s Foreign Possessions, Colonies, or Plantations, which he or she shall hold, possess, or eœercise during the pleasure of the Crown, at the time of the death or demise of his present Majesty, ‘until removed or discharged therefrom by the ssscceeding King or Queen of this realm; it was enacted, that all and every person and persons, who, upon the day of the demise of his said late Majesty, should hold any office, civil or military, under the Crown during pleasure, should under and by virtue of the said Act, and without any new or other patent, commission, warrant, or authority, continue and be entitled in all respects, notwithstanding the demise of his said Majesty, to hold and enjoy the same ; But nevertheless the same should be held or enjoyed only during the pleasure of the King or Queen who should succeed to the Crown upon the demise of his said late Majesty ; and the right and title to hold and enjoy the same under the authority of the said Act, should be determinable in such and the like manner, by the King or Queen who, upon the demise of his said late Majesty, should succeed to the Crown, as the right or title to any office, place, or employment, granted by such succeeding King or Queen during pleasure, would by law be determinable. We, therefore, with the advice of our Privy Council, declare our royal will and pleasure to be, and do hereby direct and command : That all and every person and persons who, at the time of the demise of our late royal Father, of glorious memory, duly and lawfully held, or were duly and lawfully possessed of, or invested in any office, place, or employment, civil or military, within our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Dominion of Wales, Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Isles of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, or any of our Foreign Possessions, Colonies, or Plantations, do severally, according to their places, offices, or charges, proceed in the performance and execution of all duties belonging to their respective offices, whilst they shall hold the same respectively during our pleasure ; And we do hereby require and command all our subjects to be aiding, helping, and assisting at the commandment of the said officers and ministers, in the performance and execution of their respective offices and places, as they and every of them tender our utmost displeasure, and will answer the contrary at their peril.

Given at our Court at Carlton House, the thirty-first day of January, One thousand eight hundred and twenty, and in the first year of our reign.

God save the King.

The King was proclaimed in the Island at Castletown, on the 18th February, 1820. The following is the Proclamation made on the occasion, and signed by Colonel Cornelius Smelt, the Lieutenant-Governor, the Council, Keys, Members of the Household, High-Bailiff’s, (.Clergy, Captains of Parishes, and other Officers, civil and military, and by a large number of inhabitants. (Liber Scaccar. 1820)

Proclamation.

Isle of Man to wit—Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to his mercy our late Sovereign Lord King George the Third of blessed memory, by whose decease the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and also the supreme dominion and sovereign right of this Isle, and all other his late Majesty’s dominions are solely and rightfully come to the high and mighty Prince George, Prince of Wales, We, therefore, the Lieutenant-Governor, and Officers, civil and military, and other inhabitants of the said Isle, do now hereby with one full voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the high and mighty Prince George, Prince of Wales, is now by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful liege Lord George the Fourth, by the grace of God, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith , supreme Lord of this Isle, and all other his late Majesty’s territories and dominions : To whom we do acknowledge all faith and constant obedience with all hearty and humble affection, beseeching God, by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the royal King George the Fourth with long and happy years to reign over us.

Given at Castle Rushen, this eighteenth day of February, 1820.

God save the King.

C. SMELT, Lieut.-Governor, &c., &c.

King George IV. died on the 26th June, 1830, in the eleventh year of his reign.

§31.

WILLIAM IV. (William Henry) succeeded his brother George IV. as King of Great Britain, Ireland, Man, &c., on the 26th June, 1830. On the 28th June, 1830, he issued a Proclamation requiring persons in office of authority or government to proceed in the execution of their respective offices,—the Proclamation being similar to that issued on the accession of George IV. (See § 30.)

The King was proclaimed on the Tynwald Hill at St. John’s Chapel, on the 5th July, 1830. This is the first known occasion of the proclamation of a Sovereign at this place. It was probably considered that the locality from which the people are to take knowledge of any new laws, and at which Barons are publicly to do their homage to the Sovereign when in the Island, is the proper place for the Island at large to recognise the new King. Public notice is given of Tynwald Courts held at the Tynwald Hill, and all the inhabitants are presumed to be present. The following is the Proclamation, which was signed by Lieut.-Governor Smelt, the Council, Keys, Clergy, Captains of Parishes, other Officers, civil and military, and other inhabitants. (Liber Scaccar. 1830.) It will be observed that on this occasion there is no allusion to the King being Sovereign or supreme Lord of Man. Why the omission was made is not apparent.

Isle of Man to wit.—Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to his mercy our late Sovereign Lord King George the Fourth, of blessed and glorious memory, by whose demise the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and all other his late Majesty’s territories and dominions, are solely and rightfully come to the high and mighty Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence and Saint Andrews, and Earl of Munster : We, therefore the Lieutenant-Governor, Council, and Keys, being here assembled, with other Officers, civil and military, and the principal inhabitants of the said Isle, do now hereby with one voice and consent of tongue and heart publish and proclaim that the high and mighty Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence and Saint Andrews, and Earl of Munster, is now by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful liege Lord William the Fourth, by the grace of God King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith ; To whom we do acknowledge all faith and constant obedience, with all hearty and humble affection, beseeching God, by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the royal Prince William the Fourth with long and happy years to reign over us.

Given at the Tynwald Court holden at Saint John’s Chapel, the fifth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and thirty, and in the first year of his Majesty’s reign.

God save the King.

CORNELIUS SMELT, Lieutenant.Governor, &c., &c.

King William IV. died on the 20th June, 1837, in the seventh year of his reign.

§ 32.

VICTORIA (Alexandrina Victoria) succeeded her uncle William IV. as Queen of Great Britain, Ireland, Man, &c., on the 20th June, 1837. On the 21st June, 1837, she issued a Proclamation for persons in office to proceed with the execution of their offices, similar to that issued on the accession of George IV. (See § 30.)

The Queen was proclaimed on the Tynwald Hill, on the 5th July, 1837. The following is the Proclamation made, and signed by Colonel ( afterwards Major-General) John Ready, Lieutenant-Governor, the Council, Keys, Clergy, Advocates, and others. It will be observed that this Proclamation contains no allusion to the Queen’s Sovereignty of Man. (Liber Scaccar. 1837.)

Isle of Man to wit.—Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to his mercy our late Sovereign Lord King William the Fourth, of blessed and giorious memory, by whose demise the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and other his late Majesty’s territories and dominions, are solely and rightfully come to the high and mighty Princess Alexandrina Victoria, saving the rights of any issue of his late Majesty King William the Fourth, which may be born of his late Majesty’s Consort:

We, therefore, the Lieutenant-Governor, Council, and Keys, being here assisted with other Officers, civil and military, and the principal inhabitants of the said Isle, do now hereby with one voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the high and mighty Princess Alexandrina is now by the death of our late Sovereign, of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful liege Lady Victoria, by the grace of God Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, saving as aforesaid : To whom, saving as aforesaid, we do acknowledge all faith and con-stant obedience, with all hearty and humble affection, beseeching God, by whom Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the royal Princess Victoria with long and happy years to reign over us.

Given at the Tynwald Court at St. John’s Chapel, the fifth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven, and in the first year of her Majesty’s reign,

God save the Queen.

J.READY, &c., &c.