CO885-5 — Page 448

Miscellaneous.

No. 69.

TITITI

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

8855 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

History and Constitution

of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George.

WHEN, by the Treaties concluded at the General Creation of the Order Peace of 1814, the Sovereignty of the Island of for Malta and Ionian Malta was ceded to Great Britain, and the seven Islands.

Ionian Islands were formed into an independent State and placed under the exclusive protection of this country, Sir Thomas Maitland, who was then Governor of Malta, and who as Lord High Com- missioner had the task of organising the new Government of the Ionian Islands, became strongly impressed with the advantage of rewarding the merits and encouraging the loyalty of the natives of those Islands, by the grant of some mark of the Royal favour. No means, however, then existed of conferring upon them any honour but that of Knight Bachelor, which, having no Insignia attached to it, was not considered likely to be appreciated by a community accustomed to per- sonal decorations; and the Prince Regent was accordingly advised to create a new Order of Knighthood for that purpose.

The designation of the Order Saint Michael and Saint George was fixed upon apparently for the following reason. It was obviously desirable to connect the Order by name with the country to which it belonged, hence the adoption of the name of Saint George; but the latter being the Patron Saint of the Order of the Garter, the name of Saint Michael was prefixed, as that of a Military Saint who was alike respected by all Christians, whether Protestants, Roman Catholics, or of the Greek Church. The subsequent extension of the . Order to the Colonies generally was therefore not inconsistent with its original foundation.

A 2

Designation.