CO885-5 — Page 450

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference -

8855 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

20th June, 1825.

C

<

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melioris aevi' occurs (over the ark and the dove holding an olive branch) on a coin of Wolfgan Wilhelm, Count Palatine of the Rhine, in 1642 (vide Kohler's Muntz Belustigung,' vol. xxi, p. 417), and that in Menestrier's Philosophia Imaginum, id est, Sylloge Symbolorum Amplissima,' p. 699, it is said Reverendi Patres ex Societate Jesu Flandrici primum seculum sui instituti cele- brantes, Columbam pingebant cum Olivae ramo super Arca, et hac subscriptione, Auspicium melioris aevi,' Le présage certain d'un siècle plus heureux. The words are also the Motto of the Duke of Saint Albans, the descendant of a natural son of King Charles the Second.”

A On the 20th June, 1825, King George the Prince of the Blood Fourth appointed his brother, His Royal Highness Royal (the 1st Duke of the Duke of Cambridge, to be Grand Master. Cambridge) appointed Grand Master.

This appointment being inconsistent with the Letters Patent of 27th April, 1818, and with the Second Article of the Statutes of the 12th of August, 1818, which declared that the Lord High Commissioner in the Ionian States, or some other high and distinguished person serving in the Naval and Military Forces in the Mediterranean, Statutes of 5th April, should hold that office, new Statutes were issued on the 5th of April, 1826; but the alterations were few, and except in relation to the Grand Master, unimportant. It was not, however, until the issue of the Statutes of the 16th August, 1832, that the Grand Master was declared First and Principal Knight Grand Cross.

1826.

Soon after the accession of King William the Fourth, the Order was reconstructed and new Statutes of 16th Au- Statutes were issued bearing date the 16th

August, 1832.

gust, 1832.

Numbers extended from 44 to 60, viz. :—

From To

G.C.M.G.. 8 15 K.C.M.G.. 12 20 C.M.G. 24 25

44 60

The changes then effected are clearly stated by Sir H. Nicolas as follows:-

The number of the Knights Grand Cross was increased from eight to fifteen, of the Knights Commanders from twelve to twenty, and of the Third Class from twenty-four to twenty-five. As it was intended to assimilate the Order as nearly as possible to that of the Bath, the Third Class (previously termed "Knights") were in future.

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G.C.M.G.'s

to be styled "Cavalieri," in the instance of natives of Malta or of the Ionian States, and "Companions," if native born subjects of Great Britain or Ireland. Before a Knight Grand- Cross or a Knight Commander was invested, he was to receive the honour of Knighthood, and was thus to become to all intents and purposes a Knight Bachelor; the omission of that ceremony, knighted. under the former Statutes, having rendered it doubtful whether the Members of the Order, though entitled to the appellation of Knighthood, were in fact Knight Bachelors of Great Britain.

K.C.M.G.'s

and

to

D

The extraordinary difference which had hitherto Distinction that existed between such Knights as were natives Knights, not Maltese of this country, and those who were either Maltese or Ionians, should not or Ionians, was abolished; and merits and services after they had ceased continue to be Knights to the Tonian States, or to Malta, or to the Crown to be employed in Malta in the Mediterranean, were to be the only quali-

or the Ionian Islands, fications for admission into the Order.

abolished. The

unchivalrous, unprecedented, and invidious regula- Provision that native tion, that native born subjects of the Sovereign sign the Order unless born subjects should re- should resign the Order unless they had served they had served five five years in the Mediterranean, by which four years in the Meditor- distinguished Admirals had been divested of the ranean, alxolished, honours of Knights Grand Cross, was to be dis- Precedence in this continued. Precedence in this country was given Knights.

country given to the

Members of each

to the Knights of the Order; and the Members of

each Class were to take place next after those of class to take place next the corresponding Class of the Order of the Bath. after corresponding

class of Bath. The Knights Grand Cross were authorised to bear

Knights Grand Cross Supporters to their Arms; and the Collar was for given supporters. the first time recognised by the Statutes. A Collars. Badge was assigned to the Grand Master; and Grand Master.

Badge assigned to the Lord High Commissioner in the Ionian States Lord High Commis- was constituted his Deputy. No provision had sioner to act as Deputy hitherto been made for the degradation or removal Grand Master.

Degradation or re-

One Prelate.

of a Knight for treason, felony, or other great moval of members. crime, but a clause was now introduced for that purpose. There was in future to be only one Prelate, and for the greater dignity of the Order, and to ensure its affairs being more effectually conducted, a Chancellor was appointed." And for the greater honour of the latter office it was declared that the Chancellor for the time being shall be

Chancellor.

Chancellor to be Se- nior K.C.M.G.

Page 450Page 451

Statute of 19th Octo- ber, 1839.

Letters Patent of 31st December, 1850.

Certain Provisions of Letters Patent of 27th April, 1818, repealed.

Third Clase no longer to be called Knights.

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nominated a Knight Commander, and shall rank as the Senior Knight Commander. In virtue of this provision, which it has been decided is still in force, the present Chancellor ranks as Senior Knight Commander.

It was found difficult to limit the Knights Grand Cross to the number of fifteen prescribed by these Statutes, and in each case of exception, the Tenth Clause was annulled by a Supplementary Statute.

On the 19th of October, 1839, a fresh Statute was passed, providing that the First Class or Knights Grand Cross should consist of the Grand Master and eight Native Ionians and Maltese, and of British subjects holding high and confidential situations in those islands or in the Sovereign's Service in the Mediterranean, and of other persons rendering important services in the Mediter-

ranean.

On the 31st of December, 1850, fresh Letters Patent were issued for regulating the Order. They repeal the provisions of the Letters Patent of the 27th of April, 1818, which relate to the qualifications of the persons to be admitted into the Order, and the limit of the numbers of the three Classes, and the provision which ordained that the Members of the Third Class should con- sist of Knights. The term "Cavalieri," formerly term applied to the Ionian and Maltese Members of substi- the Third Class, was abolished, and the Third Class were termed "Companions." They provide that Sovereign's pleasure the Sovereign's pleasure respecting all appoint- as to appointments to be taken by Secretary of ments shall be taken by one of Her Principal State, who shall also Secretaries of State; and that such Secretary of countersign warrants to State shall prepare and countersign warrants to Grand Master.

the Grand Master authorising the preparation of the grant or authority for the dignity of Members

Term "Cavalieri abolished

**

Companion .tuted.

and

Statutes of 31st Janu- ary, 1851.

of the Order.

On the 31st of January, 1851, the new Statutes based on these Letters Patent were promulgated. They recited the Statutes of the 12th of August, 1818, the 5th of April, 1826, the 16th of August, 1832, and the 19th of October, 1839, and abro- gated them so far as they were repugnant to, or

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inconsistent with the new Statutes.

It was

Previous Statutes re-

set forth that, doubts being entertained whether pealed so far as repug- the changes made by these and other Statutes nant to, or inconsistent could lawfully have been made without the direct with, new Statutes.

authority of Letters Patent, the fresh Letters Patent and Statutes were issued to set those doubts at rest and to provide for other changes in the constitution of the Order.

Sovereign and Chief of the Order.

By these Letters Patent and the consequent Statutes, it was amongst other things provided— 1. That the Sovereigns of this Kingdom should be the Sovereigns and Chiefs of the Order.

2. That a Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted

personage to be named by the Sovereign, should be the Grand Master, and should also be Grand Master to be the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross. By Knight Grand Cross.

Principal a clause in the Statutes the present Duke of Cam- bridge was appointed Grand Master.

3. That the Order should comprise 65 Ordi- nary Members, and should be divided into three classes, viz., 20 Knights Grand Cross, 20 Knights Commanders, and 25 Companions.

It was at the same time provided that if the number of the Knights Grand Cross should be full, the Lord High Commissioner or the Gover- nor of Malta, or the Naval and Military Com- mandants on that station, might be appointed Extra Members until a vacancy occurred, when he should become an Ordinary Member.

The qualifications for admission into the Order restricted it to natives of the Ionian Islands and of Malta, and natives of this country who had held high and confidential positions in those islands or in the Mediterranean in the Civil, Naval or Mili- tary Service, or Officers of the Order, and to natives of any country who had or might render extraordinary and important services to the Sove- reign in connection with those islands.

The Members of the Order were to rank next after Members of that of the Bath of corresponding classes.

The office of Chancellor was abolished, and the Officers were confined to-

First or

H.R.II. the Duke of Cambridge appointed Grand Master.

65 members:—~~ 20 G.C.M.G. 20 K.C.M.G. 25 C.M.G.

Extra Knights Grand Cross.

Qualifications for ad- mission into the Order.

Members of each class

to rank next after corre- sponding class of Bath.

Office of Chancellor abolished.