ANST - Re: Scrolls & Charters - Thank you

Dr Tiomoid of Angle tiomoid at yahoo.com
Thu Aug 5 11:06:21 PDT 1999


--- ches at io.com wrote:

> How about stamping the royal seal on the award at the time of giving
> it?
> 
> That is easier than having the crown sign it at the time of
> announcement and the seal can be a as simple as an embosser with 
> the kingdom symbol on it or a quicky wax job with an official wax 
> and seal handler so that all the monarch has to do is smear the 
> wax and stamp it.

Well, typically in period the Crown didn't sign charters -- what the
Crown signed was a warrant authorizing the Chancellor (or whoever had
custody of the seal) to issue a charter with the royal seal on it. 

(And, since there were fees due the royal officials at each stage of
the process, it became even more elaborate. In England the process
eventually became: The King would sign a Sign Manual Warrant
authorizing the Lord Privy Seal to issue a Privy Seal Warrant
authorizing the Lord Chancellor to issue a document under the Great
Seal that would actually find its way to the recipient and serve as
evidence that the whole thing actually happened.)

We could do a modification of that:

* Sable scroll has a stock of pre-printed Warrants for issue of the
appropriate "wallhanger" document, and a set of master texts for what
is to be read out in Court.

* Before Court, the Crown has Sable Scroll make out the appropriate
Warrants and stamp them with a rubber-stamp seal carried for that
purpose. Suitable Proclamations for reading out in Court (calligraphy
only) would have been prepared beforehand, or (in case of a spontaneous
award) on the day -- being of a standard form and with calligraphy
only, these ought not to be too much of a burden to arrange.

2. In Court, the Herald would read out the Proclamation, signed by the
Crown, declaring in simple but flowery terms (similar to what we use
today) the award. The recipient would receive the appropriate insignia
the Proclamation, and the Warrant. 

* (Meanwhile Sable Scroll has made a report for Zodiacus Herald of the
Awards granted based on the Warrants issued. This makes Zodiacus happy
and keeps the Roll of Precedence up to date.)

* The recipient takes the Proclamation and hangs that until a suitable
presentation document can be prepared. The recipient gets together with
Star Signet and they work out the details of the presentation document,
based on Kingdom standards and individual preferences.

* Star Signet farms out the assignment to a person or persons willing
to do the presentation document. The recipient might have somebody in
mind, and the document might (indeed, probably ought to) be a
cooperative venture involving people who prefer to do calligraphy and
other people who like to do illumination.

This is pretty close to what would have happened in period, as I
understand it. It strikes me as allowing maximum flexibility and
minimum work for all involved, and ideally would generated some pretty
snazzy-while-still-authentic documents for the happy recipients.

But, of course, that's just one approach. I'm sure others will have
ideas on the subject.


Fra Tadhg Liath OFT
The Grumpiest Pelican
SCITIS IMPLETI * NOSCE IGNOTIS
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