Royal Warrant - License for the Consecration of a Bishop of an Australian Diocese [1869-02-18]

Royal Warrant - License for the Consecration of a Bishop of an Australian Diocese [1869-02-18]

Colonial Bishops

Colonies

Royal Warrant of Queen Victoria empowering the Archbishop of Canterbury to consecrate James Turner as a bishop.

Queen Victoria

Collections Held By Lambeth Palace Library Relating to Australia and the Pacific: Records of the Vicar-General, Lambeth Palace Library, London (AJCP Ref: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1827018170). 

1881-12-29

Jason Loch

Diocese of Grafton and Armidale (Australia)

Page 1

(L. S.)

(Sgd.) Victoria R.

Victoria, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, To the Most Reverend Father in God Archibald Campbell by Divine Providence, Lord Archbishop

Page 2

of Canterbury, Primate of all England, and Metropolitan, Greeting.

Whereas you the said Archbishop have humbly applied to Us for Our License by Warrant under Our Sign Manual and Signet Authorizing and Empowering you to Consecrate Our Trusty and Well beloved James Francis Turner, Doctor in Divinity to be a Bishop. Now it is Our Will and Pleasure, and We do by this Our License 

Page 3

under Our Sign Manual and Signet Authorize and Empower you the said Archbishop to Consecrate the said James Francis Turner to be a Bishop, and We do further Authorize and Empower you to Do, Perform and Execute all and singular other Things which belong to your Pastoral Office in respect to such Consecration as aforesaid according to the Laws, Statutes and Canons in this behalf made and provided.

Page 4

Given at Our Court at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, this Eighteenth day of February 1869 in the Thirty Second Year of Our Reign.

By Her Majesty's Command.

(Sgd.) Granville.

Granville, 2nd Earl Granville (Secretary of State for the Colonies)

Signet affixed at the top of p. 1.

Entire document is handwritten.

The use of a Royal License is noteworthy. Following the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council's judgment in The Bishop of Natal v. The Bishop of Cape Town, the Crown stopped appointing bishops by Letters Patent in colonies that had some measure of self-government. However, the Crown continued to issue Licenses for their consecration.