Letters Patent - Commission of Assize [1925-12-12]

Letters Patent - Commission of Assize [1925-12-12]

Courts

Ceremonial

Letters Patent of King George V empowering judges to hold Assizes in the Counties of Anglesey, Brecknock, Cardigan, Carmarthen, Carnarvon, Denbigh, Flint, Glamorgan, Merioneth, Montgomery, Pembroke, Radnor, and Chester, the County of the Borough of Carmarthen, and Town and County of Haverford-west.

King George V

Sir Frank Douglas MacKinnon, On Circuit 1924-1937 (Cambridge University Press, 1940), 301-302.

1925-12-12

Jason Loch

Counties of Anglesey, Brecknock, Cardigan, Carmarthen, Carnarvon, Denbigh, Flint, Glamorgan, Merioneth, Montgomery, Pembroke, Radnor, and Chester, the County of the Borough of Carmarthen, and Town and County of Haverford-west

GEORGE THE FIFTH, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith. To our most dear Cousin and Counsellor, George, Viscount Cave, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, Our most dear Cousin and Counsellor Arthur James, Earl of Balfour, Lord President of our Council, Our most dear Cousin and Counsellor James Edward Hubert, Marquess of Salisbury, Lord Keeper of our Privy Seal, Our most dear Cousins Ivor Miles, Earl of Plymouth, Ernest Edmund Henry Malet, Earl of Lisburne, Our most dear Cousin and Counsellor John Wynford, Viscount St Davids, Our well-beloved and faithful Lloyd, Lord Kenyon, Joseph Henry Russell, Lord Glanusk, Owen Cosby, Lord Kylsant, Our beloved and faithful Sir Richard Henry Williams-Bulkeley, Sir Herbert Lloyd Watkin-Williams-Wynn, Sir Arthur Osmond Williams, Baronets, Sir William Bromley Davenport, Knight Commander of our most excellent Order of the British Empire, John Ernest Greaves, Henry Neville Gladstone, John Hinds, Charles Coltman Coltman-Rogers Esquires; our well-beloved and faithful Counsellor Gordon, Lord Hewart, Lord Chief Justice of England; Our Judges for the time being of our Supreme Court of Judicature; Such of our Counsel learned in the Law as are for the time being authorised by our Royal Warrant or by the Warrant of our Lord High Chancellor to be of the Commission; and the Clerk of Assize and Circuit Officers of the Wales and Chester Circuit. GREETING. KNOW YE that we have assigned you and any two of you, of whom one of our Judges of our Supreme Court of Judicature, or one of our said Counsel learned in the Law shall be one, OUR JUSTICES to enquire more fully the truth by the oath of good and lawful men of our Counties of Anglesey, Brecknock, Cardigan, Carmarthen, Carnarvon, Denbigh, Flint, Glamorgan, Merioneth, Montgomery, Pembroke, Radnor, and Chester, and also in the County of the Borough of Carmarthen, and Town and County of Haverford-west, of all offences and injuries whatsoever within our said Counties, County of the Borough, and Town and County, and to hear and determine the premises and to deliver the Gaols of our said Counties, County of the Borough, and Town and County, of the Prisoners being therein, and to take all the Assizes, Juries, and Certificates before whatsoever Justices arraigned within our said Counties, County of the Borough, and Town and County. AND THEREFORE WE COMMAND You that at certain dates and places which you shall appoint for this purpose you and any two of you as aforesaid shall make diligent enquiries about the said injuries and offences, and hear and determine the same within our said Counties, County of the Borough, and Town and County, Doing therein what to Justice does appertain according to the Law and Customs of England, saving to Us the amerciaments and other things from thence to Us accruing AND WE COMMAND AND EMPOWER you to do in the execution of this Commission all things which have hitherto been lawfully done in obedience to Our Commission, of Oyer and Terminer, General Gaol Delivery, Assize and Association, and Our Writs of Association ad Si Non Omnes, AND WE WILL that this Commission shall be deemed to be a Commission of Oyer and Terminer, a Commission of General Gaol Delivery, and a Commission of Assize.

In witness whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Patent. Witness Ourself at Westminster the twelfth day of December in the sixteenth year of Our Reign.

 

SCHUSTER

L. S.

Wafer Seal

This text is taken from a transcript published in a book and may not reflect the formatting of the original. The book states that the wafer seal was used for this instrument.

While later versions of this instrument were addressed to the holders of certain offices rather than named individuals (e.g., Queen Elizabeth II's Commission of Assize from c. 1971), this one lists everyone by name as well as office. Fourteen of the names are those of the Lords Lieutenant of the various counties mentioned in the Commission.