CANVAS BOUND PORTFOLIO PUT TOGETHER IN 1920 THAT CONTAINS EIGHTEEN PROCLAMATIONS AND DECLARATIONS WHICH COVER THE REIGN OF JAMES II FROM HIS ACCESSION IN 1685 TO THE EVE OF WILLIAM OF ORANGE’S...

CANVAS BOUND PORTFOLIO PUT TOGETHER IN 1920 THAT CONTAINS EIGHTEEN PROCLAMATIONS AND DECLARATIONS WHICH COVER THE REIGN OF JAMES II FROM HIS ACCESSION IN 1685 TO THE EVE OF WILLIAM OF ORANGE’S INVASION LANDING AT TORBAY THAT LED TO JAMES’S DEPOSITION, COMPRISING: - ENGLAND: Privy Council etc: Announcing the death of Charles II and proclaiming that “the imperial crowns of England, Scotland, France and Ireland are solely and rightfully come to the high and mighty prince James, Duke of York and Albany, his said late Majesties only brother and heir … to whom we do acknowledge all faith and constant obedience, with all hearty and humble affection: Beseeching God by whom Kings do reign, to bless the Royal King James The Second with long and happy years to reign over us.” London: 1684/85. Broadside. Wing E 2922. Steele (Eng) 3764-66. Sweeney 3986.1 A fine copy. Dated February 6th. - JAMES II. A proclamation declaring His Majesties pleasure touching his Royal Coronation and the solemnity thereof - London: 1684/85. Wing J 325. Steele 3787-89. Broadside. The Coronation was set to take place on St George’s Day, i.e. April 23rd. Commissioners were named to hear the various petitions and claims of those with services “to be done and performed unto us at the said Coronation”. Sweeney (Eng) 3990.1 A fine copy. Dated March 6th. - JAMES II. A proclamation of the Kings Majesties most Gracious and General Pardon - London: 1685/86. 3 folio sheets. Wing J 363. Steele (Eng) 3828-29. Broadside. ESTC R223023with 4 locations only in UK. Very rare. The preamble begins as follows: “Whereas soon after our Coronation, we had given order for preparing of a Bill, containing our most Gracious and General and free Pardon to our loving subjects, with intention to have passed the same into an Act in the first session of our parliament, but were unhappily prevented therein by the late most unnatural rebellion; which since it hath pleased Almighty God by his blessing upon our Arms, to suppress, we have thought fit to renew our Princely Intentions of Grace and Mercy to our subjects, especially considering the stedfast loyalty of the far greater number of our subjects, who continued firm in their obedience to us notwithstanding that rebellion.”. Sweeney 4008 quoting the Dublin printing. A fine copy. Bound in at the place it would have occupied had the King been able to issue it the previous year. Dated Sweeney 3399. March 10th 1685/86. - JAMES II. A Proclamation - London: 1685. Wing J 246. Steele (Eng) 3809-11. Broadside. COPAC locates the Oxford copy only. Utmost rarity. Henry Booth, Lord Delamere had been ordered to “enter into security … for keeping of the peace” but had failed to do so and having absconded “hath given us good cause to suspect his fidelity towards us”. He was given ten days in which to surrender himself but when put on trial by the House of Lords for alleged participation in the Monmouth Rebellion he was acquitted. His true allegiance became clear when he was appointed first Chancellor of the Exchequer (1689-90) under William III. Sweeney 4000.1 A fine copy. Dated July 19th. - JAMES II. A Proclamation - London: 1685. Wing J 247. Steele (Eng) 3811. Broadside. No copy located on COPAC. Utmost rarity. A warrant charging him with High Treason had been issued for Charles Gilbert, Earl of Macclesfield, a supporter of the Monmouth Rebellion. However the Earl “is since fled from justice and does now lie concealed”. He had however already fled to the Continent and only returned with the command of William III’s bodyguard in 1688. The family fortune had originated with his great-grandfather Sir Gerard Gilbert, Elizabeth’s first Attorney General, who in 1560 drew up a reform of the Irish Exchequer Court. This explains why the Macclesfield Library proved so rich in Irish material when auctioned in 2006/07. Sweeney 4003.1. A very good copy. Dated September 7th. - JAMES II. A Proclamation for the meeting of the Parliament - London: 1685. Broadside. Wing J 354. Steele (Eng) 3822-23. The King had authorized various adjournments but now called for Parliament to meet on Monday November 9th the members being advised to assemble “as they will avoid our royal displeasure.” It was however to be a short lived session for after ten days James prorogued Parliament because of opposition in the House of Lords. Sweeney 4003.2. A fine copy. Dated October 11th. - KING IN COUNCIL. [A Proclamation] - London: 1685. Wing E 799. Steele (Eng) 3824. Broadside. Arising out of anti-catholic riots on Guy Fawkes Day (November 5th), the King with members of the Privy Council that included the Duke of Ormond met the following day and ordered “that no person or persons whatsoever, do presume to make or encourage the making any bon-fires, or other publick fire-works at or upon any festival day, or at any other time or times whatsoever without particular permission”. Sweeney 4004.1. A fine copy. Dated November 6th. - JAMES II - A Proclamation for proroguing Parliament London: 1686. Wing J 338. Steele (Eng) 3835-36. Broadside. In the preamble it was indicated that the King “being willing for the great ease of our loving subjects, the Lords, Knights, Citizens and Burgesses of our said Parliament to dispense with their attendance at Westminster at the day prefixt” announced his intention of proroguing the next session - November 22nd - until February 15th. Sweeney 4009.1. A fine copy. Dated October 8th. - JAMES II - [A Proclamation against hunting in Hampton Court] - London: 1687. Wing J 404. Steele (Eng) 3848. Sweeney 4019.1. Broadside. It commences “Whereas His Majesty hath been certainly informed of the killing and destroying of the Game in and about His Honour of Hampton Court” the King gave notice that without his particular leave no one of what quality so ever was “to kill or destroy any hare, partridge, pheasant, heather powt, heron, duck or mallard, within ten miles round and about His Majesties Palace of Hampton Court” by any means of hunting or trapping. A fine copy. Dated July 30th. No copy located on COPAC. - JAMES II. A Proclamation for restraining the number and abuses of hackney coaches in and about the cities of London and Westminster - London: 1687. Wing J 347. Steele (Eng) 3852. Broadside. Dublin’s Carriage Office which today licences and regulates taxi-cabs and hackney-cabs in the city represents the current operation of the ideas promoted in this Proclamation. Sweeney 4022.1. A fine copy. Dated November 25th. - JAMES II. A Proclamation appointing a time of public thanksgiving and prayer throughout the country - London: 1687. Wing J 313. Steele (Eng) 3855. As the occasion was the announcement of the pregnancy of the Queen, the news provoked more horror than happiness spelling out the likelihood that the outcome of the pregnancy would be a Catholic heir to the throne. Sweeney 4022.2. A fine copy. Dated December 23rd. Broadside. COPAC locates 2 copies only. Utmost rarity. - JAMES II. A Proclamation prohibiting His Mjesties subjects to enter the service of Foreign Princes and States - London: 1687/88. Wing J 365. Steele (Eng) 3860. Broadside. No copy located on COPAC. With the storm clouds gathering James was greatly alarmed to hear “that divers of His Majesties natural born subjects, as well mariners as others, have and daily do depart this Kingdom, and betake themselves to the service of Foreign Princes and States without licence”. No specific prince or state is named but clearly there was only one target, William of Orange, husband to James II’s eldest daughter Mary. Sweeney 4024.1. A fine copy. Dated March 2nd. - JAMES II. A Proclamation for a day of thanksgiving for the birth of a Prince - London: 1688. Wing J 257. Steele (Eng) 3866. Broadside. 17th of June was the day named for the celebrations “within the Cities of London and Westminster and ten miles distance” while elsewhere in the realm July 1st was nominated. Thomas, Lord Bishop of Rochester was to prepare a special form of religious service. Sweeney 4026.1 A fine copy. Dated June 10th. COPAC locates 2 copies only. - JAMES II. A Proclamation against vice, profaneness, and debauchery - London: 1688. Wing J 258. Steele (Eng) 3867. Sweeney 4027.1. Broadside. “We do hereby straightly require, charge and command all our Judges, Mayors, Sheriffs, Justices of the Peace …. to be very vigilant and strict in the discovery and prosecution of all persons who shall be given to excessive drinking, debauchery, prophane swearing, and cursing, or any other dissolute, vitious and immoral practices”. A fine copy. Dated June 19th. COPAC locates 1 copy only. - JAMES II. [A Declaration against abuses in the quartering of soldiers and impressing of horses] - London: 1688. Wing J 157. Steele (Eng) 3871. Broadside. No copy located on COPAC. Utmost rarity. For the prevention of various abuses James II ordered “that in the quartering of our Guards and of all other our land-forces within any city, town or garrison, no officer or soldier whatsoever shall be lodged in any private house without the free and voluntary consent of the owner.” Sweeney 4030.1. A fine copy. Dated Sept. 2nd. - JAMES II. A Proclamation - London: 1688. Wing J 260. Steele (Eng) 3876. Broadside. The King reports information to hand of how “a great and sudden invasion from Holland, with an armed force of foreigners and strangers, will speedily be made in a hostile manner upon this our Kingdom.” Sweeney 4033.1. A fine copy. Dated September 28th. - JAMES II. A Proclamation - London: 1688. Wing J 262. Steele (Eng) 3886-87. Broadside. The King with the advice of his Privy Council now instructs everyone from Lord Lieutenants down to Bailiffs “that they cause the coasts to be carefully watched and upon the first approach of the enemy to cause all horses, oxen and cattel …. To be driven and removed by the space at least of twenty miles from the place where the enemy shall attempt to land”. Sweeney 4034.1. A fine copy. Dated October 20th. - JAMES II. A Proclamation to restrain the spreading of false news - London: 1688. Wing printing - J 372. Steele (Eng) 3888-89. Broadside.Action to be taken against those who “make it their business by writing, printing, or speaking to defame our government with false and seditious news and reports, thereby intending to amuse our loving subjects, and, as far as they are able, to create in them an universal jealousie and discontent, especially in this time of publick danger, threatened by the intended invasion”. Sweeney 4034.2. A fine copy. Dated October 26th. ESTC R227763 locates 4 copies only.

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