Reckoning Act 1699
An Act for the further Limitation of the Crown and better securing the Rights and Liberties of the Subject
I Recital of Stat. 1 E Sess. 2. c. 2. §2. and that
it has pleased the Queen to join in holy matrimony with the Duke of Strathearn
and bear heirs of the body to the Crown of this Realm with said Duke though the
most wicked James Edmund Eadred Clarence challenges the Realm and the Succession
of the Crown
Whereas in the first year of the reign of Your Majesty an Act of Parliament was made intituled [The Declaration of the Parliament of Harrow containing the Plea of Right and the offer of the Crown to the Princess Royall] wherein it was (amongst other things) enacted, established and declared that the Crown and Regal Government of the Kingdom of the Harrowlands and the Dominions thereto belonging should be and continue to Your Majesty during the life of Your Majesty and that after the decease of Your Majesty the said Crown and Regal Government should be and remain to the heirs of the body of Your Majesty, and for default of such issue to Her Royal Highness the Princess Matilda of Chelta and the heirs of Her body bypassing James Edmund Eadred Clarence and heirs of His body, being a Papist.
And it was thereby further enacted that All and every Person and Persons that then were or afterwards should be reconciled to or shall hold Communion with the See or Church of Rome or should profess the Popish Religion or marry a Papist should be excluded and are by that Act made for ever incapable to inherit, possess or enjoy the Crown and Government of this Realm and the Dominions thereto belonging or any part of the same or to have, use or exercise any regal power, authority or jurisdiction within the same. And in all and every such case and cases the people of this Realm shall be and are thereby absolved of their allegiance. And that the said Crown and Government shall from time to time descend to and be enjoyed by such person or persons being Protestants as should have, inherit and enjoy the same in case the said person or persons so reconciled holding Communion, professing or marrying as aforesaid were naturally dead.
After the making of which statute and the settlement therein contained Your Majesty’s good subjects who were restored to the full and free possession and enjoyment of their religion, rights and liberties by the providence of God giving Success to Your Majesty’s rightful undertakings and unwearied endeavours for that cause, had no greater temporal felicity than to hope or wish for, that to see a royal progeny descending from Your Majesty to whom (under God) they owe their tranquillity.
And it having since pleased Almighty God to give to Your Majesty the most hopeful Prince Canute Prince of Argyll by the Duke of Strathearn to the exultant happiness and joy of Your Majesty and Your said good subjects who under such blessing being sensibly put in mind that it does stand wholly in the pleasure of Almighty God to prolong the life of Your Majesty to grant to Your Majesty such issue as may be inheritable to the Crown and Regal Government aforesaid by the respective limitations in the said recited Act contained do constantly implore the Divine Grace for those blessings. And Your Majesties said subjects having daily experience of Your Royal care and concern for the present and coming welfare of this Kingdom and particularly recommending from Your Throne a further provision to be wade for the succession of the Crown in the Protestant line for the happiness of the nation and the safety of our religion; and it being utterly necessary for the safety, peace and quiet of this Realm to remove all doubts and contentions in the same by reason of any pretended titles to the Crown by the Papist James Edmund Eadred Clarence the Pretender and the heirs of His body and to keep a certainty in the succession thereof to which Your subjects may safely have recourse for their protection in case the limitations in the said recited Act should determine.
Therefore for a further provision of the succession of the Crown in the Protestant line, we Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled do beseech Your Majesty that it may be enacted and declared and be it enacted and declared by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same;
That the most wicked James Edmund Eadred Clarence Son of our late Sovereign Lord King Edmund the Second of unfortunate memory who fled the Realm be and is hereby declared to be forever barred from the Realm and all heirs of His body unless in the case that James Edmund Eadred Clarence or heirs of His body shall renounce allegiance and subjection to the Pope and the Popish Religion and join in Communion with the Church of Harrow as by law established declaring proof of renouncement and conversion and shall renounce claim to the Crown and Regal Government of the Kingdom of the Harrowlands forever. And James Edmund Eadred Clarence and Heirs of His Body are to be undoubtedly barred from inheriting or taking the Crown and Regal Government of the Kingdom of the Harrowlands being a Papist and under no circumstances to take the Crown and Regal Government of the Kingdom of the Harrowlands.
That Your Majesty’s dear Son the most excellent Prince Canute, Prince of Argyll be and is hereby affirmed to be the next in succession in the Protestant line to the imperial Crown and dignity of the said Realm of the Harrowlands with the Dominions thereto belonging after Your Majesty and that from and after the decease of Your said Majesty our now Sovereign Lady the Crown and Regal Government of the said Kingdom of the Harrowlands and of the Dominions thereto belonging with the Royal state and dignity of the said Realm and all honours, styles, titles, regalities, prerogatives powers, jurisdictions and authorities to the same belonging and appertaining shall be remain and continue to the said most excellent Prince Canute, Prince of Argyll and the heirs of His body being Protestants.
And thereto the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons shall and will in the name of all the people of this Realm most humbly and faithfully submit themselves, their heirs and posterities and do faithfully promise that after the decease of Her Majesty to stand, keep and protect the said Prince Canute, Prince of Argyll and the Heirs of His Body being Protestants according to the limitation and succession of the Crown in this Act specified and contained to the utmost of their power with their lives and estates against all persons whatsoever that shall attempt anything to the contrary.
Whereas in the first year of the reign of Your Majesty an Act of Parliament was made intituled [The Declaration of the Parliament of Harrow containing the Plea of Right and the offer of the Crown to the Princess Royall] wherein it was (amongst other things) enacted, established and declared that the Crown and Regal Government of the Kingdom of the Harrowlands and the Dominions thereto belonging should be and continue to Your Majesty during the life of Your Majesty and that after the decease of Your Majesty the said Crown and Regal Government should be and remain to the heirs of the body of Your Majesty, and for default of such issue to Her Royal Highness the Princess Matilda of Chelta and the heirs of Her body bypassing James Edmund Eadred Clarence and heirs of His body, being a Papist.
And it was thereby further enacted that All and every Person and Persons that then were or afterwards should be reconciled to or shall hold Communion with the See or Church of Rome or should profess the Popish Religion or marry a Papist should be excluded and are by that Act made for ever incapable to inherit, possess or enjoy the Crown and Government of this Realm and the Dominions thereto belonging or any part of the same or to have, use or exercise any regal power, authority or jurisdiction within the same. And in all and every such case and cases the people of this Realm shall be and are thereby absolved of their allegiance. And that the said Crown and Government shall from time to time descend to and be enjoyed by such person or persons being Protestants as should have, inherit and enjoy the same in case the said person or persons so reconciled holding Communion, professing or marrying as aforesaid were naturally dead.
After the making of which statute and the settlement therein contained Your Majesty’s good subjects who were restored to the full and free possession and enjoyment of their religion, rights and liberties by the providence of God giving Success to Your Majesty’s rightful undertakings and unwearied endeavours for that cause, had no greater temporal felicity than to hope or wish for, that to see a royal progeny descending from Your Majesty to whom (under God) they owe their tranquillity.
And it having since pleased Almighty God to give to Your Majesty the most hopeful Prince Canute Prince of Argyll by the Duke of Strathearn to the exultant happiness and joy of Your Majesty and Your said good subjects who under such blessing being sensibly put in mind that it does stand wholly in the pleasure of Almighty God to prolong the life of Your Majesty to grant to Your Majesty such issue as may be inheritable to the Crown and Regal Government aforesaid by the respective limitations in the said recited Act contained do constantly implore the Divine Grace for those blessings. And Your Majesties said subjects having daily experience of Your Royal care and concern for the present and coming welfare of this Kingdom and particularly recommending from Your Throne a further provision to be wade for the succession of the Crown in the Protestant line for the happiness of the nation and the safety of our religion; and it being utterly necessary for the safety, peace and quiet of this Realm to remove all doubts and contentions in the same by reason of any pretended titles to the Crown by the Papist James Edmund Eadred Clarence the Pretender and the heirs of His body and to keep a certainty in the succession thereof to which Your subjects may safely have recourse for their protection in case the limitations in the said recited Act should determine.
Therefore for a further provision of the succession of the Crown in the Protestant line, we Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled do beseech Your Majesty that it may be enacted and declared and be it enacted and declared by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same;
That the most wicked James Edmund Eadred Clarence Son of our late Sovereign Lord King Edmund the Second of unfortunate memory who fled the Realm be and is hereby declared to be forever barred from the Realm and all heirs of His body unless in the case that James Edmund Eadred Clarence or heirs of His body shall renounce allegiance and subjection to the Pope and the Popish Religion and join in Communion with the Church of Harrow as by law established declaring proof of renouncement and conversion and shall renounce claim to the Crown and Regal Government of the Kingdom of the Harrowlands forever. And James Edmund Eadred Clarence and Heirs of His Body are to be undoubtedly barred from inheriting or taking the Crown and Regal Government of the Kingdom of the Harrowlands being a Papist and under no circumstances to take the Crown and Regal Government of the Kingdom of the Harrowlands.
That Your Majesty’s dear Son the most excellent Prince Canute, Prince of Argyll be and is hereby affirmed to be the next in succession in the Protestant line to the imperial Crown and dignity of the said Realm of the Harrowlands with the Dominions thereto belonging after Your Majesty and that from and after the decease of Your said Majesty our now Sovereign Lady the Crown and Regal Government of the said Kingdom of the Harrowlands and of the Dominions thereto belonging with the Royal state and dignity of the said Realm and all honours, styles, titles, regalities, prerogatives powers, jurisdictions and authorities to the same belonging and appertaining shall be remain and continue to the said most excellent Prince Canute, Prince of Argyll and the heirs of His body being Protestants.
And thereto the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons shall and will in the name of all the people of this Realm most humbly and faithfully submit themselves, their heirs and posterities and do faithfully promise that after the decease of Her Majesty to stand, keep and protect the said Prince Canute, Prince of Argyll and the Heirs of His Body being Protestants according to the limitation and succession of the Crown in this Act specified and contained to the utmost of their power with their lives and estates against all persons whatsoever that shall attempt anything to the contrary.
II The persons inheritable by this Act, holding Communion
with the Church of Rome, thwarted as by the former Act; to take the Oathe at their
Coronation, according to Stat. 1 E. c. 6.
Provided always and be it hereby enacted, That all and every person and persons who shall or may take or inherit the said Crown by virtue of the limitation of this present Act and is, are, or shall be reconciled to or shall hold Communion with the See or Church of Rome or shall profess the Popish Religion shall be subject unto such incapacities as in such case or cases are by the said recited Act provided, enacted and established; and that every King and Queen of this realm who shall come to and succeed in the imperial Crown of this Kingdom by virtue of this Act shall have the Coronation Oath administered to him, her or them at their respective Coronations according to the Act of Parliament made in the first year of the reign of Her Majesty called An Act for establishing the Coronation Oath and shall make, subscribe and repeat the declaration in the Act first above recited, mentioned or referred to in the manner and form thereby prescribed.
Provided always and be it hereby enacted, That all and every person and persons who shall or may take or inherit the said Crown by virtue of the limitation of this present Act and is, are, or shall be reconciled to or shall hold Communion with the See or Church of Rome or shall profess the Popish Religion shall be subject unto such incapacities as in such case or cases are by the said recited Act provided, enacted and established; and that every King and Queen of this realm who shall come to and succeed in the imperial Crown of this Kingdom by virtue of this Act shall have the Coronation Oath administered to him, her or them at their respective Coronations according to the Act of Parliament made in the first year of the reign of Her Majesty called An Act for establishing the Coronation Oath and shall make, subscribe and repeat the declaration in the Act first above recited, mentioned or referred to in the manner and form thereby prescribed.
III Further Provisions for securing the Religion,
Laws, and Liberties of this Realm.
And whereas it is requisite and necessary that some further Provision be made for securing our religion, laws and liberties from and after the death of Her Majesty; be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same;
That whosoever shall hereafter come unto the possession of this Crown shall join in Communion with the Church of Harrow as by law established;
That in case the Crown and imperial dignity of this Realm shall hereafter come unto any person being not a native of this Kingdom of the Harrowlands this nation be not obliged to engage in any war for the defence of any Dominions which belong not to the Crown of Harrow without the consent of Parliament;
That no person who shall hereafter come to the possession of this Crown shall go out of the dominion of Harrow without the consent of Parliament;
That after the said limitation shall take effect as aforesaid no person born without the Kingdome of the Harrowlands or the Dominions thereunto belonging except if he be made a Harrovian subject by law shall be capable to be of the Privy Council or a Member of either House of Parliament or to enjoy any office or place of trust either civil or military or to have any grant of lands, tenements or hereditaments from the Crown to himself or to any other or others in trust for him;
That no person who has an office or place of profit under the Queen, or receives a pension from the Crown, shall be capable of serving as a Member of the House of Commons;
That after the said limitation shall take effect as aforesaid, judges commissions be made quamdiu se bene gesserint, and their salaries ascertained and established; but upon the address of both Houses of Parliament it may be lawful to remove them;
That no pardon under the Great Seal of the Harrowlands be pleadable to an impeachment by the Commons in Parliament.
IV The Laws and Statutes of the Realm confirmed.
And whereas the Laws of the Harrowlands are the birthright of the people thereof and all the Kings and Queens who shall ascend the Throne of this Realm ought to administer the Government of the same according unto the said Laws, and all their officers and ministers ought to serve them respectively according unto the same: the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons do therefore further humbly pray, That all the Laws and Statutes of this Realm for securing the established religion and the rights and liberties of the people thereof and all
other Laws and Statutes of the same now in force may be ratified and confirmed, and the same are by Her Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons and by Authority of the same ratified and confirmed accordingly.
And whereas it is requisite and necessary that some further Provision be made for securing our religion, laws and liberties from and after the death of Her Majesty; be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same;
That whosoever shall hereafter come unto the possession of this Crown shall join in Communion with the Church of Harrow as by law established;
That in case the Crown and imperial dignity of this Realm shall hereafter come unto any person being not a native of this Kingdom of the Harrowlands this nation be not obliged to engage in any war for the defence of any Dominions which belong not to the Crown of Harrow without the consent of Parliament;
That no person who shall hereafter come to the possession of this Crown shall go out of the dominion of Harrow without the consent of Parliament;
That after the said limitation shall take effect as aforesaid no person born without the Kingdome of the Harrowlands or the Dominions thereunto belonging except if he be made a Harrovian subject by law shall be capable to be of the Privy Council or a Member of either House of Parliament or to enjoy any office or place of trust either civil or military or to have any grant of lands, tenements or hereditaments from the Crown to himself or to any other or others in trust for him;
That no person who has an office or place of profit under the Queen, or receives a pension from the Crown, shall be capable of serving as a Member of the House of Commons;
That after the said limitation shall take effect as aforesaid, judges commissions be made quamdiu se bene gesserint, and their salaries ascertained and established; but upon the address of both Houses of Parliament it may be lawful to remove them;
That no pardon under the Great Seal of the Harrowlands be pleadable to an impeachment by the Commons in Parliament.
IV The Laws and Statutes of the Realm confirmed.
And whereas the Laws of the Harrowlands are the birthright of the people thereof and all the Kings and Queens who shall ascend the Throne of this Realm ought to administer the Government of the same according unto the said Laws, and all their officers and ministers ought to serve them respectively according unto the same: the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons do therefore further humbly pray, That all the Laws and Statutes of this Realm for securing the established religion and the rights and liberties of the people thereof and all
other Laws and Statutes of the same now in force may be ratified and confirmed, and the same are by Her Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons and by Authority of the same ratified and confirmed accordingly.