1852 - QUEEN VICTORIA APPOINTS GASPARD LE MARCHANT
 LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF NOVA SCOTIA

Victoria Regina (1819- 1901)

By the Grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom and Scotland, Defender of the Faith - Queen Victoria's Official 1852 Royal Appointment of Knight Colonel Sir John Gaspard Le Marchant as Lieutenant Governor, Nova Scotia

Biographical Note

Gaspard Le Marchant was born of a distinguished Guernsey family in 1803 in England. He enjoyed a successful Military Career, both on behalf of the Crown as well as in Foreign Service for the Queen of Spain. He was knighted by both Spain and Great Britain and served as a Colonial Administrator, first as Lt. Governor of Newfoundland (1847-1852), then promoted to Lt. Governor of Nova Scotia (pursuant to this Royal Appointment 1852-1858), later holding the post of Governor General of Malta (1859-1864), and finally ending his career as Commander-in-Chief of Madras in India (1865-1868). An interesting side note is that when he left the military to enter administration, he went to Wellington and asked if it was wise, to which Wellington suggested that it would enhance his career. But he never left colonial administration and missed the Crimean War where many of his peers advanced past him to become Major Generals. An important original piece of early Canadian Provincial History.

8 page Document – Signed and Dated: June 16, 1852
Text as Follows:

                                                           [signed] Victoria R.

Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen Defender of the Faith. To Our Trusty and Well beloved Sir John Gaspard Le Marchant, Knight Colonel in Our Army, Greeting. We reposing especial trust and confidence in your loyalty, integrity, and ability, do by the Presents constitute and appoint you to be Our Lieutenant Governor of Our Province of Nova Scotia in America. To have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said Place and Office during Our Pleasure, with all the rights, profits, privileges, perquisites, and advantages to the same belonging or appertaining. And further in the case of death or during the absence of Our Captain General and Governor in Chief of Our said Province of Nova Scotia now and for the time being, We do hereby authorize and require you to exercise and perform all and singular the powers and directions contained in Our Commission to Our Captain General and Governor in Chief according to such Instructions as he hath already received from Us, and such further Orders and Instructions as he or you shall hereafter receive from Us. And We do hereby Command all and singular Our Officers, Ministers, and Loving Subjects in Our said Province, and all others whom it may concern, to take due notice hereof, and to give their ready obedience accordingly. Given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace this Sixteenth Day of June 1852 in the Fifteenth year of Our Reign.

                               By Her Majesty’s Command
                                         John S. Parkington

Parkington was the Secretary of State for War & the Colonies having just succeeded Earl Grey in the Post, although by December he, too, was gone, lasting only 10 months.

Document Specifications:  This is a positively beautiful Handwritten Document is dated June 16th 1852.  It is an 8 page, bound in satin, small folio, with handwriting on five of the pages, it measures 8" x 12½" (as shown). Queen Victoria's Signature is Bold across the top and to the Upper Right of the Embossed Official Seal of Paper over Wax - Inscribed within are the Shield, and in Latin, "Queen of Britain by the Grace of God", and with the Motto of the Order of the Garter- "Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense" (liberally translated as: shame to one who thinks evil of honor). Also Revenue Stamped with an albino £200 Embossed Stamp and a docketing Seal "London 25 6 52 A" in circle with crown in Black.  Pages joined with Green Satin Ribbon which is anchored under the Seal. Slight fold tear on first page well away from any text, signature or seals. Very small adhesion remnant in top Upper Right not affecting the Queen's signature. Watermarked "J. Whatman/Turkey Mill/1847"; the Royal Papermaker for Victoria's personal Correspondence.

 Offered by Berryhill & Sturgeon, Ltd.
 

End of Item - BSL - Victoria 1852

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