The Seigneur of Sark is the

lord of the manor Lord of the manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England and Norman England, referred to the landholder of a historical rural estate. The titles date to the English Feudalism, feudal (specifically English feudal barony, baronial) system. The ...

Sark Sark (Sercquiais: or , ) is an island in the southwestern English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, and part of the archipelago of the Channel Islands. It is a self-governing British Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency, with its own set o ...

in the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Jersey, Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, ...

. A female seigneur of Sark is called Dame of Sark, of which there have been three. The husband of a female ruler of Sark is not a

consort __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...

but is ''

jure uxoris ''Jure uxoris'' (a Latin phrase meaning "by right of (his) wife"), citing . describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title '' suo jure'' ("in her own right"). Similarly, the husband of an heiress could beco ...

'' ("by right of (his) wife") a seigneur himself.

Description

The title is hereditary, but with permission of

the Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

, it may be mortgaged or sold, as happened in 1849 when

Pierre Carey le Pelley Pierre Carey le Pelley was Seigneur of Sark from 1849 to 1852. In 1844, desperate for funds to continue the operation of the silver mine on the island, le Pelley's father Ernest le Pelley had obtained crown permission to mortgage the Fief of Sark ...

sold the fief to

Marie Collings Marie Collings (née Allaire; 1791–1853), sometimes referred to as Mary Collings, was a wealthy Guernsey heiress who ruled as Dame of Sark (island) from 1852 to 1853, being the island's second female ruler and the first holder of the fief from ...

for £6,000. The Seigneur was, before the constitutional reforms of 2008, the head of the feudal government of Sark, with the

British monarch The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British con ...

being the feudal overlord. The Seigneur had a suspensive veto power and the right to appoint most of the island's officers. Many of the laws, particularly those related to inheritance and the rule of the Seigneur, had changed little since Queen

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...

, by

Letters Patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...

, granted a

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

dom to

Hellier de Carteret Helier de Carteret (fl. 1563 – 1578) was the first Seigneur of Sark, reigning from 1563 to 1578. He was the son of Édouard de Carteret, Seigneur of Saint Ouen (d. 1533), and grandson of Philip de Carteret, 8th Seigneur of St Ouen. It was He ...

in 1565. The residents of Sark voted to introduce a fully elected legislature to replace the

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

government in a 2006 referendum, and the law change was approved on 9 April 2008. The first democratic election was held on 10 December 2008. The changes in the political system mostly apply to the parliament, the

Chief Pleas Sark ( Sercquiais: or , ) is an island in the southwestern English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, and part of the archipelago of the Channel Islands. It is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, with its own set of laws based on Nor ...

, not to the Seigneur. Many seigneurs are buried at St. Peter's Anglican Church, Sark.

Seigneurs of Sark

(1563–1578) #

Philippe de Carteret I Philippe de Carteret I, 2nd Seigneur of Sark (1552–1594) was the Seigneur of Sark and Seigneur of Saint Ouen, Saint Ouen from 1578 to 1594. He was the oldest son of Hellier de Carteret, his predecessor in the office. Philippe's mother was Marg ...

(1578–1594) #

Philippe de Carteret II Philippe de Carteret II, 3rd Seigneur of Sark (18 February 1584 – 22 August 1643) was the son of Philippe de Carteret I (1552–1594) and Rachel Paulett (1564–1650), daughter of George Paulett (1534–1621) who was Bailiff of Jer ...

(1594–1643) # Philippe de Carteret III (1643–1663) #

Philippe de Carteret IV Sir Philip Carteret, 2nd Baronet (c. 1650 – 1693), also known as Philippe de Carteret IV, was the 5th Seigneur of Sark from 1663 to 1693. Origins He was born in about 1650, the eldest son of Sir Philip Carteret, 1st Baronet (1620–1675) (Ph ...

(1663–1693) # Charles de Carteret (1693–1715) # John Carteret (1715–1720) # John Johnson (1720–1723) #

James Milner James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Brighton & Hove Albion. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on either wing, in midfield and ...

(1723–1730) #

Susanne le Pelley Susanne le Pelley, Dame of Sark (1668 – June 24, 1733) was the 10th Seigneur of Sark from 1730 to 1733. She was the first woman to have the position and rule the fief of Sark. Susanne le Pelley was the daughter of Judge Jean Le Gros, a member o ...

(1730–1733) # Nicolas le Pelley (1733–1742) #

Daniel le Pelley Daniel le Pelley, Esq. 12th Seigneur of Sark (1704–1752) was Seigneur of Sark from 1742 to 1752. He was also known as the "proprietor of the island of Sark". Daniel's daughter Mary Le Pelley married William Budd, Esq. in February of 1762. His ...

(1742–1752) #

Pierre le Pelley I Pierre le Pelley I, Esq., 13th Seigneur of Sark (1736–1778) was Seigneur of Sark from 1752 to 1778. Pierre le Pelley may have also been known by the anglicized Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby som ...

(1752–1778) #

Pierre le Pelley II Pierre le Pelley II, 14th Seigneur of Sark (1763–1820) was Seigneur of Sark The Seigneur of Sark is the lord of the manor of Sark in the Channel Islands. A female seigneur of Sark is called Dame of Sark, of which there have been three. The ...

(1778–1820) # Pierre le Pelley III (1820–1839) #

Ernest le Pelley Ernest le Pelley, 16th Seigneur of Sark (1801–1849) was the Seigneur of Sark from 1839 to 1849. In 1844, desperate for funds to continue the operation of the silver mine on the island, he obtained crown permission to mortgage the Fief of Sark ...

(1839–1849) #

(1849–1852) #

(1852–1853) #

William Thomas Collings William Thomas Collings (4 September 1823 – 7 March 1882) was a clergyman of the Church of England who served as Seigneur of Sark from 1853 to 1882. Ecclesiastical career Collings was the son of Marie and Thomas Guerin Collings (1786–1832 ...

(1853–1882) # William Frederick Collings (1882–1927) #

Sibyl Hathaway Dame Sibyl Mary Hathaway (' Collings, formerly Beaumont; 13 January 1884 – 14 July 1974) was Dame of Sark from 1927 until her death in 1974. Her 47-year rule over Sark, in the Channel Islands, spanned the reigns of four monarchs: George V, ...

(1927–1974)

Robert Hathaway Robert Woodward Hathaway (20 October 1887 – 15 December 1954) was ''jure uxoris'' seigneur of Sark from 1929 until his death. An American by birth, his rule spanned the reigns of four monarchs: George V, Edward VIII, George VI and Elizabeth II ...

(1929–1954) # Michael Beaumont (1974–2016) # Christopher Beaumont (2016–present) The

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

to the seigneurship is the present seigneur's son, Hugh Rees-Beaumont.

Gallery

John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville by William Hoare.jpg, John Carteret (1715–1720) William Thomas Collings.jpg, William Thomas Collings (1853–1882) Sibyl Hathaway.jpg, Sibyl Hathaway (1927–1974) File:Michael Beaumont.jpg, John Michael Beaumont (1974–2016)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Seigneurs Of Sark