The Seigneur of Sark is the head of

Sark Sark (french: link=no, Sercq, ; Sercquiais: or ) is a part of the Channel Islands in the southwestern English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, France. It is a royal fief, which forms part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of l ...

in the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

. "

Seigneur ''Seigneur'' is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. A seigneur refers to the person or collective who owned a ''seigneurie'' (or ...

" is the French word for "lord", and a female head 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 becom ...

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

Description

The Seigneur's office is hereditary, but with permission of

the Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...

, 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 Mining, mine on the island, le Pelley's father Ernest le Pelley had obtained The Crown#Crown Dependencies, crown pe ...

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 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 Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...

, by

Letters Patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...

, granted a

fief A fief (; la, feudum) 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 Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...

dom to

Hellier de Carteret Hellier 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 H ...

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 the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a wa ...

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 (french: link=no, Sercq, ; Sercquiais: or ) is a part of the Channel Islands in the southwestern English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, France. It is a royal fief, which forms part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of l ...

, 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 Saint Ouen from 1578 to 1594. He was the oldest son of Hellier de Carteret, his predecessor in the office. Philippe's mother was Margaret de Carteret, widow ...

(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) (Phili ...

(1663–1693) # Charles de Carteret (1693–1715) #

John Carteret John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, 7th Seigneur of Sark, (; 22 April 16902 January 1763), commonly known by his earlier title Lord Carteret, was a British statesman and Lord President of the Council from 1751 to 1763; he worked extremely clos ...

(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 Liverpool. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on the wing, in midfield and at full-back. ...

(1723–1730) # Susanne le Pelley (1730–1733) #

Nicolas le Pelley Nicolas le Pelley, 11th Seigneur of Sark (1692–1742) was Seigneur of Sark The Seigneur of Sark is the head of Sark in the Channel Islands. " Seigneur" is the French word for "lord", and a female head of Sark is called Dame of Sark, of which ...

(1733–1742) # Daniel le Pelley (1742–1752) # Pierre le Pelley I (1752–1778) # Pierre le Pelley II (1778–1820) # Pierre le Pelley III (1820–1839) # Ernest le Pelley (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 (1786–18 ...

(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, Ed ...

(1927–1974)

Robert Hathaway Robert Woodward Hathaway (20 October 1887 – 15 December 1954) was ''jure uxoris'' Seigneur of Sark, 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 ...

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

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

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