Illuminated address presented by members of the Manx Bar to His Excellency Spencer Walpole, Lieutenant Governor and President of Her Majesty's High Court of Justice
Date(s): 11 December 1893
Creator(s): Allen, Robert
Scope & Content: Presented to congratulate Walpole on his appointment as Secretary of the Post Office, to mark his leaving the Island and in recognition of Walpole's role as head of the the judicial system of the Isle of Man. Written in legal engrossing hand with several illuminated initials; the principal initial has Mr Walpole's arms and crest in heraldic colours worked into it. Contains a representation of a Viking ship, arms of Kings of Man, arms of the Isle of Man and an ornate border. Bound in Morocco leather with corner pieces and mounts of solid silver; on the front of the binding is Mr Walpole's monogram in silver and on the reverse is the three legs of Man, surmounted by a crown and with the motto 'quocunque jeceris stabit' all in silver.
Administration / Biographical History: Walpole held the office of Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man from 1882 until 1893. Newspaper reporting from this period notes that the address was presented by the Manx Bar to Mr Spencer Walpole on 11 December 1893 in an unfinished version. The work of illuminating and binding the address was entrusted to Messrs Mylrea & Allen of Duke St, Douglas for whom it was executed by Messrs Philips & Son of Liverpool, mainly from the design of Mr Allen. The Isle of Man Times notes on 27 January 1894 (page 13) that the address may be seen for a short while at the shop of Messrs Mylrea & Allen after which it was to be forwarded to the late Governor.
An article from the isle of Man Examiner of the same day (page 4) praises the quality of the finished artefact then continues, 'The Keys, who might be expected to encourage home trade, had their address written across the water, and it is a source of satisfaction to know that for more money than was paid Mr Allen they received a considerably worse article than that supplied by Mr Allen to the bar. Not only is the workmanship of the Keys' address bad, as compared with that of the bar, but there is a gross heraldic blunder committed in its details. That such things should be, serves our unpatriotic legislators right.' The advocates' address of appreciation in its finished format appears never to have reached Walpole.
Language: English
Extent: 1 presentation case
Item name: illuminated address
Collection: Manuscript Archive
Level: ITEM
ID number: MS 14264
Record class: Associational
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