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Brit. /
pr
vi 
si
l/, U.S. /prvi si(
)l/ Forms: see PRIVY adj., n., and adv. and SEAL n.2 Also with capital initials. [< PRIVY adj. + SEAL n.2, after post-classical Latin privatum sigillum (from early 13th cent. in British sources) and Anglo-Norman privé seal, privié seal (1295 or earlier: see below). Compare later private seal n. at PRIVATE adj.1, adv., and n. Special uses 2.
Compare the following example of Anglo-Norman privié seal in sense 3:
1295 Rolls of Parl. I. 133/1 Done desuz nostre prive seal, a Rughemor. ]
1. a. The office or position of Keeper of the Privy Seal (see sense 3b).
1395 J. PURVEY Remonstrance against Romish Corruptions (Titus) in
Eng. Hist. Rev. (1911)
26 742
Nei
ir prelatis
neiir preestis..shulden han seculer officis,
at is chauncerie, tresorie, priuy seal.
a1464 J. CAPGRAVE Abbreuiacion of Cron. (Cambr. G. IV. 12) (1983) 178 Lordes asked
at e bischoppis schuld be remeued fro
e offises chaunceler, tresorer, and pryuy sel.
1624 H. WOTTON Let. 24 June (1661) 138 It is thought, that the dignity of Privy Seal shall lie vacant as it did in the
Cecilian times.
1771 Junius Lett. (1820) xlix. 257 The privy-seal was intended for him.
1806 Times 8 Feb. 4/3 Lord Sidmouth's acceptance of the Privy Seal, which has given such general satisfaction, could not be expected to escape the malice of those who direct the pen of a certain Evening Paper.
1899 Eng. Hist. Rev. 14 379 The Duke of Grafton..accepted the Privy Seal in 1771 and held it for four years.
1911 J. H. R
OSE Pitt & Great War v. 125 Dundas requested that he should have the first claim for the Privy Seal for Scotland, provided that Lord Chatham did not take the Stole.
1993 Dict. National Biogr.: Missing Persons 356/2 He resigned the Privy Seal (as was conventional) and was consecrated at Lambeth on 5 January 1382.
b. The Keeper of the Privy Seal. Freq. more fully in Lord Privy Seal.
1418 in T. Rymer
Foedera (1709) IX 628 Instructions Yeven by the King to..Maystir John Kempe, his Priuey Seall.
c1453 Brut (Harl. 53) 539 Maistre Symond Islepe, Privey Seal, with xvij men of Armes.
c1475 Gregory's Chron. in J. Gairdner
Hist. Coll. Citizen London (1876) 187 The Prevy Sealle comynge fro enbassetry owte of Fraunce was gretely comberyd with fortune of the see.
a1553 K
ING E
DWARD VI
Chron. & Polit. Papers anno 1551 (1966) 102 Commission was made out to the Bishop of Ely, the Lord Privy Seal [etc.]..for calling in my debts.
1556 in J. G. Nichols
Chron. Grey Friars (1852) 61 The lorde Rosselle that was then lorde privisele.
1632 Rep. Cases Star Chamber & High Comm. (1886) 112 Lord Privy Seale..found great fault with his long ruffian-like haire, and would have topped him if the vote of the Court had been for it.
1670 H. MORE Let. 15 Sept. in
Conway Lett. (1992) v. 308 They say he beares the names of Privy Seal..still.
1711 SWIFT Jrnl. to Stella 29 Aug., But what care you who is privy-seal, saucy sluttikins?
1766 D. GARRICK Let. 31 July (1963) II. 529 M
r Pitt now Lord Chatham & Privy Seal..have set us all in an Uproar!
1794 G. ROSE Diaries (1860) I. 193 Lord Spencer is to be the Privy Seal.
1828 LD. ELLENBOROUGH Diary (1881) I. 8 Went to the Cottage to be sworn in as a Privy Councillor and Lord Privy Seal.
1874 Chambers's Encycl. VII. 775/1 The Lord Privy-Seal is now the fifth great officer of state, and has generally a seat in the cabinet. His office is conferred under the Great Seal during pleasure.
1938 K. G. F
EILING Second Tory Party iv. 41 By the autumn [of 1742] Tory Gower was Privy Seal; genial Bathurst..took a Court place.
1985 Times 15 Nov. 4/1 During business questions, Mr John Biffen, Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House, told Mr Kinnock and others that [etc.].
2000 Jrnl. Contemp. Hist. 35 391 Addison was born in 1869, Secretary for the Dominions 1945-October 1947, then Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords.
2. The office in which royal documents were prepared and the privy seal affixed to them. Obs.
?1406 T. HOCCLEVE La Mâle Règle 188 in E. P. Hammond
Eng. Verse between Chaucer & Surrey (1927) 63/1, I departe sholde & go my way Hoom to the priuee seel.
a1450 (
c1412)
T. HOCCLEVE De Regimine Principum (Harl. 4866) 1464 So longe as
ou, sone, in
e priue sel Dwelt hast.
3. a. A seal affixed to documents which are afterwards to pass under the Great Seal (Great Seal n. at SEAL n.2 4a), and to documents of less importance which do not require the Great Seal. In Scotland: a seal which authenticates a royal grant of personal or assignable rights.
Section 3 of the Great Seal Act 1884 made use of the Privy Seal unnecessary, but not impossible. The Privy Seal is held in the office of the Lord Privy Seal.
1410 in
Speculum (1939)
14 25 Oure forsaide soverain lord the kynge hath so set to this present Instruccion his prive seal and his signet also.
a1434 in J. Stuart & G. Burnett
Exchequer Rolls Scotl. (1880) IV. 572 (
note) Gevin under oure prive sele at Edynburch.
1511 Reg. Privy Seal Scotl. I. 346/1 A command for the appensioun of the prive sele to ane instrument.
1607 J. COWELL Interpreter sig. Fff1,
Priuie seale..is a seale that the King vseth some time for a warrant, whereby things passed the priuy signet and brought to it, are sent farder to be confirmed by the great seale of England.
1656 in J. A. Clyde
Hope's Major Practicks (1938) II. 17 Quhilk letter, albeit it wes..sealled with the privie seall..the lords wold not obey it as impetrat against the statuts of Sessione.
a1660 H. HAMMOND Serm. (1664) ii. 21 That Privy Seal of his annexed to the Patent.
1709 W. STEUART Collections conc. Worship I. xvi. 6 In any thing wherein the moderator or clerk is particularly concerned, they ought in that case both to subscribe the minutes, as the privy seal used to be appended to charters.
1735 Lives Most Remarkable Criminals I. Pref. p. v, Offences against the King's great or privy Seal, and Offences in counterfeiting Money.
1788 Times 6 Oct. 3/3 Rent, casualties, or other personal estates, were to pass by grant from the King under his Privy seal alone, but those of lands, heritages, &c. under the Great Seal.
1827 H. HALLAM Constit. Hist. Eng. I. vii. 412 He [
sc. Charles I] had issued letters of privy seal..to those in every county, whose names had been returned by the lord lieutenant as most capable, mentioning the sum they were required to lend.
1928 Encycl. Laws Scotl. X. 474 The affixing of the Privy Seal to any deed became the preliminary to affixing the Great Seal, but in some cases it became itself sufficient sanction of the deed.
1958 N. W
ILDING & P. L
AUNDY Encycl. Parl. 336 The use of the Privy Seal was abolished by a statute of 1884, but long before this the office of Lord Privy Seal had ceased to involve any personal action by its holder.
1991 J. W
ORMALD Mary Queen of Scots (BNC) 83 Her act of revocation to the regent and the three estates, signed with Mary's own hand and sealed with her privy seal.
b. In official titles.
clerk of the privy seal n. Obs. the Keeper of the Privy Seal; (also) one of the four clerks formerly employed in the office of the Privy Seal. Keeper of the Privy Seal n. (a) an officer of state in England, formerly having responsibility for passing charters, pardons, etc., before the attachment of the Great Seal (the title now being an honorary one held by a Cabinet minister, more usually called Lord Privy Seal: see sense 1b); (b) a similar officer in Scotland and the Duchy of Cornwall.
1425 Rolls of Parl. IV. 297/2 Keper of ye Kyngs Prive Seel.
1454 Rolls of Parl. V. 256/2 The Chaunceller of Englond, and the Keper of the prive Seale.
1497 K
ING H
ENRY VII
Let. 5 July in J. Gairdner
Lett. & Papers Richard III & Henry VII (1861) I. 104 The Bisshop of Duresme, keper of [our] pryveseall.
1543 tr.
Act 12 Rich. II c. 11 To saye or tell any false newes..of the chauncelar, tresorer, clerke of the pryuye seale [orig.
Clerc du Prive Seal].
a1680 N. WANLEY Hist. Man (1704) iii. 15 He [
sc. Thomas Cromwell] was Master of the King's Jewel-House, a Privy Councillor, Secretary of State, Master of the Rolls, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal.
1709 Scrinia Reclusa iv. 234 He came to be one of the Clerks of the Signet, and in the Year of our Lord 1540 Clerk of the Privy-Council, as also Clerk of the Privy-Seal.
1861 Times 16 May 10/4 The general circle was attended by..Sir William Dunbar, M.P., Keeper of the Privy Seal of the Duchy of Cornwall.
1897 Eng. Hist. Rev. 12 680 On 9 July [1673] a commission..was issued to..the earl of Anglesey (keeper of the privy seal).
1928 Encycl. Laws Scotl. X. 474 To-day the Keeper of the Privy Seal in Scotland ranks in precedence immediately after the Secretary of State for Scotland.
1935 Winnipeg Free Press 22 May 6/2 If I am not mistaken, the British keeper of the privy seal's impression is the Soviets are entirely averse to aggressive military intention.
1954 F. N
EWSAM Home Office ii. 20 He not infrequently succeeded to the important post of keeper of the Privy Seal and by the end of the [15th] century could reasonably hope for a bishopric.
1998 Hist. Universities 14 101 A powerful commission including the bishops of London, Ely, and Winchester, the royal Chancellor, and the Keeper of the Privy Seal heard the formal complaints made by [etc.].
4. A document to which the privy seal is affixed; (sometimes) spec. a warrant, under the privy seal, demanding a loan. Also occas. in extended use: a forced loan or contribution (in quot. 1660 fig.). Now hist.
1419 in H. Nicolas
Proc. & Ordinances Privy Council (1834) II. 247 We have..comynd togidder..for
e exploit of the pryve seals
at were y sent to us by..
e lordys of
e Conseil.
1449 Rolls of Parl. V. 167/1 Your seid besecher may have..als mony Writts and Prive Seals, as shall be behovefull.
1530 J. PALSGRAVE Lesclarcissement 258/1 Prevy seale,
mandement du roy.
1585 Act 27 Eliz. c. 3 §6 A Priuy Seale, commanding the same heire to make personall appearance in the Court.
1603 in H. R. Plomer
Abstr. Wills Eng. Printers (1903) 39, I lent unto Her Highnes the some of Thirtie poundes upon a Privie Seale.
1657 J. WATTS Scribe, Pharisee 78 May they send out their privie Seals, or Troops, to fetch in money or cattle.
1660 T. WATSON in C. H. Spurgeon
Treasury of David (1874) IV. Ps. lxxxiv. 10 In the sacrament God..gives them a smile of his face, and a privy-seal of his love.
1711 A. BOYER Polit. State Great Brit. Dec. 474 In a Privy Seal dated the 5th Day of March, 1706, for passing Mr. Fox's Accompts, there is a Clause to release and discharge [etc.].
1827 H. HALLAM Constit. Hist. Eng I. v. 262 She [
sc. Queen Elizabeth] did not abstain from the ancient practice of sending privy-seals to borrow money of the wealthy.
1888 Eng. Hist. Rev. 3 460 He was connected with moneyed people, as is indicated by a privy seal of 21 Feb. 1510, by which Edmund Daundy of Ipswich was authorised to found a chantry.
1942 Econ. Hist. Rev 12 41 By a Privy Seal of 19 October [1586] Baeshe's ‘rate’ was raised by one halfpenny.
1990 C. R
USSELL Causes Eng. Civil War vii. 166 A succession of orders for paying old debts, such as £100 to Anne Mynne..for entertaining ambassadors in 1625-6, due by a Privy Seal of October 1629.
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