Precinct of the Savoy
| Precinct of the Savoy | |
 Civil parish within Westminster in 1921 |
|
| Geography | |
| Status | Civil parish |
| 1881–1921 area | 7 acres (0.028 km2) |
| History | |
| Abolished | 1922 |
| Succeeded by | Strand District |
| Demography | |
|---|---|
| 1881 population - 1881 density |
245 35/acre |
| 1901 population - 1901 density |
166 24/acre |
| 1921 population - 1921 density |
33 5/acre |
| Politics | |
| Governance | Master of the Savoy |
The Precinct of the Savoy, also known as the Liberty of the Savoy and the Liberties of the Savoy, was a liberty in the metropolitan area of London, England. The Savoy was the area where the Savoy Hotel and Savoy Theatre now stand. The land is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster, and until the 19th century the rule of law was different in this area.
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[edit] Name and early history
In 1245 a palace was built in this location by Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. Following his death, the building was subsequently granted by Henry III to Peter of Savoy, uncle of his queen, Eleanor of Provence, and was renamed Savoy Palace.[1] From Peter the palace was gifted to the Congregation of Canons of the Great Saint Bernard, becoming the "Great Hospital of St Bernard de Monte Jovis in Savoy".[1]
[edit] Duchy of Lancaster
The hospital was subsequently purchased by Queen Eleanor, and given to her second son, Edmund, Earl of Lancaster. When his elder brother came to the throne as Edward I, he confirmed Edmund's ownership by letters patent.[1]
In 1351 Lancaster was created a county palatine. Apart from Lancashire proper, the other properties of the Duchy of Lancaster, including the Savoy, were effectively part of the County Palatine of Lancaster. Due to this ownership, the rule of law in this area stemmed from the Duke of Lancaster's authority, and not the king's. The king's writs did not run in the County of Lancaster until the nineteenth century, and until the 1970s Lancashire had its own Court of Chancery.
As a consequence, someone being pursued for a debt in London could reside in the Savoy without fear of arrest by people acting under the King's authority. This unusual state of affairs is used in the Aubrey-Maturin novels of Patrick O'Brian.
[edit] Demise
The area of the Precinct of the Savoy was included in the area of the Strand District in 1855 and now forms part of the City of Westminster. It was abolished as a civil parish in 1922.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Walter Thornbury (1878). "The Savoy". Old and New London: Volume 3. British History Online. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45137. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
[edit] External links
- 'The Savoy', Old and New London: Volume 3 (1878)
- "The Savoy". http://www.pepysdiary.com/p/1159.php#11225. Retrieved 5 May 2006.
- "The Patrick O'Brian Newsletter: Volume 2, Issue 2 October 1993". http://www.wwnorton.com/pob/vol2ii.htm. Retrieved 8 May 2006.
- "The early History of Piccadilly". http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=41452. Retrieved 5 May 2006.
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