Contents

Bull of Pope Hadrian II (1155)

[Source: Magnum Bullarium Romanum.  vol. II, p. 351-52.  Rome, 1739.]

Henrico II. Angliæ Regi conceditur privilegium occupandi Hiberniam & adjacentes Insulas, salvo jure Romanæ Ecclesiæ, & cæterarum Ecclesiarum.
Matthæus Parisius hoc privilegium refert ad annum 1155.

Adrianus Episcopus,Servus Servorum Dei, carissimo in Christo filio illustri Anglorum Regi, salutem & Apostolicam benedictionem.

Laudabiliter & fructuosè de glorioso nomine propagandos in terris, & felicitates præmio cumulando in Cœlis tua magnificentia cogitat: dum ad dilatandos Ecclesiæ terminos, ac declarandam indoctis & rudibus populis Christianæ fidei vertitatem, & vitiorum plantaria de agro Dominico extirpanda, sicut Catholicus Princeps intendis, & ad id convenientius exequendum, consilium Apostoliæ Sedis exigis & favorem.  In quo facto quantò altiori consilio & majori discretione procedis, tantò in eo feliciorem progressum te, præstante Domino, confidimuis habiturum; eo quod ad bonum exitum semper & finem soleant attingere, quæ de ardore fidei & de religionis amore principium acceperunt.  Sane Hiberniam, & omnes Insulas, quibus Sol justitiæ Christus illuxit, & quæ documenta fidei Christianæ ceperunt, ad jus B. Petri & sacrosanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ, (quod tua & nobilitas recognoscit) non est dubium pertinere.  Unde tanto in eis libentiùs plantationem fidelem & germen gratum Deo inserimus, quantò id a nobis interno examine districtùs prospicimus exigendum.  Significasti siquidem nobis, fili in Christo carissime, te Hiberniæ insulam, ad subdendum illum populum legibus, & vitiorum plantaria inde extirpenda, velle intrare, & de singulis domibus annuam unius denarii beato Petro velle solvere pensionem, & jura Ecclesiarum illius terræ illibata & integra conservare.  Nos itaque pium & laudabile desiderium tuum cum favore congruo prosequentes, & petitioni tuæ benignum impendentes assensum, gratum & acceptum habemus, ut pro dilatandis Ecclesiæ terminis, pro vitiorum restringendo decursu, pro corrigendis moribus, & virtutibus inserendis, pro Christianæ religionis augmento, insulam illam ingrediaris: & quod ad honorem Dei & salutem illius terræ spectaverit, exequaris: & illius terræ populus honorifice te recipiat, & sicut Dominum veneretur: jure nimirum ecclesiastico illibato & integro permanente: salvâ beato Petro & sacrosanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ de singulis domibus annuâ unius denarii pensione. Si ergo, quod concepisti animo, effectu duxeris complendum, stude gentem illam bonis moribus informare, & agas tam per te quàm per illos, quos adhibes, quos fide, verbo, & vita idoneos esse perspexeris, ut decoretur ibi Ecclesia, plantetur & crescat fidei Christianæ religio, & quæ ad honorem Dei, & salutem pertinent animarum, per te taliter ordinentur, ut a Deo sempiternæ mercedis cumulum consequi merearis, & in terris gloriosum nomen valeas in sæculis obtinere.

Crown of Ireland Act 1542

[Source: Irish Statutes, 1310-1800. 1885; reprint 1995. p. 13-15. ]


33 HENRY VIII.  A.D. 1542.

CHAPTER 1.

AN ACT that the King of England, his Heirs and Successors, be Kings of Ireland. Rot. Parl. c. 3.

FORASMUCH as the King our most gracious dread soveraign lord, and his grace's most noble progenitors, Kings of England, have bin Lords of this land of
Ireland, having all manner kingly jurisdiction, power, pre-eminences, and authoritie royall, belonging or appertayning to the royall estate and majestie of a King, by the name of Lords of Ireland, where the King's majestie and his most noble progenitors justly and rightfully were, and of right ought to be, Kings of Ireland, and so to be reputed, taken, named, and called, and for lacke of nameing the King's majestic and his noble progenitors, Kings of Ireland according to their said true and just title, stile, and name therein, hath beene great occasion, that the Irish men and inhabitants within this realme of Ireland have not beene so obedient to the King's highnesse and his most noble progenitors, and to their lawes, as they of right and according to their allegeance and bounden duties ought to have been:
wherefore at the humble pursuite, petition, and request of the lords spirituall and temporall, and other the King's loving, faithful, and obedient subjects of this his land of Ireland, and by their full assents, be it enacted, ordeyned, and established, by authoritie of this present Parliament, that the King's highnesse, his heyres and successours, Kings of England, be alwayes Kings of this land of Ireland, and that his Majestie, his heyres and successours  have the name, stile, title, and honour of King of this land of Ireland, with all maner honours, preheminences, prerogatives, dignities, and other things whatsoever they be to the estate and majestie of a King imperiall appertayning or belonging; and that his majestic, his heyres and successours, be from henceforth named, called, accepted, reputed, and taken to be Kings of this land of Ireland, to have, hold, and enjoy the said stile, title, majestic, and honours of King of Ireland, with all maner preheminences, prerogatives, dignities and all other the premisses unto the King's highnesse, his heyres and successours for ever, as united and knit to the imperial crown of the realm of England.
II. AND be it further enacted by authority aforesaid, That on this side the first day of July next comming proclamation shall be made in all shires within this land of Ireland of the tenour and sentences of this act. And if anie person or persons, of what estate, dignitie, or condition soever they or lie be, subject, or resiant within this land of Ireland, after the said first day of July, by writing or imprinting, or by any exterior act or deede, maliciously procure or doe, or cause to be procured or done, any thing or things to the perill of the King's majesties most royall person, or maliciously give occasion by writing, deede, print, or act, whereby the King's majestie, his heyres or successors, or any of them might be disturbed or interrupted of the crown of this realme of Ireland, or of the name, stile, or title thereof, or by writing, deede, print, or act, procure or doe, or cause to be procured or done, any thing or things, to the prejudice, slaunder, disturbance, or derogation of the King's majestie, his heyres or successors, in, of or for the crowne of this realm of Ireland, or in, of or for the name, title, or stile thereof, whereby his Majestie, his heyres or successors, or any of them might be disturbed or interrupted in body, name, stile, or title of inheritance, of, in, or to the crowne of this land of Ireland, or of the name, stile, title, or dignitie of the same, that then every such person and persons, of what estate, degree or condition they be, subject or resiants within the said land of Ireland, and their aidours, counsaylours, mainteyners, and abbetours therein, and everie of them, for everie such offence, shall be adjudged high traytors, and everie such offence shall be adjudged and deemed high treason, and the offendours, their aydors, counsailours, maintaynours, and abbetours therein, and every of them being lawfully convicted of any such offence, by presentment, verdict, confession, or proofes, according to the customes and laws of this said land of Ireland, shall stiffer paines of death, as in cases of high treason ; and also shall lose and forfeit unto the King's highnesse, and to his heyres, Kings of this realme of Ireland, all such his manners, landes, tenements, rents, reversions, annuities, and heredi tarn taments, which they had in possession as owner, and were sole seised in their own right, of, by, or in any title or  meanes, or in any other person or persons, had [...]

The papal bull of 1555 conferring the title of king of Ireland on Philip II of Spain

Source: Magnum Bullarium Romanum , volume 4, part 1, page 315 (1743; facsimile reprint 1965).

llius, per quem Reges regnant, & Principes dominantur, vices licet immeriti gerentes in terris, votis Catholicorum Regum, & Principum quorum probata in Deum pietatis, & eximiae erga Romanam Ecclesiam fidei constantia, ac sincerae devotionis affectus in nostro, & Apostolicae Sedis conspectu clarere dignoscuntur, libenter annuimus; eaque favoribus prosequimur opportunis.

Hinc est, quod Nos charissimum in Christo filium nostrum Philippum Regem, & charissimam in Christo filiam nostram Mariam, Reginam Angliae, & Franciae Illustres a quibusvis excommunicationis, suspensionis, & interdicti, aliisque Ecclesiasticis sententiis, censuris, & poenis, a iure, vel ab homine quavis occasione, vel causa latis, si quibus quomodolibet innodati existunt, ad effectum praesentium tantum consequendum, harum serie absolventes, & absolutos fore censentes, Insulam Hiberniae, cujus ab eo tempore, quo illius dominium, per Sedem praedictam adepti sunt, Reges Angliae, qui pro tempore fuerunt, se dominos tantum nuncupari consueverunt, & cujus regium titulum quondam Henricus Octavus, postquam ab unitate Ecclesiae Catholicae, & obedientia Romani Pontificis secessit, praetextu cujusdam legis per Parlamentum, ejusdem Insulae praetenditur latae, primo, & deinde ejus natus Eduardus Sextus eorum nominum, qui dum viverent, pro Regibus Angliae se gesserunt, de facto usurparunt, in Regnum ad instar aliarum Insularum Regiis titulo, dignitate, & honore fulgentium, sine praejudicio jurium ipsius Romanae Ecclesiae, & cujuscumque in illa, vel ad illam jus habere praetendentes, ad Omnipotentis Dei laudem et gloriam, ac gloriosissimae ejus Genitricis Virginis Mariae, totiusque exaltationem, praefatis Philippo Rege, & Maria Regina, Nobis super hoc humiliter supplicantibus, de Fratrum nostrorum consilio, & Apostolicae potestatis plenitudine Apostolica auctoritate perpetuo erigimus, ac titulo, dignitate, honore, facultatibus, juribus, insigniis, praerogativis, antelationibus, & praeeminentiis regiis, ac quibus alia Christi fidelium Regna utuntur, potiuntur, & gaudent, ac uti, potiri, & gaudere poterunt quomodolibet in futurum, insignimus, & decoramus.

Datum Romae apud Sanctam Marcum, Anno Incarnationis Dominicae millesimo quingentesimo quinquagesimo quinto, septimo Idus Junii Pontificatus nostri Anno I.