Royal Court of Inquiry
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 Barony (now Shire) of the Isles | ||||
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Royal Court of Inquiry -- Barony of the Isles, February 19, 1972 Uilleam Thorken Hardhans, Seneschal of the Isles, was suspended for the period of the reign of King Paul for his discourtesy at the Twelfth Night Revel. The Court was held in the home of Knight Marshall Jerome Robert of McKenna. The proposal to separate Isles from Angels was dropped.
Event Description From: The Page (Special Edition, March 1972)
CONCERNING THE COURT OF INQUIRY IN THE BARONY OF THE ANGELS.
From Jerome Robert Laird o' McKenna, Knight Marshal and Crown Advocate, to all those to whom these papers may come, greetings.
My Lords, I have the honour to report that on Saturday, February 19, 1972 CE AS VI, in my home a Court Royal was held with the following results and precedents:
The Court of Inquiry consisted of the King and Queen alone, a third member failing to arrive in time. The Court was assisted by Sir Stefan de Lorraine as advisor to the Court, and Jerome Robert Laird o' McKenna as Crown Advocate and representative of the Earl Marshal. The Court of Inquiry heard testimony from divers persons on the following matters: Item I, the Matter of the Mass performed on January 8 1973 CE at Twelfth Night Revels in the Barony of the Angels Item II, the Matter of certain Scrolls of arms which may have been awarded at that same Twelfth Night
Item III, the Matter of the Investiture of the Baron of the Isles.
Item IV, the Matter of allegations of unchivalrous conduct at these Twelfth Night Revels, with the exception of allegations or charges against one Uilleam Thorken Hardhans
The results of the Court of Inquiry were as follows: Item I, the Court finds no bill of Indictment and no one to condemn; Item II, the Court finds no Bill of Indictment, and it was stipulated that whatever unsigned scrolls were awarded to Uilleam Thorken Hardhans and his Lady were of no force and consequence whatsoever; Item III, the Court finds no Bill, it being established that Uillem Thorken Hardhans was invested only as Baron Designate of the Isles; and Item IV, there being no witnesses come forth and none presented by the Crown Advocate, and three times it being announced that all those who might have complaint should draw nigh to be heard and there still being no witnesses or complainants: the Court finds no Bills of Indictment and declares the matter closed. WIth the consent of counsel for Uilleam Thorken Hardhans and at the request of the Crown Advocate, the Court of Inquiry did rise and sit again as a Court of Oyer and Terminer to hear the case of the CROWN VS. UILLEM THORKEN HARDHANS. My lord Hardhans was charged as follows: That on the night of January 7 1972 CE AS VI at the First Unitarian Church in the city of Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles at certain Ceremonies and Celebrations commonly known as the Twelfth Night Revels he did conduct himself in a manner unbecoming an officer of the Kingdom of the West; and he was charged by the Crown Advocate with CONDUCT UNBECOMING AN OFFICER OF THE KINGDOM OF THE WEST.
Through his counsel Randall Lord Hightower, Uilleam Thorken Hardhans did plead guilty as charged.
His Majesty and Her Majesty did then pass sentence as follows: "Be it known that We have heard the case against one Uillem Thorken Hardhans, sometime Acting Seneschal of Our Barony of the Isles, with respect to Complaints against him arising from the Twelfth Night Revels of the Baronies of the Angels, Calafia, and the Isles, held in the City of the Angels on the 8. of January of this Year, and that We have heard also Uillem's plea, and We accordingly have weighed the storys presented to Us and have made our decision and decree with this instrument of Our Doom for this man:
- That the same Uillem is found to be incapable and unable to hold any position of Honour, Trust or Profit in this Kingdom under Our Reign or for the remainder thereof, and
- That we do therefore deny and refuse to accept or confirm the same Uillem as Baron of the Isles."
His Majesty did also return the governance of the Barony of the Isles to the Baron of the Angels as provided in the charter of the Barony of the Angels.
Finally, Their Majesties did dismiss all other pending charges against Uilleam Thorken Hardhans including all Bills of Indictment drawn up by other Crown Officers and held for presentation at this Court of Inquiry; and they did decree as follows: "We therefore declare this case ended and decided, and do by this bill prevent and enjoin all Our Ministers having any Judicial power whatever from taking up this same case again at any time in the future, in Our despite."
In weighing precedents established in this matter it is of the essence of the record that the Office of the Earl Marshal through its agents had conducted a thorough investigation and an agent of the Earl Marshal, acting as Crown Advocate, requested that the Court of Oyer and Terminer sit; and that the accused, through counsel, did agree that the Court Royal be constituted a Court of Oyer and Terminer to hear the case against him; and the accused did come into the court in his own voice; and the Crown Advocate was willing to accept a plea of guilty in the matter.
ADDENDUM: LET THE RECORD SHOW that my Lord Uilleam Thorken Hardhans did make public and abject apology for his actions at the Twelfth Night Revels, this same presented in his own voice in Open Court.
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