Ministry of Justice marks Fief Day with Sark flag
SARK’S flag was flown from the Ministry of Justice building in Westminster yesterday to mark Fief Day.
‘Today [6 August] we celebrate the historic and important relationship between the UK and Sark,’ the ministry tweeted to its 400,000 followers. ‘To mark Fief Day, we are proud to continue the practice of flying Sark’s flag from @MoJGovUK.’
The signing of the charter that declared Sark to be a Fief to the Crown took place 454 years ago yesterday.
The Flemish pirate, Adrian Cole, rid Sark of French invaders and then attempted to sell the island to Queen Mary.
She found out that she already owned the island, so refused his offer.
Then, Helier de Carteret, Seigneur of St Ouen in Jersey, drew up plans to permanently settle the island with 40 families.
The ruler by this time was Queen Elizabeth I who approved Helier’s plan and on 6 August 1565 signed the charter that made him the island’s first Seigneur and Sark a fief to the Crown.
. A fief was key to feudalism. Heritable property or rights were granted by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the personal ceremonies of homage and fealty.
