KING GEORGE IV (GREAT BRITAIN) - ROYAL WARRANT SIGNED 01/15/1824 - HFSID 53563

KING GEORGE IV of the UNITED KINGDOM
The King signs 1824 royal warrant ordering the transportation of several convicts
Royal warrant signed: "George R[ex]" as King of the United Kingdom in brown ink. 1 page, front and verso, 8x12¼ folded. Carlton House, London, England. January 15, 1824. Paper seal in left margin affixed with red wax. In part: "Our Will and Pleasure is and We do hereby Order and Direct that 71 Male Convicts named in the Margin now under Sentence or Order of Transportation in the Gaols respectively set against their names, if upon being examined by an experienced Surgeon or Apothecary, they shall be found free from and Putrid or Infectious Distemper and let to be removed from the said Gaols, be conveyed on board the Hulks in Portsmouth Harbours and there delivered to the Superintendent or the Overseer of the said Hulks, where they are to remain, until their sentences shall be carried into effect or that shall be otherwise disposed of". KING GEORGE IV (1762-1830, reigned from 1820) served as Regent of Great Britain from 1811, when his father, George III, was declared insane. As Prince of Wales he had very poor relationships both with his father, and with his wife, Princess Caroline of Brunswick, whom he forbade to attend his coronation and tried to divorce. As Regent, however, his choice of cabinet helped conclude the Napoleonic Wars (1815). War's end brought both peace and depression when government demand for supplies ceased. Prices fell and thousands became unemployed, instigating the first labor unions. He took steps to curb the depression with such acts as the Corn Law (1815). During his reign as King of Great Britain & Ireland (1820-1830), George IV's appreciation of the arts led to the development of Regent Street and Regent's Park and the restoration of Windsor Castle. He also initiated penal code reform and abolition of the death penalty (1822). George became increasingly unpopular, due in part to his lavish expenditures. His visit to Scotland in 1822 was the first by a British monarch since 1650. Horizontal folds throughout. Toned. Light surface creased. Slight worn along edges. Small in smearing. Otherwise, fine condition.