ANNE: (1665-1714) Queen of England, Scotland & Ireland 1702-07 and Queen of the Kingdom of Great Britain 1707-14. ...

ANNE: (1665-1714) Queen of England, Scotland & Ireland 1702-07 and Queen of the Kingdom of Great Britain 1707-14. D.S., Anne R, as Queen, at the head, one page (vellum), oblong folio, given at the Court at St. James's, 1708 (the day and month not stated). The manuscript document is a military commission appointing Simon Parry to be a Captain of a Company in the Regiment of Portuguese Foot, led by Lieutenant Colonel Constantine de Magny, and 'to take the said Company into your care and charge and duly to exercise as well the officers and soldiers thereof in arms and to use your best endeavours to keep them in good order and discipline'. Countersigned at the foot by Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland (1675-1722) English statesman who served as Secretary of State for the Southern Department 1706-10 and later as First Lord of the Treasury 1718-21. With remnants of the blind embossed paper seal. Some light staining and age wear and small areas of paper loss to the lower edge, G Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland, was one of the five Whigs, collectively called the Junto, who dominated the government from 1708-10. However, the Earl had many enemies and was disliked by Queen Anne who dismissed him in June 1710.