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HISTORY OF THE ORDER OF

[PRECEDENCY.

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By the original Statutes of 1818, as well as by those of 1826, the Knightsof each Class of the Order were authorized to assume “ the distinctive appella-tion of Knighthood,” and had Rank, Place, and Precedence before all KnightsBachelors within the Ionian Islands, and in Malta and its Dependencies; 1but those provisions neither rendered them Knights Bachelors, nor gave themany Place or Precedency whatever, in any other part of the Sovereign’sDominions than the Island of Malta; and consequently, such of His Majesty’snative born subjects, as were permitted to retain the Order, under the regula-tions then laid down, were not even entitled to the Precedency of a KnightBachelor, nor possibly, even to that of an Esquire, in Great Britain or Ireland,though they bore the distinctive appellation of British Knighthood.

This inconsistency was, however, removed in August 1832, when His lateMajesty was graciously pleased to confer the most important and most valuableprivilege upon the Knights they had ever received, by rendering them, to allintents and purposes, Knights Bachelors of the United Kingdom, and by givingthem Rank and Precedence in all places whatsoever, next after the correspond-ing degrees of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath.

The present Statutes declare, that “ at all Investitures and other solemnCeremonials of the Order, and in all other places whatsoever, Our Lord HighCommissioner in and for the United States of the Ionian Islands, if a KnightGrand Cross of this Most Distinguished Order, shall have and enjoy Placeand Precedence of all other Knights Grand Cross of this Order, whomsoever,(save and except of the Grand Master,) but on his ceasing to hold the said highOffice, he shall from thenceforth rank among the other Knights Grand Crossaccording to the date of his nomination. And touching the Precedency of the

1 Vide pp. 12, 16, antea.