ˌprivy ˈseal
Forms: see privy and seal.
[privy a. 2: lit. private seal.]
1. The seal affixed to documents that are afterwards to pass the Great Seal; also to documents of less importance which do not require the Great Seal. In Scotland, A seal which authenticates a royal grant of personal or assignable rights.
† clerk of the privy seal (obs.), the Keeper of the Privy Seal; also, one of the four clerks formerly employed in the office of the privy seal. Keeper of the Privy Seal: see keeper n. 1 c.
| [1230 in E. Déprez Etudes de Diplom. anglaise (1908) 10 Teste me ipso apud Hamsted 11 die decembris Has litteras privato sigillo nostro fecimus sigillari. 1295 Rolls of Parlt. I. 133/1 Done desuz nostre prive seal, a Rughemor. 1347–8 Ibid. II. 206/2 Notre Seignour le Roi ad mande ces Lettres desouth son Privie Seal a son Chanceller.] |
| 1425 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 297/1 Keper of ye Kyngs Prive Seal. a 1434 in Exch. Rolls Scotl. IV. 572 note, Gevin under oure prive sele at Edynburch. 1497 in Lett. & Papers Rich. III & Hen. VII (Rolls) I. 104 The Bisshop of Duresme, keper of our pryveseall. 1543 tr. Act 12 Rich. II, c. 11 To saye or tell any false newes..of the chauncelar, tresorer, clerke of the pryuye seale [orig. Clerc du Prive Seal]. 1607 Cowell Interpr., Priuie seale..is a seale that the King vseth some time for a warrant, whereby things passed the priuy signet and brought to it, are sent farder to be confirmed by the great seale of England. a 1660 Hammond Serm. ii. Wks. 1684 IV. 569 That Privy Seal of his annexed to the Patent. 1827 Hallam Const. Hist. (1876) I. vii. 381 He [Chas. I] had issued letters of privy seal..to those in every county whose names had been returned by the lord lieutenant as most capable, mentioning the sum they were required to lend. |
2. A document to which the privy seal is affixed;
spec. a warrant, under the privy seal, demanding a loan; hence
transf. a forced loan, a benevolence. Now only
Hist.| 1419 in Proc. Privy Council (1834) II. 247 We have..comynd togidder..for þe exploit of the pryve seals þat were ysent to us by..þe lordys of þe Conseil. 1449 Rolls of Parlt. V. 167/1 That your seid besecher may have.. als mony Writts and Prive Seals, as shall be behovefull. 1530 Palsgr. 258/1 Prevy seale, mandement du roy. 1585 Act 27 Eliz. c. 3 §6 A Priuy Seale, commanding the same heire to make personall appearance in the Court. 1657 J. Watts Vind. Ch. Eng. 78 May they send out their privie Seals, or Troops, to fetch in money or cattle. 1827 Hallam Const. Hist. (1876) I. v. 244 She [Q. Eliz.] did not abstain from the ancient practice of sending privy-seals to borrow money of the wealthy. |
| fig. 1660 T. Watson in Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. lxxxiv. 10 In the sacrament God..gives them a smile of his face, and a privy-seal of his love. |
3. (With capital initials.)
a. The Keeper of the Privy Seal; now called
Lord Privy Seal.
| c 1420 Brut (E.E.T.S.) 539 Maistre Symond Islepe, Privey Seal, with xvij men of Armes, and xij Archers on horsebakke. 1425 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 297/2 Decreed..by ye said Archebysshop, Ducs, Bisshops, Erle, Prive Seel, and Lord Cromwell. 1556 Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden) 61 The lorde Rosselle that was then lorde privisele. 1682 Lond. Gaz. No. 1768/3 His Majesty has been pleased to confer the Office of Lord Privy-Seal upon the Right Honourable the Marquiss of Hallifax. 1794 G. Rose Diaries (1860) I. 193 Lord Spencer is to be the Privy Seal. 1874 Chambers's Encycl. VII. 775/1 The Lord Privy-Seal is now the fifth great officer of state, and has generally a seat in the cabinet. His office is conferred under the Great Seal during pleasure. |
† b. The office in which documents were prepared and the privy seal affixed to them.
Obs.| c 1412 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 1464 So longe as þou, sone, in þe priuë sel Dwelt hast. |
c. ellipt. The office of Keeper of the Privy Seal.
| 1771 Junius Lett. xlix. (1820) 257 The privy-seal was intended for him. |