| We Don
Fernando and Doña lsabel, |
| By the
Grace of God King and Queen of Castille, of Leon, of Aragon,
of Sicily, of Granada, of Toledo, of Valencia, of Galicia, of
Majorca, of Seville, of Sardinia, of Cordoba, of Corsica, of
Murcia, of Jaen, of the Algarves, of Algeciras, of Gibraltar,
of the Canary Islands, Counts of Barcelona, Lords of Biscay
and of Molina, Dukes of Athens and of Neopatria, Counts of Rosellon,
and Ardania, Marquises of Oristan and of Gaciano. |
|
 |
Escudo
de los
Reyes Catolicos |
|
| To you,
the Council, Chief Mayor, Mayors, Constables, Council-Men, Commissaries,
Knights, Esquires, Officers, and good men of the City of Gibraltar. |
| Health
and Grace. |
| Know
ye, that we have seen a petition of yours by which you sent
to pray us to command to be granted to that, the said City,
Arms to put on its Seal, Standard and Banners, and on those
other places where might be necessary, as there are in the other
Cities of our Kingdom. |
| And we,
deeming it right, and acknowledging that the said City is very
strong and that by its situation it is the key between these
our Kingdoms in the Eastern and Western Seas, and the Sentinel
and defence of the Strait of the said Seas through which no
Ships or Peoples of either of these Seas can pass to the other
without sighting it or calling at it. |
| By these
present, we give you as Arms an escutcheon on which two thirds
of its upper part shall have a white field; in the said field
set a red Castle; underneath the said Castle, on the other third
of the escutcheon, which must.be a red field in which there
must be a white line between the Castle and the said red field;
on this a golden key which shall be on that with a chain from
the said Castle as they are shown here. |
|
|
| And the
said Arms which we give you, you may and shall place on the
Seal of that, the said city, on its Standard and Flags and on
the Towers and Gates, and Bridges, and on any other Buildings
and Public works you make.or paint; for which purpose we have
ordered to be given to you this our letter written on parchment
and sealed with our red-fronted Seal, and which we send to Their
Highnesses Princes Don Phelipe and Doña Juana, Archdukes
of Austria, Dukes of Burgundy, our most dear and honoured children;
and to the Princes of the Blood, Dukes, Prelates, Counts, Marquises,
Grandees of Castille, Masters of the Orders, Priors and Sub-priors
of the Military Religious Orders, and to those of our Council,
and judges of our Supreme Court, Mayors and other Officers of
justice whomsoever of our Household and Court and Chancery,
and to all the Councils, Chief Mayors, Mayors, Constables, Councilrnen,
Knights, Esquires, Officers and good men, so that all the Cities,
Towns and Villages of our Kingdoms and lordships which are ours
now or may hereafter be, and to each of them, that they may
preserve, fulfil, and make to be preserved and fulfil] in all
cases and by all respects as herein contained, now and for all
time; and that against the tone and form thereof they may not
go, exceed nor allow others to go or exceed, now, or at any
time, for any cause or reason whatever; and that neither one
nor the other, neither you nor they, do such thing in any manner
whatever, under pain of our displeasure and of a payment. of
ten thousand maravides for our Household by each one that shall
so neglect the observance and fulfilment thereof. |
| Besides
which we have ordered he who shall present to you this our letter,
to summon you to appear before us at our Court wherever we may
be on the day you are summoned and up to and within the fifteen
days first following it; under the said penalty, concerning
which letter we order any Notary public who may be called for
the purpose to give to whomsoever shall show me this, a testimony
verified by his mark in order that we may known how our mandate
is complied with. |
| Given
in the City of Toledo, on the tenth day of the month of July,
year of the birth of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, one thousand
five hundred and two years. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Escudo de Aragon |
Escudo de Castilla |
|
| I Miguel Perez de Almansa, Secretary to our Lord the
King and our Lady the Queen, caused it to be written by their
mandate, that they give for Arms to Gibraltar a red castle on
a white field, and a golden key hanging from a chain from the
red field. |
| |
| Miguel Perez
de Almansa |
|
|
