RCSI’s Charter Day Meeting marks the Annual Commemoration of the granting of our Royal Charter by King George III in 1784. An important event in the College calendar, Charter Day Meeting sees a range of events, lectures and talks culminating in the annual Charter Day Dinner held in College Hall.
A facsimile of the document is on permanent display in the main entrance way of 123 St. Stephen’s Green, and gives people a chance to see the wonderful details of this extremely unique and important document.
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| The RCSI Royal Charter of 1784 |
Studying the document as a physical object allows us to expand on the history surrounding the Charter. First of all, you will see that it is made of two full parchment skins. While this is a typical format for charters in Europe since medieval times, such documents vary structurally in small ways and the RCSI Charter has some notable features. At a glance, you will notice how the Charter is physically put together. The first (rearmost) skin is turned over at the tail end with the second (topmost) skin held to it by the lacing used to attach the large wax disc that is the Royal Seal. This lacing had suffered deterioration and the braid holding the seal had at some point detached from the parchment. In 2013, the document was fully conserved, and rehoused in a purpose-made archival box, by a renowned manuscripts conservator. Some of the unique features, issues and challenges the conservator noted as he worked to conserve the Charter can further add to the story of this unique treasure.
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| Clockwise: 'Before' photo of Charter with soiling and creases; Charter under conservation treatment; Section of parchment with natural 'flaw' in animal skin |
When conservation was undertaken, the parchment was noted as being in sound condition but with a notable natural ‘flaw’, the type of which commonly occurs in animal skins. Looking at the original document, this marking is subtle but visible to the eye in the folded-over section at the bottom right, under the ink inscriptions. When looking at parchment documents and manuscripts generally, you may regularly see such flaws, i.e. darkened skin patches or even hair follicles. Unlike with leather making, parchment is not tanned but instead is pared and buffered to receive the ink on the hair-side of the skin. Great care is taken in selecting an animal skin to minimise marks or holes appearing on the surface.
As you look closer at the document, you may make some observations of your own about its design and its condition. Your eye might be drawn to the upper left where, in the facsimile, it looks like a crest has been surgically removed. On careful inspection of the original, however, it becomes apparent that there are dark-blue embossed stamps that are affixed to that section on each skin. A crowned harp can be seen, along with the remnants of some silver leaf, and the amount of ‘SIX POUNDS’ appears to be the cost of making the page official. (That is approximately €955 in today’s money).
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| Clockwise: Stamps affixed to the Charter; Royal Seal of George III (verso); Royal Seal of George III (recto) |
Examining the face of the seal, the king is still clearly seen rearing up or galloping on his horse. The title of this side of the Royal Seal of George III is ‘Duke of Braunschweig & Lueneburg, Archtreasurer of the Holy Roman Empire and Prince-Elector’. On the reverse is the image of ‘King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith’. (This would be the last Royal Seal design to claim British rule over France).
The Charter had distinct creases from centuries of handling, folding, and storage in envelopes and in some areas this had caused abrasions to the ink. A common ink found in such manuscripts and parchment documents is iron gall ink, which can be prone to corrosion. However, the conservator tested the condition of the inks used on the RCSI Charter and fortunately these proved to be in stable condition. There was substantial soiling to be carefully removed before the skins could be treated. One material that is used in conservation cleaning is an air-blown vulcanised rubber called ‘smoke sponge’, which essentially absorbs surface dirt and even engrained dirt. Parchment is naturally hydroscopic, so it is highly sensitive to humidity and dryness. To ease the creases, the Charter had to first spend time in a special humidity chamber and then be treated with a vapour of de-ionized water, among other gentle treatments to moderate the moisture levels. It was then carefully pegged so that tension could be evenly and gradually applied until the parchment was laying nicely without need for restraints. The success of this is plain to see, especially when compared with the ‘before’ photo.
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| Left: The rearmost skin of the Charter | Right: The Charter secured in its customised housing |
The wax seal, although fortunately intact and in reasonably good condition, had some abrasions to its circumference and had, as mentioned, become detached from the document. Under the ethics of conservation, it wouldn’t be considered best practice to reattach or restore the lacing. Instead, minimal intervention is preferred when cleaning, repairing or stabilising original features and in this case the conservator ensured to support and store the wax seal in its new housing in order to facilitate its continued preservation.
Although facsimiles and digitisations play their part in the preservation of this cherished document, the decision to fully conserve and rehouse the original ensures we can continue to enjoy it up close for many Charter Days to come.