Regnal Years

A table of the English regnal years will be found in this work under title "King."

The years in which a sovereign has reigned. The following is a table of the reigns of English and British kings and queens: Accession. Egbert 827 Ethel wulf 839 Ethelbald 858 Ethelbert....: 858 ' Ethel red 866 Alfred 871 Edward the Elder.. 901 Athelstan 925 Edmund 940 Edred 946 Edwy 955 Edgar 958 Edward the Martyr. 975 Ethel red II 979 Edmund Ironside... 1016 Canute 1017 Harold I 1035 Hardicanute 1040 Edward Confessor.. 1042 Harold II 1066 William I.December 25, 1066 William II September 26, 10S7 Henry I August 5, 1100 Stephen.December 26, 1135 Henry II.December 19, 1154 Richard I.September 3, 1189 John May 27, 1199 Henry III...October 28, 1216 Edward I.November 20, 1272 Edward II July 8, 1307 Edward III..January 24, 1327 Richard II June 22, 1377 Accession. Henry VI.September 1, 1422 Edward IV 1461 Edward V 1483 Richard III 1483 Henry VII... August 22, 1485 Henry VIII April 22, 1509 Edward VI...January 28, 1547 Mary 1553 Philip and Mary.... July 25, 1554 Elizabeth.November 17, 1558 James I March 24, 1603 Charles I.March 27, 1625 Commonwealth.......January 30, 1649 Oliver Cromwell, Protector. Dec. 12, 1653 Richard Cromwell, Protector. Sept 4, 1658 Charles II.*.January 30, 1649 James II.February 6, 1685 William and Mary.. February 13, 1689 William III December 28, 1694 Anne.... March 8, 1702 George I 1714 George II 1727 George III..October 25, 1760 George IV.January 29, 1820 William IV 1830 Victoria 1837 Edward VII.January 22, 1901 George V 1910

Soverelzn. Accession. Henry VII....... eaee.-- Aug, 22, 1485 Henry VIIL... or ov tepmllee, 1EOR)).. <ajauees Edward VI..............dan. 28, 1547

See King.

Acts of parliament are generally designated by the year of the reign in which they were enacted, rather than by the year of our Lord. The following table is a convenient aid in determining approximately the date a.d. of any act: LODgth of Bovoreifcn. Accession. reign. William I Oct. 14, 1066.. 21 William II Sept. 28, 1087.. 13 Henrv I Aug. 5, 1100.. 36 Stephen Dec. 26, 1135.. 19 Heiijy ri Dec. 19, 1154.. 35 Kichard I Sept. 23, 1189.. 10 John Maj' 27, 1199.. 18 Henrv III Oct. 28, 1216.. 57 Edwa Vdl Nov. 20, 1272.. 35 Edward II July 8, 1307.. 20 Edward III Jan. 25, 1326.. 51 Richard II June 22, 1377.. 23 Henrv IV Sept. 30, 1399.. 14 Henrv V March 21, 1413. 10 HenrV VI Sept 1, 1422.. 39 Edward FV March 4, 1461.. 23 Edward V April 9, 1483.... Richard III..... June 26, 1483.. 3 Henrv VII Aug. 22, 1485.. 24 Lenpth of Sovereten. Aones Bion. leign. Mary(i) July 6, 1653.. 6 Elizabeth Nov. 17, 1B68.. 45 James I March 24, 1603. 23 Charles I March 27, 1625. 24 The Commonwealth. Jan. 30, 1649.. 11 Charles II. (2)... May 29, 1660.. 37 James II Feb. 6, 1685.. 4 William and Mary.. Feb. 13, 1089.. 14 Anne March 8, 1702.. 13 George I Aug. 1, 1714.. 13 George II June 11, 1727.. 34 George III.... Oct 25, 1760.. 60 George IV Jan. 29, 1820.. 11 William IV June 26, 1830.. 7 Victoria June 20, 1837.... 1 Mary, in 1554, married Philip of Spain; hence the subsequent statutes of her reign are referred to as those of Philip and Mary. 2 Although Charles II. did not ascend the throne until 29th May, 3660, his regnal years were computed from the death of Charles 1., Jan. 30, 1649, so that the year of his restoration is styled the twelfth of his reign. This is upon the theory that, as heir to the crown, he began to reign Immediately on his father's death, though temporarily hindered in possession and political action by the usurpation of the protectorate. Hence, for example, the statute for the abolition of military tenures, passed in 1660, is called 12 Car. II. ch. 24; the statute of frauds, passed in 1677, is called 29 Oar. II. ch. 3, &c., although, at their dates, Charles II. had been but a short time actually on the throne. Since 1830, or the accession of William IV., the practice of mentioning the year of our Lord in connection with the date of a British statute has been growing more and more frequent in English books. The parallelism between the regnal years and the years of grace during this period is as follows; that is to say, the year 1831 tallies with the last half of the first year of Wil Uam IV., and the first half of his second year, and so on. 1831... 1 & 2 Wm. IV. 1832.... 2&3 1833.... 3&4 1834... 4&5 1835... 5&6 1836... 6&7 1837... 7Wm. v. & 1 Vict. 1838... 1 & 2 Vict. 1839... 2& 3 1840... 3& 4 1841... 4& 5 1841... 5 1842... 5& 6 1843... 6& 7 1844... 7& 8 1845... 8& 9 1846... 9&10 1847... lO&ll 1848... 11&12 1849... 12&13 1850... 13 & 14 1851.... 14&15 1852.... 1B&16 1853... 16 & 17 1854... 17 & 18 1855.. 18 & 19 1857.... 20 & 21 Vict. 1858.... 21&22 )} 1859.... 22 1859.... 22&23 1860.... 23&24 1861.... 24&25 )T 1862.... 25&26 1863.... 26&27 )) 1864.... 27&28 }} 1865.... 28&29 1866.... 29&30 1867.... 30&31 1868.... 31&32 tf 1869.... 32&33 1870.... 33&34 ^ 1871.... 34&35 1872.... 35&36 1873.... 36 & 37 1874.... 37&38 1875.... 38&39 1876.... 39&40 1877.... 40&41 1878.... 41&42 »