The most dangerous of London's Liberties — a labyrinth of alleys and tenements beyond the City's reach, where debtors, dissenters, and the Duchy's own agents lived side by side.
BE IT REMEMBERED that the Hospital of the Savoy, founded upon the ancient palace of John of Gaunt, constitutes a Liberty of the Duchy of Lancaster, wherein the Steward of the Duchy holds jurisdiction apart from the City of Westminster and the County of Middlesex.
And whereas the Duchy of Lancaster remaineth a private estate of the Sovereign, distinct from the Crown's other possessions, the Liberty herein established shall be governed by the Steward's Court and no other magistracy, save by Royal Warrant.
Formal church sanctuary was abolished in 1623, but the Savoy's status as a Duchy Liberty created a de facto refuge for debtors and fugitives well into the 18th century. The law and the reality were, as ever, distinct matters.
Clause 1. The Steward of the Duchy of Lancaster shall hold court within the Savoy for all matters arising within the Liberty.
Clause 2. No external bailiff, sheriff, or constable shall arrest any person within the Liberty without the Steward's warrant.
Clause 3. Debts contracted outside the Liberty cannot be enforced within it, unless the debtor voluntarily submits to external jurisdiction.
Clause 1. Any person who enters the Savoy and declares intent to reside shall be granted provisional protection for seven days.
Clause 2. To gain permanent residence, the newcomer must perform a Service to the Community: alms for the poor, repair of common buildings, or testimony in the Steward's Court.
Clause 3. Residents who commit crimes within the Liberty shall be tried by the Steward's Court, not external assizes.
Clause 1. The Duchy of Lancaster maintains records within the Savoy that are not subject to public inspection.
Clause 2. Residents who serve the Duchy as messengers, scribes, or informants shall receive additional protection from external pursuit.
Clause 3. To betray Duchy secrets is to forfeit all Liberty protections and be delivered to the Privy Council.
Clause 1. A Resident in good standing may request a Writ of Transit to pass to another Royal Liberty — being the Tower, Havering, or Westminster.
Clause 2. The Writ must bear the Duchy Seal and the signature of the Steward or his Deputy.
Clause 3. The Steward may deny a Writ if the petitioner is suspected of crimes against the Duchy. There is no appeal.
| Breach | Penalty | Enforced By |
|---|---|---|
| Debt Evasion Fraud | Exile to External Courts | Steward's Court |
| False Service Claim | Loss of Residence | Community Vote |
| Duchy Secret Disclosure | Delivery to Privy Council | Steward |
| Forged Duchy Seal | Imprisonment in Fleet | External Warrant |