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guide the Administration regarding the steps required to achieve that goal. Lloyd

pointed out to the Residency that in order for such a move to take place an Order in

Council must be issued applying the Colonial Prisoners’ Removal Act of 1869 to

Bahrain. The Ruler would then be able to appeal for a sanction to arrange for the

handover of the prisoners to St Helena. A second Order in Council would be needed

to complete the second sanction. But before any process was to be made, the Ruler

was required to write a request to HM Queen Elizabeth II. Lloyd further wished to

add a clause to the Administration’s request to transfer the prisoners saying that

they would be entitled to a remission of one-third of their sentences, if they were

send to St Helena. 871 A letter was sent to HM Queen Elizabeth II from the Ruler of

Bahrain on 18 December seeking the permission of HMG to remove the sentenced

prisoners to St Helena to serve their sentences. 872 The Queen’s approval through

her Court at Buckingham Palace granted permission that both the Government of

Bahrain and St Helena ‘enter into an agreement for the removal of prisoners’ based

on the Colonial Prisoners Removal Act of 1869 which extended to Bahrain through

its removal of prisoners order of 1956. 873 Prior to the trial Bahrain’s Administration

considered whether to have all five frontline members deported or just a few of

them. The Resident replied ‘that five may be too many’, as it might not be accepted

by St Helena or onboard the frigate which would transport them there. 874

871 TNA, FO 1016/470, SOSFA to Residency, 14 December 1956.
872 TNA, FO 371/126895, Translation of an Address Submitted by His Highness the Ruler of Bahrain
to H.M. the Queen, 18 December 1956.
873 TNA, FO 1016/470, W.G. Agnew on Colonial Prisoners, 19 December 1956.
874 TNA, FO 1016/470, Burrows to FO, 21 December 1956.

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