KEELSON, a principal timber in a ship, sayed within-side cross all the floor timbers; and being adjusted to the keel with suitable scarfs, it serves to strengthen the bottom of the ship.
KEEPER of the great seal, is a lord by his office, is styled lord keeper of the great seal of Great-Britain, and is always one of the privy-council. All grants, charters and commissions of the king under the great seal, pass through the hands of the lord-keeper; for without that seal, many of those grants, &c. would
be of no force; the king being, in the interpretation of the law, a corporation, and therefore passes nothing but by the great seal, which is also said to be the public faith of the kingdom, being in the highest esteem and reputation.
Whenever there is a lord-keeper, he is invested with the same place, authority, preeminence, jurisdiction, or execution of laws, as the lord chancellor of Great Britain is vested with.
The lord-keeper is constituted by the delivery of the great seal, &c.