Context: On 12 January 1938 by Letters Patent the islands were declared a dependency of Saint Helena. Prior to roughly this period, passing ships stopped irregularly at the island for a period of mere hours.

Question: what year were the islands declared dependent of saint helena?
Answer: 1938

Question: When was Saint Helena declared a dependency of the islands?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question: What declared Saint Helena a dependency of the islands?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question: For how long did Letters Patent stop at the island?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question: When was Letters Patent declared a dependency of the islands?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question: When were the islands declared independent from Saint Helena?
Answer: Unanswerable