The History of the Most Noble Order of the Garter

Of Letters giving Notice of the Time and Place.

§ 1.

Among many other things which are necessary to be prepar’d beforehand; the first of Course is, the Letters directed to all the Knights-Companions and Officers of the Order, resident within the Kingdom, to give them Notice of the Time and Place, when and where the Feast is to be held. (2.) Letters of Dispensation to such Knights, as the Sovereign shall please to excuse from their Attendance at the Feast. (3.) Commissions of Lieutenancy, (or sometimes of Assistance) when the Sovereign cannot personally solemnize the same. (4.) Warrants for the Removal of Atchievements, if there be then Occasion. (5.) Escutcheons and Stiles, to be set on the back of each Knight-Companion’s Stall, if the Feast be held elsewhere than at Windsor. (6.) The Chappel to be decently adorn’d. (7.) The great Hall, or other Place, for the Grand Dinner, to be prepar’d, and very nobly furnish’d. (8.) And lastly, Officers to be appointed, besides those of the Order of Arms, who are to give peculiar Attendance on the Sovereign, at this Grand Solemnity.

As to the first of these Points, the Chancellor is to attend the Sovereign some convenient Time before the approach of St. George’s Day, to learn his Pleasure therein, and whether he is inclined to Prorogue the Day, &c.

If the Sovereign be inclin’d to a Prorogation, then the Chancellor is to draw up a Commission for that purpose. After this, Letters issu’d out anciently under the Sovereign’s Sign Manual, both to his Lieutenant, when he holds not the Feast personally, and the Knights-Companions, giving them notice of the Time and Place; but of late the Chancellor hath been appointed to dispatch these Letters in his own Name.

But whether the Feast be held upon St. George’s Day, or any other, by Prorogation, the Sovereign’s Pleasure was usually known so long before the appointed Time, that these circular Letters issu’d out sometimes two, three, four, five, or six Months, before the assign’d Day. And in Cases where there has been farther Prorogations, Care has been taken to issue out new Commissions, in the like convenient Time, before the old were expir’d; as may be observ’d by what has gone before; that so those Knights Companions, who are most remote from Court, may have sufficient Time to prepare; either for Attendance, or, on just Occasion, to apply themselves to the Sovereign, for Letters of Dispensation for Absence: And farther, that the absent Knights may thereby take notice of the Day set, because such are oblig’d to hold the Feast in their own Houses, at the same Time.

Besides the Letters directed to the Knights-Companions; the Chancellor is likewise to write his Letters to each of the Officers of the Order, to give them the like notice.

§ 2. It having been complained of by the Chancellor of the Order, and taken notice of by the Sovereign and Knights-Companions, in a Chapter held at the Celebration of the Grand Feast, 13 Car. I. at White-Hall:

That of late Years, divers Knights-Companions had neglected, both their Attendance on the Sovereign at the Feast of St. George, or to send, under their Seals of Arms, their probable Excuses, and Petitions for Licence and Dispensation, contrary to the most ancient Statutes, and their Duty.

It was therefore, among many other things, decreed, That for the future, every Knight of the Order should be bound to attend on the usual Days, or such as should be assigned by Prorogation: But in Case of Sickness, or other important Business to retard them, they shou’d, under their Seals of Arms to the Chancellor, signify the Reasons for requiring a Dispensation for their Absence, twenty Days at least before the usual, or assigned Time, to be presented by him to the Sovereign; and on Neglect of so doing, except in sudden Accidents, should not be excused, but incur the Penalty of the Statutes.

And it is evident, that this way of enjoining the Knights-Companions to send the Reason that prevented their Attendance, under their Seals, has been very ancient; for the Black-Book records an Order in Chapter, held at a General Feast, 1 Hen. VI. to this very Purpose; and enjoin’d farther, That when such absent Knights were present at the next Feast, they should be oblig’d to give the Reason why they should not incur the Penalty of their former Absence, since the Statutes enjoin it.

In Pursuance of the beforementioned Decree, Sir Thomas Rowe, then Chancellor, added to those his Letters, dated 18 May, 1637, and directed to the Knights-Companions, under the Seal of the Order, this following Postscript.

According to two Acts made in Chapter, in the Presence of the Sovereign, 18 April, 1637. concerning the Neglect of the Knights-Companions, in their Attendance upon his Majesty at the Feast of St. George, and a Command expresly receiv’d to signify so much to your Lordship; I have the true Copies of the Acts themselves, it being resolv’d, in Case of Omission of your lawful and timely Excuse, under your Seal of Arms, and in Occasion of Absence, in keeping the Solemnity in your own House, that no Dispensation shall be given, but your Lordship shall incur the Penalties of the ancient Statutes; which are, That you shall not be permitted to the Chapter, nor to your Seat, the next Year; but shall stand before it, as do the Choiristers: In Procession then you shall go before, and not in your Place among the Knights, and shall Offer last; and that this Penance being done, you shall come before the Seat of the Sovereign, and ask Absolution: But if two Years successively your Lordship shall omit your Attendance, or timely Suit for Dispensation, you shall pay twenty Marks, and that Sum to be doubled for every Year of such Omission, till you are reconcil’d, and pardon’d by the Sovereign, whereof I beseech your Lordship to take Knowledge.

It afterwards appears, by an Order past in Chapter, 9th October, 15 Car. I. that this early Notice to be given from such of the Knights-Companions as, upon the Reasons already mention’d, should be absent, was design’d chiefly in Favour of the Officers of the Sovereign’s Houshold, who, by knowing in due Time who should be absent, and who not, might make timely and certain Provision for the Feast.

Upon Notice sent by the Chancellor, to the Knights-Companions, as aforesaid, if any of them should happen to be any way indispos’d, or have other lawful Excuse for not repairing to Court, and attending the Feast, they may acquaint the Chancellor therewith, whose Duty it is to represent it to the Sovereign, and thereon to procure his Letters of Dispensation for their Absence, if the Sovereign consents.

Which Letters are to be convey’d by Garter, or carry’d by whomsoever he shall appoint; for which there was a Fee by the Mile allowed him, by the following Order, past at a Meeting held by the Knights-Commissioners, for regulating Points relating to the Order, 13 Car. I.

Whereas it having anciently been the Office of Garter, King of Arms, to disperse and send Letters of Prorogation, Dispensation, and other Commands of the Sovereign, to the absent Knights, which in many Cases must be chargeable, it was this Day order’d, That if he should send any Act of Favour or Dispensation to any Knight, absent from his Majesty’s Court, or four Miles from the City of London, he to whom such Dispensation should be sent, should pay his Servant or Messenger, for every Day’s Travel, as much as is allow’d and paid any other Messengers of his Majesty’s House or Chamber.

Variety of Occasions and Accidents, as Grounds to move the Sovereign, and Inducements to obtain his Dispensation, are extant in several Letters sent to Sir Thomas Rowe, when Chancellor, on the aforesaid Injunctions, decreed 13 Car. I. but they all agree in the Causes we have mentioned.

Of Commissions of Lieutenancy.

§ 3. Touching the third particular, and preparing Commissions of Lieutenancy, in such Cases where the Sovereign cannot personally celebrate the Feast; as also Commissions for those whom he thinks fit to appoint for his Assistants, the Reader is referr’d to the Head in the next Chapter, under which there is an Account of constituting a Lieutenant; and here only observe, that the Chancellor is to draw up these Commissions, and attend the Sovereign for his Hand, and after to pass them under the Great Seal of the Order.

Warrant for the Removal of Atchievements.

§ 4. If there be Occasion for Removal of any of the Knights-Companions Atchievements, at the Grand Feast, which indeed has seldom happen’d, unless an Installation were celebrated at the same time, then does the Chancellor obtain the Sovereign’s Warrant, directed to Garter, for the Performance thereof: But of this we have already said sufficient, under the Head of Preparations made for Personal Installations of a Knight-Companion.

Escutcheons of Arms and Stiles.

§ 5. Heretofore, when the Celebrations of St. George’s Day were kept at any other Place besides Windsor Castle, it was thought most necessary to provide large Paper Escutcheons; wherein were Marshalled the Arms and Quarterings of the Sovereign, and each Knight-Companion, in Metal and Colour, encompass’d with a Garter; and thereon Crowns, Caps, or Coronets, peculiar to each Dignity, with their Stiles and Titles fairly printed underneath, (but without Crests or Supporters,) to be set on the Back-side of their Stalls, on the Eve of the Feast: But the Sovereign’s Arms were impaled with those of St. George, over which an imperial Crown was plac’d, and these, (in Defect of the Plates and Banners, set over their Stalls, in the Choir of St. George’s Chappel at Windsor,) did serve for Directions for the Knights-Companions, that, by the view of them, they might the more readily and certainly know their proper Stalls.

We have not met with any Memorial of this Usage, that reacheth higher than Anno 21 Hen. VII. when the Sovereign, holding the Day of St. George at Cambridge, King’s College Chappel was furnish’d with Escutcheons of the Knights-Companions Arms; but to shew the Use was ancient, there is this Note put into the Memorial, [as was Yearly accustomed,] Anno 22 Hen. VIII. the Sovereign being at Windsor on the Eve of St. George, appointed the Service of the Church to be celebrated in his Chappel, in the upper Quadrangle of Windsor Castle; and there being present with him thirteen Knights-Companions, each of them had set over their Heads an Escutcheon of their Arms.

This Manner the Stalls were afterwards solemnly establish’d, and enlarged to absent Knights, by an Order of Chapter, held at Greenwich, Anno 3 Edward VI. wherein the Sovereign and Knights-Companions agreed, that from thenceforth every Stall, upon St. George’s Eve, should have an Escutcheon of the Arms of them which are absent, as well as those that were present, at their several Costs and Charges:

But this cannot be understood of the Stalls situate in the Chappel of St. George at Windsor; for besides, that we have met with no ancient Account of any such Custom in that Place, we find a Memorial, rather implying the contrary; when Queen Elizabeth, in the sixth Year of her Reign, held the Feast of St. George upon its proper Day, at Windsor Castle; namely, that there was no Escutcheons of the Knights-Companions Arms set up there, but only the Plates; and without all doubt, had it been the Usage to fix Escutcheons in the Choir of that Chappel, as at other Places, they would not at that time especially have been omitted; because then the Sovereign appear’d upon an extraordinary Occasion, and where many things were added to heighten the Glory of that Grand Feast, by Reason the Peace between England and France was to be proclaimed at this Festival, in the Presence of the French Ambassador, and was accordingly done with great Solemnity on St. George’s Day in the Morning, at the East-Entrance in the lower Ward of the Castle, at the top of the Hill towards St. George’s Chappel; and to which Place the Sovereign, in her whole Habit of the Order, (the French Ambassador being near her,) with the five Officers of the Order, and Knights-Companions before her, and before them the Officers of Arms and Trumpets, proceeding in a stately and well order’d Cavalcade; and after Clarenceux, King of Arms, had ended the Proclamation, they continu’d the Proceeding thence to the Chappel, in the same State and Order.

As to the Practice and constant Usage of setting up Escutcheons of Arms, since Anno 3 Edward VI. and at such time as St. George’s Day was held elsewhere than at Windsor, we have seen Variety of Testimonies.

The Care of ordering and providing of which belong’d to Garter; but the Sovereign of the Order was at the Charge, (notwithstanding the said Order, Anno 3 Edw. VI.) which heretofore we see was paid out of the Treasury in the Exchequer; and since the Establishment of 1200 l. per Annum, (settled by the late Sovereign King Charles I. to discharge the ordinary and extraordinary Expences of the Order,) the Allowance issu’d thence, and was paid by the Chancellor of the Order; but now the Charge is plac’d upon Garter, he having an Allowance therefore included in the Augmentation of his Pension, Anno 15 Car. II.

We find Privy Seals to have issu’d as high as the fifteenth of Queen Elizabeth, for the Annual Allowance of 7 l. for Escutcheons imploy’d for the Use aforesaid, and that the Price some time before was about that rate; for the three and twenty Escutcheons, provided against St. George’s Feast, Anno 1 and 2 Phil. and Mar. came to 6 l. 1 s. and 8 d. and those five and twenty set up the following Year, 6 l. 11 s. and 8 d. some Differences then also being in the Work, which enhanc’d the Price, viz. those provided for Princes, at 6 s. and 8 d. a Piece, and each of the rest at 5 s.

The Sovereign, the Prince of Wales, and Stranger Kings and Princes, have accustomably had, at these Times, Majesty Escutcheons set up over each of their Stalls; but the rest of the Knights-Companions, Lodging Escutcheons only; and we have seen an Account of some Majesty Escutcheons prepar’d for every St. George’s Feast, from 1613, to 1619; to wit, one for the Sovereign, another for the King of Denmark, a third for the Prince of Wales, and a fourth for Frederick, Count Palatine of the Rhine, at 6 s. and 8 d. a piece; but so many Knights-Companions as attended the Sovereign at those Feasts, had each a Lodging Escutcheon, at 2 s. and 6 d.

From the Marshalling of Arms, quarter’d in the Knights-Companions Escutcheons, and ordering their Stiles, (printed always in French) there are several things no less useful than worthy of Observation; for, first, though the Plates of Arms and Quarterings, fix’d in each Knight-Companion’s Stall at Windsor, continue there without Alteration, or very seldom chang’d from that Order wherein they were Marshall’d at that Time of their Installation; yet these Escutcheons and Stiles Annually set up, do admit of frequent Alteration, as there is Occasion; either by adding more Quarterings, altering the Stiles, or amending any thing that is amiss.

For Instance: Whereas the Duke of Savoy, before 5 Eliz. bore Gules a cross Argent, it was then alter’d into five Coats; that is to say, in the first Quarter, Westphalia, Saxe-Moderne and Angria; in the second, Chablais; in the third, Aouste, and the fourth as the first; and over all, in the middle, the aforesaid Escutcheon of Savoy.

When the Lord Hunsdon was install’d, Anno 3 Eliz. he had twelve Coats of Arms, thus Marshall’d in his Plate; four, four, and four; the first Carey, the second Spencer, the third Somerset, the fourth Bullen, the fifth Ormond, the sixth Hoo, the seventh Rochford, the eighth Seyntomer, the ninth Malmains, the tenth Wichingham, the eleventh St. Leger, and the twelfth Hangford; but Anno 7 Eliz. his Escutcheon receiv’d an Addition of four other Coats, viz. Beuchamp, Warwick, Berkley, and Gerard, and they were inserted next to Somerset, the third Coat in this said Plate.

But on the contrary, where Ambrose, Earl of Warwick, had twenty one Coats put into his Plate, Anno 5 Eliz. and they Marshall’d in this Order, five, five, five, and six; namely, first Sutton, second Paganell, third Grey of Ruthin, fourth Hastings, fifth Quincy, sixth Malpas, seventh Somery, eighth Valence, ninth Talbott, tenth Warwick, eleventh Beauchamp, twelfth Berkley, thirteenth Lisle, fourteenth Gerard, fifteenth Guilford, sixteenth Houlden, seventeenth West, eigthteenth and nineteenth Quarterly de la Ware and Cantilupe, twentieth Mortimere of Wigmore, and twenty one Greely; at the Feast of St. George held at White-Hall, Anno 9 Eliz. his Escutcheon contain’d but sixteen; viz. four, four, four, and four; namely, first Sutton, second Paganell, third Somery, fourth Malpas, fifth Grey of Ruthin, sixth Hastings, seventh Valence, eighth Ferrers, ninth Quincess, tenth Chester, eleventh Talbott, twelfth Beauchamp, thirteenth Warwick, fourteenth Berkley, fifteenth Gerard, sixteenth Lisle: So that there were seven Coats taken out of the former; namely, Guilford, Holden, West, de la Ware and Cantilupe, Quarterly Mortimere and Greely, and two added, viz. Ferrers and Chester.

But the greatest and frequentest Variations are in the Stiles and Titles of Honour, set under the Escutcheons, and these relate unto, and are occasioned principally from their attaining or resigning of Offices or Dignities.

We find that the Stile set under the Escutcheon of Ferdinand the Emperor, at St. George’s Feast, Anno 1 and 2 Phil. and Mar. was as followeth.

Du tres hault tres-Excellent & tres-Puissant Prince, Ferdinand, par la grace de Dieu, Roy des Romaines, de Hungarie, & Bohemie, Arch-Duc d’Austrie, Duc de Burgoigne, &c. Chevalier du tres-Noble Ordre de la Jarretiere.

But Anno 5 Eliz. in the said Emperor’s Stile, the Titles of King of Hungary and Bohemia were left out; because Maximilian his Son had a little before obtain’d both those Kingdoms.

In the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, the Stiles of Philip, King of Spain, who, while Queen Mary lived, was Co-Sovereign of this most Noble Order, run thus:

Du tres Hault tres-Excellent and tres-Puissant Prince Philip, par la grace de Dieu, Roy d’Espaigne, des Deux Cicels & Jerusalem, Arch-Duc d’Austriæ, Duc de Burgoigne, Millan, & Brabant, Compte de Hapsburghe, Flanders, & Tiroll; Chevalier du tres-Noble Ordre de la Jarretiere.