Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 14.pdf/109

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
80
The Green Bag.

That priory was granted to the Earl of Shrewsbury, and was vested in his family for a long time, but eventually passed away by the marriage of an heiress. The lands came later into the hands of a former Duke of Norfolk, who performed the service at the Coronation of Queen Victoria, and they afterwards passed to the Duke of Newcastle. The orginal grant was to the Earl of Shrews bury, his heirs and assigns," and the Duke of Newcastle, as assignee of the grantee of the charter, claimed to stand on exactly the same footing as did the Duke of Norfolk at the last Coronation. The Court, in these circumstances, decided in favor of the Duke of Newcastle's claim, and dismissed that of Lord Shrewsbury. The Earl of Erroll succeeded in establish ing his claim "to walk as Lord High Con stable of Scotland, and to have a silver baton, tipped with gold at each end, with his Maj esty's arms at one end and his own at the other"; but the Court declined to say who must provide a new baton, the one used at the last Coronation having been lost. Equally successful was the claim of the Duke of Argyll "to carry the rod or baton of his office of the Heritable Master of his Maj esty's Household of Scotland, to have fees, etc., and to be permitted the attendance of the proper officer of the Household." The Walker trustees desired "to exercise the office of Usher of the White Rod of Scotland by deputy," and their claim was allowed, though they were unable to specify the duties of the ancient office. Sir James Bal four Paul (Lyon King of Arms of Scotland) claimed "to be assigned customary place at the Coronation for himself and his heralds and pursuivants," and his claim was also admitted, though he was no more able than the Walker trustees to define the duties he would perform at the ceremony. The ap plications of Sir Arthur Vicars (Ulster King of Arms) and Mr. Henry Claude Blake (Athlpne King of Arms) "to be assigned usual place at Coronation, and have all advantages

appertaining to their respective offices," were granted by the Court, the Lord Chan cellor saying to the applicants, "You have, I think, established your right to be present at the ceremony, but this Court cannot say anything about your duties. These were all the claims which, apart from those post poned to the next sittings, the Court deemed itself competent to allow. For the office of Hereditary Standard-bearer of Scotland there were three claimants—viz., the Earl of Lauderdale, Mr. Henry Scrymgeour-Wedderburn, and the Rev. R. C. Scrimgeour. The Court, after listening to lengthy argu ments, reserved its decision in this case. One of the most interesting claims which did not meet with success was that advanced by the Barons of the Cinque Ports. Mr. Inderwick, K.C., who supported the claim of the Barons to be assigned a station within the Abbey in attendance on the King, pre sented a petition, signed by the Marquis of Salisbury, as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, which stated that from time imme morial they have been accustomed, at the Coronation of the Kings of England and Queens Consort, "to carry over the head of every of the said Kings and Queens a cloth, called a canopy, of gold or purple silk, borne upon four lances or staves, ornamented with silver-gilt bells; that sixteen of the said Barons were appointed to each King's canopy, and that a similar canopy was borne over the head of the Queen Consort by other sixteen Barons of the said Ports; that the said Barons were accustomed to have and take the said canopy or canopies, staves and bells, for their own use, and to dine, on the day of the Coronation, at a table in the great hall (where the King or Queen was accus tomed to dine), at the right hand of the King or Queen; that the said Barons in pursuance of their right of personal attendance upon the Sovereign at his Coronation, have, from time immemorial, armed and in their liveries, met him as he came forth of his chamber in the Palace of Westminster and conducted