THE Body-Guard of the Queen is the oldest corps in Her Majesty's service. This corps was instituted by Henry VII. in 1485, nearly two hundred years before any regiment that is now in existence was raised: it was, in fact, the only standing force in the kingdom, with the exception of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-atArms. In the reign of the first founder the number of the corps was fifty men; but it was increased by Henry VIII. to two hundred, of which number one hundred were mounted. The corps was afterwards very considerably augmented by the same monarch; for we find that in 1513, at the siege of Teroüenne', where they accompanied the king, the corps amounted to six hundred. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth the Body-Guard was composed of three hundred and seven men; and in that of James I. the number was again two hundred. It was further reduced by Charles II. in consequence of several regiments having been raised in the course of his reign. The present strength of the Body-Guard is one hundred and forty men, including eight ushers or sergeant-majors. The officers of this corps consist of a Captain, who is always a peer, and a member of the Privy Council, ex officio, and who carries a gold stick of office; a Lieutenant, an Ensign, four Exons, and an Adjutant or Clerk of the Cheque. All the officers, under the Captain, carry, when on duty, a silver stick of office, which they have the privilege of receiving, at a private audience, immediately from the hands of the sovereign. The commissions, as in the rest of the army, are saleable; but death-vacancies are filled up by the Commander-in-Chief from the Half-pay list, subject to the approval of the Captain of the Corps. The Body-Guard is entirely recruited from the non-commissioned officers of the army, without distinction of regiments. The selection is made by the Commander-inChief (subject to the approval of the Captain) as a reward for distinguished gallantry or good conduct. On state occasions, the men carry the halbert, but they are armed and drilled like the rest of the infantry; and from their high character and their 1 Henry VIII. of England, the emperor Maximilian, and the Swiss, entered, in 1513, into an alliance offensive against France. Henry VIII. landed at Calais in the month of July, and soon formed an army of 30.000 men, counting the troops he had brought with him. He was joined by the emperor with a good corps of horse, and some foot. The emperor was so mean as to act as a mercenary to the king of England, who allowed him a hundred ducats a day for his table! They laid siege to Teroüenne, investing the place with an army of 50,000 men; and the Duc de Longueville, marching to its relief, was signally defeated; the French were everywhere routed in the battle. This battle of Guinnegate was called the battle of Spurs, because the French used their spurs more than they did their swords. It happened on the 18th of August, and the place surrendered on the 24th; and the allies, not agreeing as to which of them should keep it, razed it to the ground. The English king then laid siege to Tournay, which submitted in a few days. And the Swiss laid siege to Dijon, which Louis de la Trimouille preserved by a treaty highly advantageous to that nation, which he reckoned the French king (Louis XII.) would refuse to ratify. The Venetians, on the other hand, did not meet with better success; they were defeated by the Spaniards; and Sforza retook all the towns that Louis XII. had conquered for that republic. HENAULT, Hist. de France. This battle (the Spurs) before Teroüenne, owed its name to an occurrence not much redounding to the honour of the French arms; in the same way that a former battle (that of the Herrings) fought when the English were besieging Orleans, obtained its ludicrous yet lasting name, from an incident occurring at the time. The duc de Bourbon, in attempting to intercept a convoy on the road to the English camp before Orleans, was severely beaten. It was a convoy of salt-fish, and the action by which this supply of provisions to the besieging army was preserved from falling into the hands of the French, was called the battle of the Herrings, a name it has borne ever since.-l'ertot. perfect state of discipline, they are as efficient a corps as any in Her Majesty's service.1 Thirty of the Guard are on daily duty at St. James's, under the command of the Exon in waiting, who resides at the palace during his tour of duty. CAPTAINS OF THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD. (From the Institution of the Corps by King Henry VII. in 1485.) KING HENRY VII. 1486. John, earl of Oxford. 1488. Sir Charles Somerset, knt. : afterwards lord Herbert, and earl of Worcester. KING HENRY VIII. 1514. Sir Henry Guilford, knt., K. G. 1521. Sir Henry Marney, afterwards lord Marney, K. G. 1523. Sir William Kingston, knt. K. G. 1536. Sir Anthony Wingfield, knt. K. G. KING EDWARD VI. 1550. Sir Thomas D'Arcy, afterwards lord D'Arcy, K. G. 1707. Charles, viscount Townshend, K. G. 1834. Archibald, earl of Gosford. Sept. 3. QUEEN VICTORIA. 1837. Henry-Stephen, earl of Ilchester. July 22. 1841. Henry-Charles, earl of Surrey. July 5. John-William, marquess of Lothian. Sept. 8. 1842. George, earl of Beverley. Jan. 18. 1 The learned antiquary, Ashmole, has the following passage in relation to this corps :-" The yeomen of the guard are a peculiar body of foot-guards to the king's person, instituted at the coronation of Henry VII., Oct. 30, 1485. This corps originally consisted of fifty men, under a captain; they were of larger stature than other guards, being required to be over six feet in height, and they were armed with arquebusses and other This band was increased by the royal successors of Henry to one hundred men, and seventy supernumeraries; and when one of the hundred died, it was ordered that his place should be supplied out of the seventy. They were clad after the manner of king Henry VIII.-Ashmole's Instit. arms. The corps still retains the ancient dress assigned to it by Henry VIII., viz. a scarlet coat, of a peculiar make, down to the knees, guarded with black velvet, and badges on the coat, before and behind. Their breeches are also scarlet, guarded with black velvet; and instead of hats, they wear black velvet caps, round and broadcrowned, with ribbons of the king's colour. THE SUPPRESSED OFFICES. MASTER OF THE GREAT WARDROBE. THE Master or Keeper of the Great Wardrobe was an officer of great antiquity and dignity. High privileges and immunities were conferred upon him by King Henry VI. and were confirmed to him by his successors; and King James I. not only enlarged them, but ordained that this office should be a corporation or body politic for ever. The salary of this officer was 20007. per annum. He was usually a personage of high political consideration, and subordinate to him were, a comptroller, a patent clerk, and many officers and servants, who were all sworn servants to the king. The Wardrobe establishment was abolished by act of parliament, in 1782; and it was directed that the duties of the office should thenceforth be transferred to the department of the lord chamberlain. MASTERS OF THE GREAT WARDROBE. (From the reign of King James I. to the suppression of the office in 1782.) KING JAMES I. KING WILLIAM III. George Hume, lord Hume of Berwick, 1689. Ralph Montagu, lord Montagu, afterwards 1616. James Hay, lord Hay, afterwards earl of Carlisle. 1636. William Fielding, viscount Fielding, afterwards earl of Denbigh. QUEEN ANNE. 1702. Ralph Montagu, continued. 1714. John Montagu, continued. KING GEORGE II. 1727. John Montagu, continued. 1755. Sir Thomas Robinson, again. KING GEORGE III. 1760. Granville Levison Gower, earl Gower. 1763. Francis Dashwood, lord Le Despencer. 1765. John Ashburnham, earl of Ashburnham. 1775. Thomas Pelham, lord Pelham. 1685. James Hamilton, earl of Arran, afterwards 1782. The office abolished by act of parliament, duke of Hamilton. this year. COFFERER OF THE HOUSEHOLD. THE Cofferer of the Household was the officer next in rank to the comptroller. He was a white-staff officer, usually of political rank, and always a member of the privy council. He had a special charge and oversight of the other officers of the household. On the suppression of the office, by act of parliament, in 1782, the duties of it were ordered to be discharged by the lord steward and the paymaster of the household. 1603. Sir Richard Vernon, knt. 1615. Sir Arthur Ingram, knt. 1620. Sir Marmaduke Darrell, knt. KING CHARLES II. ** William Ashburnham, continued. 1730. Horace Walpole, afterwards lord Wal-1782. The office was suppressed by act of parliapole. ment this year. TREASURER OF THE CHAMBER. THIS was an officer of great consideration; and he was always a member of the privy council. He discharged the bills of all the king's tradesmen, and for this purpose had offices in Cleveland-row, in the vicinity of the palace. His duties were transferred, and the office suppressed, at the same time with the offices of Master of the Great Wardrobe and Cofferer of the Household, in 1782.1 1 The act by which the three preceding offices were suppressed, is the 22d George III. cap. 82, and entitled "An Act to enable His Majesty to discharge the debt contracted upon the Civil List Revenues, and for preventing future arrears by regulating the mode of payments out of the said Revenues, and by suppressing certain offices paid therefrom." Among other offices suppressed by this act were, the Commissioners of the Board of Trade and the third Secretary of State. The act further directed, that any of the offices so abolished should, in the event of their being again established, be deemed to all intents and purposes a new office or offices, as if the same had never previously existed. PART III. SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. THE JUDGES OF ENGLAND.— LAW OFFICERS OF THE CROWN. ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS.—ADMIRALS OF GREAT BRITAIN.-GENERALS OF THE ARMY.— INDIA.-GOVERNORS-GENERAL OF COLONIES, &c. THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. THIS great and independent officer is chosen by the House of Commons from among its own members, subject to the approval of the sovereign, and holds his office until the dissolution of the parliament by which he was elected. As Chairman of the House, his duties are the same as those of any other president of a deliberative assembly. He is always a member of the privy council, and is entitled to rank immediately after barons and before the commissioners of the great seal. Generally speaking, the business of the House cannot be transacted in the absence of the Speaker, although to this rule there was an exception in the year 1606, when, during the illness of a Speaker, a prisoner was released from custody by order of the House. He reads to the sovereign the occasional petitions and addresses of the Commons, and, as their organ, makes such speeches as are usual or necessary on their behalf. He manages the House when prisoners, witnesses, or counsel are at the bar; reprimands persons who have incurred the displeasure of the House; issues warrants of committal for breaches of privilege; and expresses the thanks or approbation of the Commons to such personages as have been voted this high and most honourable distinction by the House. When parliament is about to be prorogued, it is customary for the Speaker to address the sovereign, at the bar of the House of Lords, in a speech recapitulating the leading business and proceedings of the session. The Speaker has the casting voice upon divisions in which the votes prove equal. SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. The county, town, or borough following each name is the place for which the Speaker was returned [The two preceding must have been Speakers to both lords and commons.] 1376. Sir Peter de la Mare, Herefordshire. [He is supposed to have been the first regular Speaker.] 1377. Sir Thomas Hungerford, - Wiltshire. 1381.J KING HENRY IV. 1399. Sir John Cheney, Gloucestershire: he, growing infirm and unable to serve, John Doreword, Essex, was delegated to serve in his place. 1400. Sir Arnold Savage, Kent. |