Paspcebdaed aS pase ADEN LES Se ‘ ——Eo SS See aS SSRSs SESS ‘ Ss e EAA SSA Noi Stee table SO ies SE ae as —— as ESSER Ree a i pad saben Set v4 ED OND 5 c 6 SETI PS ANTS VEE URN 3 PDT MAKITA, aa (OW 2 | 1 r, + : id 4 be r * t r Pe api CONTENTS. FRONTISPIECE -THE YEOMAN OF THE GUARD. After Sir John E. Millais, R.A. THE MustTER-ROLL, with Names, Rank, and Date of Joining - THE CAPTAINS FROM 1485 TO 1885 Oe Illustration) - INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - THE OFFICERS (with Sketch Perc) - The Baton, Exempts, Exons, and Gorpornlss Enightioods, Qualifications for Commissions. NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS- - a The Victoria Cross—The Beefeaters—The present Corps THE HIsToRIcAL EXTRACTS:— Henry VII. - - From 1485 to 1509 - The Formation of the Guard—State visit to Yorke—Qunrrels in the Household—Making the King’s bed—Weapons— Prince Arthur—The Duke of Shoreditch—The Uniform— Yeomen Bowmen (Illustrated)—Funeral of Henry VII.— A brave Yeoman. Henry VIII. - - From 1509 to 1547 - - The Guard in France (with Coloured Tlustration)-The Uniform—Engravings of three of the Guard—The Sta- tutes of Eltham—The Arquebuss (with Sketch)—Fanciful Shooting Postures—The Yeomen as Foresters—The King and the Abbot—Origin of nickname of “ Beefeaters.’’ EDWARD VI._ - - From 1547 to 1553 - Selection of the Guard—Cost of—Colour of Uniform Fhe Carabine and the Partizan. Maryl. - - From 1553 to 1558 - £1000 for Rpangles for the Uniforms—The Yeomen and the Heretics. ELIZABETH - - From 1558 to 1603 . - - Salaries—The Queen at Dinner—Maunday at Greenwich— Captain Sir Christopher Hatton (with Portrait)—Worthy Yeomen—Sketch of Yeoman, 1585. JAMES I. - - - From 1603 to 1625 - - - Guard for the Prince of Wales—Qualifications— Yeomen Bed Goers—First search for Guy Faux. CHARLES I. - - From 1625 to 1649 - : Ordinances from Household Books—Guard at House of Commons. CHARLES II. - - From 1649 to 1685 = = : The Guard in Exile—Royalty and the Guard revived— Ceremony of “ All Night ”—Retrenchment—Petitions for Pay—New Establishment—Salaries—The King and Guard at Lincoln’s Inn— Privileges—Uniform—The Beefeater Tat. PAGE 30 41 56 60 62 73 76 81 4, JAMES ITI. - From 1685 to. 1688 - - 95 Cane viecant Grandison, 1685—The Coronation (with Portraits of Officers)—The Bi-centenar y (Sketch of Four Yeomen). WILLIAM III. AND MARy II. From 1689 to 1702 - - 99 Weeding-out— Discontent—Pension for Captain—Exemp- tion from Parochial Offices—Mourning. ANNE - - - From 1702 to 1714 - - 102 Ancient Privileges—Benevolent Fund—Sale of Offices— Knights of the Garter Banquets. Guorce I, - - From 1714 to 1727 - - - 103 Order as to ancient Privileges—A quiet Court. GEORGE II. - - From 1727 to 1760 - - 104 The Bed Goers abroad—Daily Allowances—Duties on Demise of the Crown—The Yeoman Boxer. GEORGE ITI. - - From 1760 to 1820 - - 107 New Uniforms, Partizans, and Swords—The ‘Ter conten ae Celebration—Sketch of Yeoman, 1785— Trial of the Duchess of Kingston—Guard at Guildhall—The Stock- -purse —Fire at St. James’s Palace— Anecdote: The King and the Beef- eater’s Boy—“ Table” abolished— The Guard on active service—Royal Funerals. GEORGEILV.~ - - From 1820 to 1830 - 118 Roger Monk, Exon: his bequests; portrait of. Grant Uniform—The Guard at the King’s Funeral. Wittam IV. - - From 1830 to 1837 - - - 123 New Constitution of the Corps—Strength and Salaries— Old Soldiers—Officers at Drawing Rooms—Standard Height—A notable Yeoman. VICTORIA - - - WHOM GOD PRESERVE! 127 The Proclamation—New Uniforms—The First Levée and First Drawing Room—The Coronation—The Ilchester Seal (with Illustration)—Ancient Privileges confirmed— Marriage of the Prince of Wales—State Ceremonials : Bal Masqué, Bal Costumé— The Fee Fund —Inspections —Sketch of a Yeoman, 30th October, 1885—Standard Height, Anecdote— Army Pensioners—Searching for Guy Faux — Drinking the Sovereign’s Health—Salaries—Certi- ficate of Appointment. THE TOWER WARDERS: HISTORICAL EXTRACTS - 3 - 144 State Prisoners—Duties of Warders—Pay—Privileges— Official Report to James IJ.—Perambulating the Tower Boundaries—Bonfire Days—Duties: Locking the Gates, Saluting the Keys. THE PRESENT WARDERS - - 161 Muster Roll, with Rank, Ree ent Hal Date a Joints of all the men. List OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND GENERAL INDEX - - 184, 185 MUSTER-ROLL OF Hey Majesty's Roval Body- Guard OF THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD. 30 October, 1885. OFFICERS : CABPSINGG isis!) - The Right Hon. Viscount BARRINGTON. LIEUTENANT. .. Lieut.-Col. Sir ARTHUR NEED, 14th Hussars, FENSIGN) oe)’ Col. the Hon. W. J. COLVILLE, Rifle Brigade. CLERK OF THE CHEQUE AND ADJUTANT. Lieut..Col. FRANCIS BARING, Scots Guards. | Lieut.-Colonel C. D. PATERSON, 10th Foot. | Captain F. B. MORLEY, 40th Regiment. EXONS . Colonel HUME, C.B. Grenadier Guards. \ Major G. R. ELLISON, 47th Regiment. MESSENGERS: William Black, late Colour-Serjeant Royal Engineers. Edmund Everett, late Colour-Serjeant Coldstream Guards. Name. Dyne Smith Travis McClelland Brambleby Lester Kirby Harris Tresham Clark Laverty Brophey Noble Burke Roe Townsend Tudor ~ Humphries . Andrews Eliget Cullen Austin Spence Christian Name. Henry George Loy Christopher Robert John Chr. John Thomas Joseph William Thomas John John Thomas John William George John John Robert Michael Edward Robert Henry FIRST DIVISION. Corps Rank. S.M. pYee nel VG RE Army Rank. Serjeant Serjeant-Maj oF Colear-ser eant Serjeant 3 Serjeant Serjeant-Major Serj eant Q.-M. Serjeant Colour-Serjeant ~ T.-Serjt.-Major Serjeant-Major Colour-Serjeant Colour-Serjeant Serjeant Serjeant-Major Colour-Serjeant Serjeant-Major Serjeant-Major Colour-Serjeant Colour-Serjeant Serjeant-Major Q.-M.-Serjeant Hosp.-Corp.-Maj. Regiment. 1st Regiment 11th Hussars ‘7th Regiment Royal Artillery Rifle Brigade 23rd Regiment Royal Artillery 34th Regiment 87th Regiment 17th Lancers 77th Regiment 63rd Regiment 6th Regiment 10th Hussars 22nd Regiment 4th Regiment 68th Regiment 1st Regiment 23rd Regiment . 13th Regiment - 38th Regiment Coldstream Guards Royal Horse Guards my oined. 1855. 1859 1860 1869 1869 1874 1875 1877 1883 1884 1885 1856 1860" 1860 1865 1865 1871 1871 1872 1878 1878 1881 1882 q OY, f SECOND DIVISION. Name. Chsishian po Army Rank. Regiment. Joined _ Shields ; Alexander S. M, T.-Serjt.-Major 6th Dragoons 1855 ‘Tomkinson, Thomas Y. B.G Trumpet-Major 7th Hussars 1860 Walker ° Charles Ae Colour-Serjeant 55th Regiment 1864. U.C@. Rush | David — Serjeant-Major 9th Lancers 1867 Donelan James at Serjeant-Major 44th Regiment 1872 Hawksford | James aie Serjeant-Instr. Rifle Brigade 1873 Meweonibe! || Wilke fu Batt.-Serjt.-Maj. | Royal Horse Artillery | 1876 “Meadows Frederick = Q.-M.-Serjeant | 14th Hussars 1877 McNamara John ees Serjeant 6th Dragoons 1878 ‘McGarrity James — Master-Gunner Royal Artillery 1879 Douglass George = Serjeant-Major 14th Foot 1885 Martin Samuel S.'M. Colour-Serjeant Royal Artillery 1856 Hamilton Peter = Serjeant-Major Royal Artillery 1864 Nu gent Patrick — T.-Serjt.-Major 9th Lancers 1866 Elliott Robert — Serjeant-Major Military Train 1869 Rushent Thomas = Serjeant Grenadier Guards 1877 Canny Nicholas == Colour-Serjeant 6th Regiment 1878 Pitts John — Colour-Serjeant 14th Regiment 1878 Page Joseph a Serjeant-Major Scots Guards 1878 Randoll Henry — Colour-Serjeant 2nd Regiment 1878 Chamberlain | Daniel — Colour-Serjeant 23rd Regiment 1879 O’Brien William = Serjeant-Major 7 1st Batt. 5th Regt. 1881 Elvin William — Batt.-Serjt.-Maj. | Royal Artillery 1883 THIRD DIVISION. Name. Wilson Pearse Holmes Hurley Kelly Aires Leonard Cawdron Murray Austin Morson Austin Connor Tarbat Rule Plant Baker Ferguson Beer Rice Brewster Harris Whitehead Christian Name. John Charles William Patrick John Charles Patrick Thomas George W. 4H. William Thomas James Alexander Arthur John Daniel Robert James Henry D. William William James Corps Rank. Army Rank. rob Alls Nee 1835 ely, YB. oEe Serjeant-Major T.-Serjt.-Major T.-Serjt.-Major Colour-Serjeant Q.-M.-Serjeant Serjeant-Major Serjeant Serjeant-Major Pay-Serjeant Serjeant-Major Serjeant-Major Colour-Serjeant T.-Serjt.-Major T.-Serjt.-Major Serjeant-Major Serjeant Colour-Serjeant Serjeant Serjeant-Major _ Serjeant-Major, Master Gunner Serjeant-Major Serjeant Regiment. 40th Regiment ‘ 9th Lancers 12th Lancers 4ist Regiment Military Train 3lst Regiment | 53rd Regiment 60th Rifles Royal Marines 85th Foot Army Service Corps Coldstream Guards ~ 11th Hussars 14th Hussars 20th Regiment 17th Regiment 79th Regiment 4th Hussars Coldstream Guards 20th Regiment Royal Artillery 46th Regiment 5th Regiment Joined, 1854 1858 1868 1871 1871 1872 1877 1881 1882 1885 1885 1855 1860 1863 1866 1866 1869 1871 1878 1880 1882 1882 1884 FOURTH DIVISION. ; Name. Slee Scott Burke Thomson Hughes Meek Goddard Ford Newton Eccles Hanson Johnson Breese Handley Brownlow Mason Quay Cleary Willoughby Feldwick Mansfield U.€. Kells Johnson Christian Name. William John Thomas Henry James Thomas David William George Edwin William Robert Henry John William Edward Daniel John William Wei. Job Joseph Robert John Corps Rank. Army Rank, Regiment. S. M. Colour-Serjeant Serjeant-Major Musk.-Instructor Q.-M.-Serjeant Colour-Serjeant Serjeant-Major Drum-Major Serjeant-Major Master-Gunner T.-Serjt-Major Serjeant-Major Serjeant-Major Serjeant Serjeant-Major Colour-Serjeant Serjeant Serjeant Bandumr.-Serjt. Colour-Serjeant Serjeant-Major Batt.-Serjt.-Maj. Trumpet-Major Colour-Serjeant 70th Regiment 38th Regiment 49th Regiment Army Hospital Corps 13th Regiment 75th Regiment Grenadier Guards Scots Guards Royal Artillery 13th Hussars Royal Engineers 29th Regiment lith Hussars 23rd Regiment Coldstream Guards 12th Lancers 60th Rifles 7th Regiment Royal Marines 1st Dragoons Royal Artillery 19th Hussars 60th Rifles Joined. 10 SUPERANNUATED : Hards, Gabriel, Civilian, purchased appointment, 1830. Haythorne, John, Civilian, purchased appointment, 1834. Cooney, Patrick, Serjeant, Rifle Brigade, joined 1851. Lee, William, Serjeant, 16th Lancers, joined 1856. EXEMPT FROM DUTY: Scarfe, James, Serjeant, 17th Lancers, joined 1855. Rossell, Henry, Colour-Serjeant, Grenadier Guards, joined 1858. Wardrobe Keeper, George Blandford, late Scots Greys. In the column showing Rank in Corps the letters Y. B. G. signify Yeoman Bed Goer, Y. B. H. Yeoman Bed Hanger, and 8S. M. Serjeant- Major. ey oe ota Bie earl £ ViscounT GRANDISON, CAPTAIN OF THE YEOMEN OF THE Guarp, 1685, li CAPTAINS OF THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD, 1485. 1488, 1513. 1514. 1520. 1523. 1536. 1550. 1553. 1555. 1558. 1558. 1569. 1578. 1587. 1592, 1597. 1603. 1617. 1625. 1630. 1632. 1635. 1660. 1660. 1670, 1685. 1702. 1707. 1714. 1715. 1723. 1485 To 1885. Earl of Oxford. Sir Charles Somerset eatienmar ds Karl of Worcester). Sir John Gage. Sir Henry Guildford. Sir Henry Marney (afterwards Lord Marney). Sir William Kingston. Sir Anthony Wingfield. Sir Thomas d’Arcy (afterwards Lord d’Arcy). Sir Henry Jerningham. Sir Henry Bedingfield. Sir Edward Rogers. Sir Edward St. Loe. Sir Francis Knowlys. Sir Christopher Hatton. Sir Henry Goodere. John Best (Champion of England). Sir Walter Raleigh. Sir Thomas Erskine (afterwards Ear] of Killie). Sir Henry Rich (afterwards Earl of Holland). The Earl of Cleveland. Sir Christopher Musgrove. The Earl of Kinnoul. Earl Morton. Earl of Norwich. Viscount Grandison. Earl of Manchester. Viscount Grandison. Marquis of Hartington. ‘Viscount Townshend. Henry Lord Paget (afterwards Earl of Uxbridge). The Earl of Derby. Lord Stanhope (afterwards Earl of Chesterfield), 1725. 1731. 1733. 1737. 1739. 1743. 1746. LiAg, 1782. 12 The Earl of Leicester Earl of Ashburnhain. Earl of Tankerville. Duke of Manchester. The Ear] of Essex. Lord Berkeley of Stratton. Viscount Torrington. Viscount Falmouth. Duke of Dorset. 1783 (April). Earl of Cholmondeley. 1783 (December). Earl of Aylesford. 1804. Lord Pelham. 1804. Earl of Macclesfield. 1830. Marquis Clanricarde. 1834, 17 July. 1835, 5 Jan. 1835, 23 April. 1835, 5 Aug. 1841, 5 July. 1841, 8 Sept. 1841, 19 Nov. 1846, 24 July. 1848, 11 Feb. 1852, 27 Feb. 1852, 30 Dec. 1858, 17 Mar. 1859, 28 June. 1866, 10 July. 1868, 22 Dec. 1874, 2 Mar. 1880, 3 May. 1885, 29 June. Earl of Gosford. Earl of Courtown. Earl of Gosford. Earl! of Ilchester. Farl of Surrey. Marquis of Lothian. Earl of Beverley. Viscount Falkland. Marquis of Donegal. Lord de Ros. Viscount Sydney. Lord de Ros. Earl of Ducie. Earl of Cadogan. Duke of St. Albans. Lord Skelmersdale. Lord Monson. Viscount Barrington. @ BUN — ww \ (Sees A? OVE - Own Guarp aT St. JaMmeEs’s Pauace. INTRODUCTION. (HERE are very few institutions in this country which can boast of a history of four centuries, but the Yeomen of the Guard can now do so, for this famous Body Guard of the Sovereign was formed by Henry VII., and made its first appearance in public at His Majesty’s coronation on the 30th of October, 1485. Since that remote time there has been no royal pageant or ceremonial in which the Yeomen of the Guard have not taken a more or less con- spicuous part. Their portly appearance, picturesque costume and ancient weapons, have made them famous, but it is more than a century since any attempt was made to write a his- tory of the Corps. Then Samuel Pegge, who was sometime a Groom of the Royal Chamber, wrote an extremely interesting paper on the subject for the Society of Antiquaries, of which he was a Fellow. Taking Pegge’s paper as a starting-point, the compiler of the following pages, with the courteous assistance of Lord Lathom, a past Captain of the Guard, and now the Lord Chamberlain; Lord Barrington, the present Captain; Lieut.-General Milman, Major of the Tower; Lieutenant-Colonel Baring, the Clerk of the Cheque; Sir Albert Woods, Garter, and other gentlemen, has gone over the same ground and discovered many interesting inci- dents in documents which a century ago were not known to 14 INTRODUCTION. be in existence or could not be found. Careful search has also been made in several directions not traversed by Pegge, and some original documents from the archives of the Lord Chamberlain’s office have furnished what has proved to be — most entertaining reading. These old customs, set before us in such a charming way, give an endless variety of interesting particulars, and convey to us a better idea of the old-time’ doings than would be obtainable without them, and this is the author’s excuse for occasionally wandering somewhat from the subject-matter of this history. The ceremonies described are only given once as examples to illustrate the duties of the Guard; and, as a rule, only the part of the pageant or ceremonial in which the Corps itself or some of its members figure is given. The history, deficient as it is, will be found to contain particulars of the formation of the Corps, its constitution, its strength in each successive reign, its weapons, uniform, duties, and privileges. Also a complete list of all its several Captains, with biographical notices of its prominent members. There are very few memorials of the old Guard now left. The present Order Book only goes back to the beginning of the present century, and it is conjectured that the earlier books and other properties belonging to the Guard were destroyed in the fire which did so much damage to St. James’s Palace in the year 1809. This loss has rendered necessary a search through the Council Registers, and it will no doubt surprise many readers of the extracts gleaned therefrom to find that the Lords of the Privy Council, for so many years and as late as the reign of George III., had so much to do with the arrangements of the Royal Household. The illustrations have been made expressly for this history, and have been taken either from originals kindly placed at the disposal of the compiler, or from well-authenticated copies where originals were inaccessible. A glance at the INTRODUCTION. 135 successive uniforms of 1520, 1585, 1685, 1785, and 1885, shows that the supposition that the present costume is the same as that worn in the time of Henry VIII. is erroneous. In the chapter relating to the Tower Warders the origin of a recent scare concerning a supposed change of uniform is dealt with, and the groundlessness of the alarm-made clear. In this Introduction several subjects will be dealt with which could not conveniently be allotted as belonging exclu- sively to any particular reign, and the subject of the Officers has a chapter to itself. Y EOMEN. There is some uncertainty as to the derivation and precise meaning of the word Yeoman, and there can be no doubt that it has undergone some changes of signification since its introduction into the language. Dr. Johnson only gives a speculative derivation of the word in his dictionary, and there seems to be considerable doubt as to its birthplace. From many examples of its use it would seem to have designated a servant of the higher grade, as we hear of the Yeoman of the Guard, Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod, Yeoman of the Chamber, Yeoman of the Pantry, Yeoman of the Robes, Yeoman of the Crown, Yeoman of the Mouth, and so forth. In the Gentleman’s Magazine, vol. xxix. p. 408, is the fol- lowing instructive information :— “The title Yeoman is generally in no esteem, because its worth is not known. A yeoman that is authentically such is by his title on a level with an esquire. * * * The title yeoman is of military origin, as well as that of esquire and other titles of honour. EHsquires were so called because in combat they carried for defence an acu or shield; and yeomen were so styled because, besides the weapons fit for 16 INTRODUCTION. close engagement, they fought with arrows and the bow, which was made of yew; a tree that hath more eee force and elasticity than any other. “After the Conquest, the name of yeomen, as to their original office in war, was changed to that of archers. Yeomen of the Crown had formerly considerable. grants bestowed on them. In the fifth century (fifteenth P) John Forde, yeoman of the crowne, had the moytie of all rents of the town and hundred of Shaftesbury; and Nicholas Wortley, yeoman of the chambre, was made baillieffe of the lordships of Scaresdale and Chesterfield, within the county of Derby; all which prove that the title of yeoman was accounted honourable, not only in remote antiquity but in later ages. ‘“‘'Yeomen, at least those that frequent palaces, should have their education in some academy, college, or university, in the army or at court, or a private education that would be equivalent. Then our Latin writers would be no longer so grossly mistaken as to their notion in this respect. In Littleton’s Dictionary, and I believe in all our Latin diction- aries, yeomanry is Latinised plebs; and yeoman, rusticus, paganus, colonus. The expressions of ‘Yeomen of the Crown,’ ‘Yeomen of the Chamber,’ ‘ Yeomen of the Guard, ‘ Yeoman Usher,’ show the impropriety of this translation, for thereby it is plain that yeomen originally frequented courts and followed the profession of arms. Yeomen of the Crown were so called, either because they were obliged to attend the King’s person at court and in the field, or because they held lands from the crown, or both.” Dr. Johnson thought that Yeoman in one sense was @ ceremonious title given to soldiers, and quotes Spencer— Tall Yeomen seemed they, and of great might, And were arranged ready still for fight. Af b fief INTRODUCTION, sey | > Shakespeare puts the word into the mouth of Henry V.— You, good Yeomen, Whose limbs were made in England, show us here The mettle of your pasture. Spencer wrote about ‘A jolly yeoman, marshall of the hall, whose name was Appetite.” So that the beef-eating ‘propensities of the yeomen must have been patent as early as Spencer’s time. ° Harrison, in his introduction to Holinshed’s History of Great Britain, gives the following definition of .a Yeoman, as the title was understood about half a century after the formation of the Corps of the Yeomen of the Guard. It gives us an insight into the “manner of men” who were then considered to be desirable protectors of the person of the Sovereign :— “This sort of people have a certaine preheminence, and more estimation than labourers and the common sort of artificers, and those commonlie live wealthilie, keepe good houses, and travell to get riches. They are also for the most part farmers to gentlemen, or at the leastwise artificers, and with grazing, frequenting of markets, and keeping of servants (not idle servants as the gentlemen doo, but such as get both their own and part of their master’s living’), do come to great welth, that manie of them are able and doo buie the lands of unthriftie gentlemen, and often setting their sonnes to the Schooles, to the Universities, and to the Inns of Court; or, otherwise leaving them sufficient lands where- upon they may live without labour, doo make them by those means to become gentlemen. “These were they that in times past made all France afraid, and albeit they be not called Master, as gentlemen are; or Sir, as to Knights appertaineth but onlie John and Thomas, etc. ; yet have they beene found to have doone verie B \ 148 | INTRODUCTION. 4 good service: and the Kings of England in foughten battles were woont to remaine among them (who were their foot- men) as the French Kings did amongst their horsemen ; the Prince thereby showing where his cheefe strength did consist.” OFFICERS. THe CaAPrain. The Captaincy of the Royal Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard has always been regarded as an honourable post to fill, and for nearly 200 years the service was purely honorary, the only recognition on the part of the Sovereign being the occasional present of ‘‘a gown.’ The Household Books of James I. show that this was the custom during the reign of that monarch, and the cost of the gown given to the Captain was £14. But it often happened that the Captain of the Guard held some salaried office in the Household. Sir Walter Raleigh was, at the same time, Captain of the Guard and Gentleman of the Chamber; but the post of Vice-Chamberlain appears to have been the office most fre- _ quently associated with the Captaincy. A peer of the realm has filled the office of Captain for many generations, indeed (as may be seen by the Table of Officers) with only one exception since the appointment of Sir Henry Rich in 1617. The precedency of the Captain in State processions was considered and decided as recently as 1843. On the 11th of April in that year an order states that the place of the Captain is to be on one side of Gold Stick, the other side being occupied by the Captain of the Corps of Gentlemen- at-Arms. This was the place assigned to these officers at the coronation of James II., and, with but one or two exceptions, it has been their position in all State processions since that time. . Sk ac WS ISS eg BESS ¢ § Ss abo oeee WS ae = ESS VISCOUNT BARRINGTON, EN OF THE GUARD, CAPTAIN OF THE YEOM 1885. 2 © THE CAPTAIN. The sketch facing page 18 (with apologies to Lord Barrington for the attempt at a portrait) represents the uniform worn by the Captain, Lieutenant, and Hnsign on Inspection Parades. On State occasions, however, they carry in their right hands an ebony “baton,” the Captain’s being distinguished by a richly-chased gold top and a gold lace knot and acorn. This emblem of office is presented by the Sovereign to the Captain on his appointment. The colour of the uniform- - coat is scarlet, trimmed with gold lace, and the trousers are a dark blue, with gold lace stripes at the side. The cord of the aiguillettes is looped on to the top dexter button. There has been some uncertainty as to the proper position of the bullion sash-tassels. In the sketch they are placed before the sword-hilt as they have been generally worn; but recent authorities say the bullion should be behind the sword. There is very little to admire in the officers’ uniform. _ By virtue of his office the Captain of the Guard is usually made a Privy Councillor. He goes out of office with the Ministry. Lord Barrington, the present Captain, was appointed in succession to Lord Monson on 29th June, 1885. The salary is £1,200 per annum, and in the reign of William III. Lord Grandison was granted a pension of £1,000 a year. At one time there were also some valuable privileges connected with the office; but the only ancient custom which survives is the annual present of venison from the Royal Forests. The order respecting this privilege states that the Captain is entitled annually to two bucks and two does; and appli- cations for the warrants for the same are to be nye OFFICERS’ BATON, 20 INTRODUCTION. made at the office of Her Majesty’s Woods and Forests, Whitehall, for the bucks about the middle of the month of July, the buck season ending 25th September ; for the does at the end of the month of October, the doe season ending the 17th January. The fees payable at the office for the war- rants are for the bucks £1 6s., and for the does 13s. THE LIEUTENANT.” The second officer is the Lieutenant. He must have been a colonel or lieutenant-colonel in the army or marines or in the Indian army. At the time of the abolition of sale and purchase of commissions the value of the Lieutenant’s commission was £8,000; the salary is £500 a year. The office dates back to the year 1668, and the first of the Lieu- tenants was the Hon. Thomas Howard, second son of the Karl of Suffolk. The present Lieutenant, Lieut.-Colonel Sir Arthur Need, was appointed 11th February, 1870. Tue ENSIGN. The third officer—the Ensign—was added by Charles II., and it may fairly be assumed that when appointed he had to do an ensign’s duty, namely, to carry the Banner or Standard of the Corps. Diligent search has more than once been made for this Standard, but it is not forthcoming. Thom, in his Book of the Court, when speaking of the duties of the Ensign of the Guard, says :—‘‘ But, though such an appointment was then (1668) made and has con- tinued ever since, there does not exist the smallest evidence that the Corps ever possessed either Banner or Standard.” The late learned antiquary could not, at the time he wrote this, have seen the Order Book of the Guard at St. James’s Palace; for one of the first entries therein is as follows :— “In consequence of the death of Mr. Jno. Glover, late Secretary of the Earl of Macclesfield, his lordship ordered THE CLERK OF THE CHEQUE. 21 that the Standard, Books, &c., belonging to the Corps and kept by him be now given up, and that they be considered in future the property of the Corps, and kept as such by the Secretary for the time being.” The Earl of Macclesfield was appointed Captain in 1804, and the great fire in St. James’s Palace occurred 21st January, 1809; it is reasonable, therefore, to suppose that the Standard was amongst the property destroyed. According to Chamberlayne’s Anglie Notitia for 1672 the Standard of the Guard was “a Cross of St. George and like- wise four bends”; but the colours of the field and the charge are not given. By the regulations now in force the Ensign before appoint- ment must have held a commission as a lieutenant-colonel or major in the army or marines or in the Indian army. The salary is £300 a year. The present Ensign is Colonel the Hon. W. J. Colville, who has held the appointment since llth February, 1870. Tue CLERK OF THE CHEQUE. The officer next in rank is the Clerk of the Cheque and Adjutant. This is the oldest paid officer in the Corps and the post is extremely ancient. Long before the formation of the Guard the office of Clerk of the Cheque was usual in the royal households and also in the establishments of the — highest of the nobility. His duty was to keep the checkroll or “checker-roll,” which was a book contaiming the names of the household servants. In an old dictionary he is described as “an officer who has the check and controlment of the Yeomen of the Guard and all the Ushers belonging to the Royal Family.” He never was the paymaster of the Corps and had nothing to do with “cheques” in the modern meaning of that word. He was and is to all intents and purposes the Adjutant and Secretary of the Guard, residing 22 INTRODUCTION. in the Palace, keeping the Order Book, attending all parades, and preparing the quarterly statements. It was customary at coronations to knight the Clerk of the Cheque. Sir Francis Clarke, who filled the office m 1712, was knighted on the coronation of George I. on 20th October, 1714. Several subsequent Clerks of the Cheque were also similarly honoured, but Coles Child, who held the appointment in the reigns of George III. and George IV., was several times offered the distinction, but, on account of his retiring habits, he could not be prevailed upon to accept it. The silver-topped ebony baton was not carried by the Cierk of the Cheque till 1787, when one was given to Francis Barker, Esquire, one of the Exons, on his promotion, by order dated 5th July, 1787. The present regulations require that before appointment the Clerk of the Cheque must have held a commission as a heutenant-colonel or major in the regular army or in the marines or Indian army. Till Charles II. re-organised the Guard in 1660, the salary of the Clerk of the Cheque was 2s. 6d. per day, with fees, residence, and table-money ; but the new regulations raised it to £150 per annum. Lieut.-Colonel Francis Baring, who now fills the post, was promoted from an Exoncy on 4th December, 1884. THE Exons. The next officers in rank are the four Exons. The first mention of Exon is in the ceremony of All Night, which is fully described in the chapter relating to Charles IL. They were added to the staff of officers in 1668, just about the time when Marsham’s account of All Night was written. The derivation and meaning of the word Exon has been and is a puzzle to many; but it is undoubtedly the French pronunciation of the word exempt. An exempt was THE EXONS. 23 an officer in the old French Garde du Corps. ‘“ Exempts des Gardes du Corps” are described in a military dictionary as ““Hxons belonging to the Body Guards.” There was in France till quite recently an officer of police called “Un Exempt [exon] de Police.” When Charles II. formed his Horse Guards he created a commissioned officer who was styled indiscriminately the exempt or the exon, and in each of the two troops this officer ranked with the captain. There is a further confusion connected with the title of exon, for in his commission he is styled corporal. But it appears that in Hlizabeth’s reign “corporal”? was a commissioned officer, and the term was synonymous with captain. Down | to the time of the coronation of George III., which took place on 22nd September, 1761, corporal was only another word for exon, as may be seen on referring to the official programme of the coronation, wherein mention is made of “the Corporals or Exons of the Yeomen of the Guard.” The exempt in the French Garde du Corps always had charge of the Night Watch, and the Hxon in the English Body Guard was especially appointed for that service. Curiously enough the word Hxempt is also used in the orders of the Yeomen of the Guard with its English meaning. On the present Muster Roll there are still two “ Exempts,” that is, men who are exempt or excused from duty ; and the term “ Hxempt Yeoman” is used in the same sense in an order dated 12th March, 1790. The Exon’s duty as defined in 1881 was to occupy the Exon’s quarters at St. James’s Palace, to attend the calling of “the Bill” at mid-day at the Yeomen of the Guards’. Office, and to ascertain from the Lord Chamberlain’s Depart- ment what other orders there might be for the day. The present rules require that a candidate for the appoint- ment of Hxon must have been a captain in the army or marines or Indian army. The value of an EHxon’s commis- sion in 1861 was £3,500. ~~ INM LIDFAaMn id 24, INTRODUCTION. The uniform is similar to that of the other officers, except that the Exons do not wear the aiguillettes. The present senior Exon is Honorary Lieut.-Colonel C. D. Patterson, whose appointment dates from 12th February, 1862. The next is Captain F. Brockman Morley, 23rd Janu- ary, 1869; then Colonel Henry Hume, C.B., 23rd November, 1873 ; and Major R. G. Ellison, 4th December, 1884. KNIGHTHOODS. It was customary for an officer of the Corps, other than the Clerk of the Cheque, to be knighted on the occasion of a coronation; and the following list includes all who have been so honoured during the half century now last past. NAME. RANK IN CORPS. DATE. Henry Cipriani Senior Exon 13 Sept. 1831 Thomas Horsley Curteis . George Houlton Samuel Hancock Philip Lee William Bellairs Thomas Seymour Sadler . Captain J. Kincaid . Major-General Benjamin Trevell Phillips Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Cooke Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Need Senior Exon Ensign Senior Exon Lieutenant Senior Exon Senior Exon Senior Exon Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant 27 June, 1833 20 June, 1838 12 May, 1841 13 Mar. 1843 17 May, 1848 28 Feb. 1849 36 June, 1852 18 Feb. 1858 11 Dec. 1867 25 Feb. 1881 It was publicly announced in 1858 that knighthood was not to be looked upon by the officers of the Corps as a right, and this intimation was repeated in February, 1881. The following order relates to the abolition of purchase of officers’ commissions, and it gives some directions as to filing future vacancies from the date of the order :— ~ QUALIFICATION OF OFFICERS. 25 “ Lord Chamberlain’s Office, 24th June, 1861. “My Lorp,—I am commanded by the Queen to inform you that it is Her Majesty’s pleasure that the purchase of the officers’ commissions in the Corps of the Yeomen of the Guard should cease at the earliest possible moment, and that it is ordered by Her Majesty that the future vacancies in the Corps should be filled up by officers of the army of long and good service, to be selected from a list kept at the Horse Guards by the General Commanding-in-Chief, the recommendation being made to Her Majesty in each case, as now, by the Captain of the Corps. “Any of the officers who acquired their commissions by purchase, and are desirous of retiring from the Corps, upon communicating with the Captain, will receive,—the Lieu- - tenant, £8,000, the three Exons £3,500 each (that being the regulation price), for the sale of their commissions, from the Secretary of State for War, and a successor will be appointed to the vacancy, who, however, it must be clearly understood, will not be allowed to sell his commission. “The Lieutenant in future to be appointed must have been a colonel or lieutenant-colonel in the army or marines or in the Indian army. “The Hnsign and the Clerk of the Cheque, a leutenant- colonel or major in the army or marines or in the Indian army. “The Haons, captains in the army or marines or in the Indian army, according to the present regulations of the Corps. “Tt is further Her Majesty’s pleasure that no officers should be appointed to the Corps above the age of fifty. ‘““ Whenever an Exon becomes in the opinion of the Captain permanently incapacitated to perform the duties of the ap- pointment, he will be required to resign it, or half his salary will be paid to a substitute, selected as already described, and who will succeed to the next vacancy in the Corps. 26 INTRODUCTION. “This order is not to be retrospective, or to apply to those officers of the army now in the Corps who have been ap- pointed on the recommendation of the General Commanding- in-Chief. “Tt is to be clearly understood that all officers who may be appointed for the future under the above: regulations will be, as heretofore, entirely under the command of the Captain of the Corps.—I have, &c., (Signed) “ SYDNEY.” “ To the Captain of Her Majesty’s oe of Yeomen of the Guard.”’ For many years previous to 1883 there was a Deputy Clerk of the Cheque who acted as Secretary to the Adjutant. The last deputy was Mr. Davis, who had been in the Corps sixty- four years when he died. A re-arrangement of the office duties has done away with the necessity for appointing a successor to Mr. Davis. Her Majesty has graciously granted his widow an annuity of £40 a-year. Non-CoMMISSIONED OFFICERS. The Messengers, of whom there are now two, rank first amongst the non-commissioned officers of the Guard, and receive £75 per annum. They, like the rest of the Yeomen, are army pensioners, and are at liberty to employ their spare time in any way consistent with their duties. The serjeant- majors rank next. They receive £60 per annum. Besides their badge of four chevrons and a crown on the right arm, they may be distinguished by their batons, which they carry instead of the partizan. Ranking next the serjeants as non-commissioned officers are the Y. B. G.’s—the Yeomen Bed Goers, concerning whose peculiar duties there are several examples in the following pages. Then come the six men distinguished by the initials Y.B.H. These are the Yeomen THE VICTORIA CROSS. Di Bed Hangers, and it was their special employment to hang the arras and tapestry in the bed-chamber of the sovereign. George III. took his Yeomen Bed Goers and Yeomen Bed Hangers with him when he went to Hanover in 1783. The only other official is the Wardrobe Keeper, who finds plenty to do as custodian of the uniforms and arms at St. James’s Palace, and in superintending their removal to Windsor and other places to which the Guard may be sent. He is not a Yeoman of the Guard. Tur VIcToRIA CRoss. Since the first admission of army non-commissioned officers to the ranks of the Corps, fifty years ago, there have been five of them entered on the roll who wore or wear on their breasts the Victoria Cross. They are— @.€. Stephen Garvin, Serjeant-Major 64th Foot. Died 1874. @.€. David Spence, 9th Lancers. Died 1877. @.€. Daniel Cambridge, Gunner R.A. Died 1882. ©.€. David Rush, Serjeant-Major 9th Lancers. Joined 1867. @.€. Robert Kells, Trumpet-Major 19th Hussars. Joined 1880. Another Yeoman of the Guard has been rendered some- what famous through having sat as a model for the “ Beet- eater,’ which was one of the gems at the exhibition of the Royal Academy about ten years ago. This was Serjeant- Major John Charles Montague, formerly Serjeant in the 16th Lancers. He died 16th May, 1878. By the kind permis- sion of Sir John H. Millais I am able to give a copy of the picture. The strength of the Yeomen Guard is now 100; they receive a salary of £50 in addition to their army pension. 28 INTRODUCTION. Tut BEEF-EATERS. Regarding the sobriquet of “ Beef-eater,”’ which has long been the popular name of the Yeomen Guard, it does not seem to be necessary to go very deeply into the question of the origin of it. There is a story attributed to Fuller the historian, which will be found in the chapter relating to Henry VIII., which gives a very probable origin, but there are other not less likely derivations. When we remember that the Corps itself was copied from a similar Guard which attended the French King, who were nicknamed the Becs du Corbin, from a fancied resemblance of the hooks of their hal- berds to the beak of a crow, why should not the English Guard have got their sobriquet from the resemblance of their partizans to the bill or beak of the bird called the Beef- eater ? Buffon describes the beak of this bird as a “ strong thick bill, with which it pecks through the hides of oxen.” This derivation may be far-fetched, but it should be remem- . bered that the English yeomen were often referred to as bill-men, because they carried a weapon with a hook re- sembling the beak or bill of a bird. Doubtful the derivation may be, but it seems to be quite as probable as the generally accepted one of the name being derived from buffetier, inas- much as the Yeomen never have had charge of the buffets at the Royal banquets. THE PRESENT CoRPs. Although the men who now form this famous Guard are not Yeomen in the original sense of the word, they are, it must be admitted, better men for the Body Guard of the Sovereign than those so employed in the last century. What could be a better recommendation for a place in such a corps than the fact that the applicant had spent the best years of his life in the service of his country; and that he had won the THE PRESENT CORPS. 29 medals on his breast for bravery in face of the enemy or for long service? These medals, which all the Guard wear, show that they have done ‘‘ yeomen’s service” for the Crown already ; and if there be more of such service to be done, though of a less arduous and dangerous kind, surely none could do it better than brave soldiers such as those who now comprise the Corps. It will be well to remember that these grand Yeomen or their predecessors have taken part in and added to the brightness and picturesqueness of every Royal pageant or State ceremonial that England has seen during the past four centuries, and they have done this and at the same time guarded their Sovereign without once bringing discredit to their Corps. On the contrary, there is evidence enough in these pages to show that many of them lived the lives of good servants and loyal citizens, and died leaving behind them substantial proofs of their benevolent dispositions. All honour, then, to the grand old Guard on this the four hundredth anniversary of its formation. May it continue to be recruited from soldiers such as those who now so nobly fill its ranks, and, may it last for ever! 30th October, 1885. i head ee 30 HRN RY eevee 1485 ro 1509. THe FoRMATION OF THE GUARD. DREAD of personal violence undoubtedly prompted Henry VII. to form a Body Guard who would be available to protect him day and night. He had on the 22nd of August, 1485, won the Crown of England at the battle of Bosworth, and there is evidence in his Ordinances and in the Acts of Parliament which were passed as soon as he came to the throne that both the: King and his Council greatly feared treachery. Therefore by the day of his coro- nation—the 30th of October, 1485—he had formed his Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard, and they made their first appearance at the coronation. Hall says :—‘‘ Wherefore for the safeguard and preserva- tion of his own body he constituted and ordained a certain number, as well of good archers as of divers other persons, . being hardy, strong, and of agility, to give daily attendance on his person, whom he named Yeomen of his Garde, which precedent men thought that he learned of the French King when he was in France, for men remember not any King of England before that time which used such a furniture of daily soldiers.” Bacon, in his life of Henry VII., says that he instituted, e STATE VISIT TO YORK. Sah for the security of his person, a band of fifty archers under a captain to attend him, by the name of Yeomen of his Guard. It is thought that Henry followed the precedent of Louis XJI., King of France, who ten years previously had esta- blished himself a Grand Guard of 100 knights and 200 attendants. The latter were armed as archers when in the battlefield, but at State ceremonials they carried a halberd of a peculiar shape, the hook at the back resembling the beak of a Crow. Stare Visir to York. Henry lost no time in letting his subjects see that he was well guarded. In March, 1486, he paid a State visit to York, and went by way of Waltham, Cambridge, Huntington, to Lincoln, where he kept the Feast of Haster, and on Holy Thursday he washed the feet of twenty-nine poor men and gave them alms. The number corresponded to the years of his age. The King then attended service “in the Cathedral Church and in no Private Chapel, the principallest resi- dencers there being present did divine observance.” The next resting-place was Nottingham, and thence he journeyed onward to York. On the road the King was met by the Harl of Northumberland with a grand retinue. At Pomfret the King was accompanied by “ great Noblesse, Esquires, Gentilmen and Yeomen in defensible array; for in that tyme ther wer certayne rebells about Rypon and Midlem, which understanding the King’s might and were approaching, within two dayes disperse.” Leland (from whose account of Henry’s progress these extracts are made) goes on to say that “at Tadcastell the King, richly besene in a gowne of cloth of gold, furred with ermine, take his courser; his henchmen and followers, also in goldsmythe’s work, were richly besene.” The Mayor of York met the 32 ' ‘THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD. cavalcade three miles outside the city, and there “ was ordayned a pajaunt.” There was also another “again at hider ende of House Brigge another garnyshed with shippes,” &c. The Harl of Oxford, who was the first Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, is frequently men- tioned as taking an active part in the proceedings. Dili- gent but unsuccessful search has been made for a portrait of the First Captain, and the Curator of the National Portrait Gallery says that there is no known portrait of this Harl of Oxford. QUARRELS AMONGST THE’ KinG’s SERVANTS. One of the earliest Acts of Parliament issued in the English language is 3 Henry VII. cap. 14, and it is worth calling attention to as it relates to the origin of the Body Guard. A slight alteration from the original spelling has been found necessary to make the extract intelligible. It runs as follows :— ‘ For somoch as by quarelles, made to suche as hath been in greate auctorite office and of Councell-with Kynge of this roialme, hath ensued the Destruccon of Kynge and the neer undoying of this Realme, so as yt hath. appeared evedently when compassyng of the deth of such as were of the Kynge’s true subjiettis was hadd, the destruction of the prynce was ymagyned thereby ; and for the most part yt hath growen and ben occasioned by envy and malice of the King’s owne housold servantes, as nowe late lyke thyng was lykely to - have ensued. * * *” It is then enacted that the Steward, &c., of the King’s Household may enquire, by Twelve Persons of the Checque Roll, of Conspiracies, &ec., by the King’s Servants to murder the King or his Counsellors or Great Officers. There had evidently been something amiss in the Royal Household, for we find amongst the Acts of Parliament for the fourth year of the King (chapter 7) an enactment to MAKING THE KING’S BED.: i393 the effect that all Letters Patent made to Yeomen of the Crown and Grooms of the King’s Chamber should be void if there were any lack in their attendance. Sir William Stanley, Knight, was Lord Chamberlain to Henry VII. when the Corps of the Yeomen of the Guard was formed, but ‘he was unfortunate enough to offend the King and was con- demned to the block in 1495. But the best evidence of the extraordinary care taken against treachery is to be found in the following amusing extract from the Household Ordi- nances as to the manner of making the King’s bed. MAKING THE Kinaqa’s BrEp. After bringing in “the stuff for the bed—Then the Esquire or Gentleman Usher shall command them what they shall do. So, first, one of them to fetch the straw with a dagger or otherwise (that there be no untruth therein), and then the Yeoman to take the straw and lay it plain and draw down the canvas over it straight. Then shall they lay on the bed of down and one of the Yeomen to tumble up and down upon the same for the search thereof, and to beat it and lay it even and smooth. Then the Yeoman taking: the Assay to deliver them a blanket of fustian on which all the Yeomen must lay hands at once, that it touch not nor ruffle not the bed. Then the bolster likewise tried and laid on without touching the bed. Then to lay on the nether sheet, likewise to take assay and that it touch not the bed, until it be laid where it should be; then take both the sheet and the fustian and truss the same back together under the feather bed on both sides and at the feet and under the bolster. Then the Esquire for the Body to take the other sheet and roll it in his arm or stripe it through his hands, and then go to the bed’s head and stripe over the bed twice or thrice down to the feet. Then all the said Yeomen to lay hands on the sheet and lay it plain on the bed; then © 34 THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD. the other fustian or two and such a covering as shall best content the King. Then take a pane of ermine and lay it above, then a pane or two of marterns. Then to roll or fold down the uppermost of the bed, sheet and all, the space of anell. Then the Yeoman takes the pillows and beat and raise them well, and deliver them to the Esquires of the Body, who shall lay them on as shall best please the King. Then take the head sheet of raynes and lay one side thereof under each end of the bolster and the other side to lie stall. Then take a head sheet of ermine and lay it above and over, and then the other side of the head sheet raynes and’ cover the bed over and over on every side, first taking an assay of all those that have touched any part thereof, making a cross and kissing there where their hands last were. And then to stick up the angels about the same bed, and an usher to let down the sparver or curtain and knit them; and an Hsquire for the Body to cast holy water on the same bed.” “Ttem.—An Esquire for the Body ought then forthwith to charge a secret groom or page to take a light and have the keeping of the same until the time that the King be disposed to go to it. “Ttem.—A groom or page ought to take a torch while the bed is making, and fetch a loaf of bread, a pot of ale, and another of wine, and bring it without the traverse, where all they which were at the making of the bed shall go and drink together.” Regarding this quaint description, it should be remarked that it is very similar to a reprint made by I. C. Brooke, Rouge Croix, 15th January, 1776. He says that the account is extracted from an original manuscript which belonged to the Earl Marshal of England, containing the whole duty of the Lord Chamberlain, and was copied for the instruction of Henry FitzAlan, Earl of Aruudel, who was Lord Chamber- lain to Henry VIII. in 1526. WEAPONS. _ 35 With regard to these details it may be desirable to mention that assay was a “‘tryal or proof”; the word fetch then meant to test or try; pane was a covering, probably like the coun- terpane of modern times; marterns is intended for marten, a kind of fur. There is a doubt about raynes, but it most likely was a kind of striped velvet; and the sparver was a canopy set up over the bed. Some of the Guard were called Bed Hangers and some Bed Goers, and the titles are still continued, though their elaborate duties as detailed in the above ordinance have long been obsolete. It may be interesting to observe that at this period a bed of downe with a bolster cost £5. The teaster of tynsell and black velvet with arms, having curtains of silk with frynges, was worth £20. Wifty of the Guard were accoutred as bowmen and the other fifty were armed with the halberd. The King was himself a famous archer, and a contemporary poet says of him— . See where he shoteth at the butts, And with him are lords three; He weareth a gowne of velvette blacke, And it is coted above the knee. Amongst his expenses are such items as—‘‘ Lost to my lord Morging at buttes, 6s. 8d.;” “‘ Payed to Sir Edward Boroughe, 13s. 4d., which the King lost at buttes with his crosse-bowe.” Both the King’s sons were likewise expert archers, espe-_ cially Arthur, the elder one; and it came to be customary to call the champion archer “ Prince Arthur,” and other good bowmen were called his knights; but the pleasantry seems. only to have lasted till the next reign, when, as will be seen, the champion Barlow was dubbed Duke of Shoreditch. On the death of Prince Arthur his brother Henry became patron C2 36 THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD. of the art, and Hall, the Chronicler, in his Lsfe of Henry VIII, says that when he came to the throne “he shotte as strong and as greate a lengthe as any of his Garde.” In the Canterbury Tales Chaucer describes the Yeoman bowman as follows :— And he was clad in cote and hode of grene, A shefe of pecocke arrowes bryght and shene Under his belt he bare ful thriftely; Well coude he dresse his tackle yeomanly; His arrowes drouped not with fethers lowe, And in hand he bare a myghty bowe. The “ pecocke arrowes”’ are no fiction, for in a Cottonian MS. is an item of 12 arrows for the King, plumed with peacock’s feathers, 12d. An improvement in fire-arms which took place in thig reign induced the King to arm some of his Yeomen with the new weapon, which was called the arquebuss. The word is derived from arc-a-bouche, or arc-a-bousa, it being a weapon combining the old handgun with the cross-bow. THE UNIFORM. There does not appear to be any complete description of the uniform worn by the Yeomen of the Guard when they made their first appearance at the coronation. The colour of the Royal livery was then, and always has been, scarlet. The Tudor rose was worn as an ornament on the breast. The shoulders and arms as far as the elbows were protected with scale armour, and they wore knee-breeches and stock- ings of various colours. The following engraving gives a fair idea of what the Yeomen of the Guard looked like towards the end of the thirteenth century. j THE UNIFORM. 37 YEOMAN BOWMAN OF THE TIME OF HENRY VU. Mr. Henry Shaw, in his Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages, says that the extravagance in dress of the fif- teenth century appears at no period more remarkable than during the reign of Henry VII. Shoes in the previous reign had been worn of inordinate length, so long, indeed, as to 88 THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD. require the point to be supported by a cord attached to the garter. Now the fashion turned to broad toes or “ ducks’ bills”; and it is in shoes of this kind that the pictures of the period would show the Yeomen of the Guard. Also, referring to the costume worn at this period, Strutt says that “the dress of the English was exceedingly fan- tastical and absurd, insomuch that it was even difficult to distinguish one sex from the other.” This must have referred exclusively to civilian costume. It could hardly have applied to the Yeomen of the Guard. But there was then a perplexing similarity in the names of articles of male and female wearing apparel which may very well account for the mistakes made. We read of a gentle- man on getting up in the morning requiring ‘‘a clene sherte and breche, a pettycote, a doublett, a long cotte, a stomacher, hys hozen, his socks, and his schoen.” A gentle- man of to-day dressed in these garments might well be mis- taken for one of the gentler sex. Henry VII. died in 1509, and at his funeral twelve Yeomen of his Guard bore his body to the tomb in West- minster Abbey. In the programme of the ceremonial it is recorded that “‘then followed the Lord Darcy, being Cap- tayn of the Garde, after whom came the Garde and many other gentlemen.”’ } At the west ‘dore of St. Powles, the saide Corps,” which had been thus “brought through the cittie with torches innumerable,” was received by the Bishop of London, and after it had been ‘‘encensed’”’ it was taken out of the chariot ay ee ee ‘“‘and borne by xij p’sons of the Garde, because of the weight thereof,” into the choir, where it remained till the morrow, when the Yeomen again attended, carried the body to the chariot, and accompanied the procession to Westminster Abbey, at the door of which the body was lifted out of the chariot by the Yeomen of the Guard and carried to the choir.” A BRAVE YEOMAN. 39 Parts of the inscription on his tomb in Westminster Abbey are as follow :— HERE LIES HENRY THE SEVENTH, KING OF ENGLAND WHO BEING PROCLAIMED KING THE 22ND OF AUGUS1 WAS CROWNED AT WESTMINSTER ON THE 30TH OF OCTOBER FOLLOWING, 1485. OF ALL THE PRINCES OF HIS TIME THE MOST CELEBRATED. WHOSE WISDOM AND GLORIOUS ACTIONS RECEIVED ADDITIONAL DIGNITY FROM HIS MAJESTIC STATURE, HIS AUGUST COUNTENANCE AND MANY OTHER NATURAL ADVANTAGES. THE GLORY OF MONARCHY ; MILD, VIGILANT, BRAVE AND WISK OF A MOST COMELY PERSONAGE; DIED 2] apriL L509. THE QUEEN’S YEOMEN. Part of the Guard was told off to attend on the Queen, and in 1502 they were paid at the rate of one shilling per day. One of them, named Griffiths, was buried at the Queen’s expense in the churchyard of St. Margaret, West- minster, at the cost of xi1j s. 111) d. A BRAVE YEOMAN. The following ‘“‘anecdote of an English Yeon in the 4th of Henry VII.,” is taken from an old Chronicle reprinted in 1771 :-— “On this season the Flemmyings holding the Frenshe partie, and on especial thoose of Brugges, with the assistence 40 THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD. ef the Lord Guardis, had beseged Dixemve on Flaundres. The Lord Dawbeney, the Kinge’s Lieutenant of Calais, and the Lord Morley, with divers oudir noble Knightes and Esquires of the garnyson, and of the crew of Calais, and of the Englishe marche in thoos parties, rescued Dixemyie, and brake the sege. And their ware slayne the substance of al those whiche had beseged it, as well as the Lord Guardes servaunts, as the garnyson of Scottes, which lay at Osten- guen, with the substance of the Bruggelingis. Of the Englishe partie, there was slayn that gentill young Knight the Lorde Morley, and many noblemen hurt; as Sir James Tyrrell sore wounded in the legge with a Quarell; and a gentill and a courageous Esquier called Robert Bellyngham, the whiche foughte in his cotte of armes foot gerded with his swerd upon his harnois. And their was wonnen moche Artillerye, whereof.moche was brent with the Gounne Pouldre. Also it is not to be forgotten, but to by had in remembrance, the goode courage of an Englishe yoman [of the Guarde] called John Person, whiche was somtymes a baker of Coventre. Which John Person, after that a gounne had borne away his foote by the small of the legge, yet that notwithstanding, what setting and what kneling, shotte after, many of his ‘arows, and when the Frenchemen fledde, and his felowes were in the chase, he cried to one of his felowes, and saide, “Have thow these vi arowes that I have lefte and folow thow the chase, for I may not.’ The whiche John Person died within a few days after, on whose soulle God have mercy.” Al HENRY VIIL. 1509 10-1547. Tuer GUARD IN FRANCE. “nyU RING the reign of Henry VIII. the Corps became