ANNO 1344.]

ORDER OF THE GARTER.

9

time, but have waited until the College of Windsor, which was then building,and which may be considered as the domicile of the Order, was ready for itsuse, before he chose the Companions, appointed the Habits by -which they wereto be distinguished, and finally organized the Fraternity. This hypothesis isnot only extremely probable in itself, but is supported by some authority. * 1 2 3

The evidence respecting the period when the Order was in actual existence,is partly positive, and partly negative; but in both cases perfectly consistent andsatisfactory. Nearly all that is known on the subject has been derived fromthe Accounts of the Royal Wardrobe, out of which the Habit, or, as it istermed, the “ Livery” of the Order was annually issued to the Sovereign andCompanions. The Accounts between November 1341, and April 1344, arestill extant; 4 those from April 1344, to December 1345, have long sincedisappeared; and though the original Accounts from December 1345, to January

[1343-4.] “ King Edwarde made a great Fest at Wyndesore at Christemes wher he renewid theRound Table and the Name of Arture, and ordenid the Order of the Garter, making Sainct George thePatrone thereof.” Anonymous Chronicle in Leland’s Collectanea, vol. i. p. u. p. 560.

Fabian, living in the reign of Henry the Eighth, and compiling the early part of his Chroniclefrom sources which are no longer accessible, says, “ In the year 1344, and in the nineteenth year, theKing held a solemn Feast at his castle of Windsor, where between Candlemas and Lent were holden orexecuted many martial acts, as Jousts, Tournaments, with diverse other, at which were present manystrangers of other lands. And in the end thereof, he there devised the Order of the Garter; and afterestablished it, as at this day it is continued.”

1 “ On the 26th of February, 18 Edw. III. 1344, carpenters and masons were directed to beemployed in completing some works at Windsor; and on the 28th of that month, carriages were pro-vided for the conveyance of stone and timber which had been purchased for that purpose in the adjoin-ing counties.” Pat. 18. Edw. III. p. 1. m. 39. d. Foedera N. E. vol. iii. p. i. p. 6.

2 Pell records, p. 164. Issue Roll. Mich. 30. Edw. III. To the Prior of Merton in money paid tohim by the hands of Geoffrey de Chaddesley, one of the Canons of the said place, in full satisfaction ofthe money due to the same Prior for fifty-two oaks taken from the wood of the same Prior nearReading, for the Round Table at Windsor ; which said oaks were carried to Westminster for the King’sworkmen there, £26. 13s. Ad.

3 Fabian, ut supra.

4 “ Liber Ricardi de Eccleshale locutenentis Robti de Kyldesby Contrarotulator Garderobe R a xxvdie Nov anno xv [1341] usque xxj die Julii <p£ seqh [1342] et locutenent Walteri de Wetewang Cont arotulator ejusdem Gard a dco xxj die Julii anno xvj [1342] usque x die Aprilis anno xviij [1344]computatu. Hunc libru libavit hic [Meus Ricus de Eccleshale locutenens contrarotulatoy pdcoy xx modie Januar anno xviij° [1344] et Wills de Broklesby Baro illum recepit.” In domo Capit. Westm.asservat. A. 5—10. Anstis had not seen these Accounts, as he observes, vol. I. 103: “ It is to bewished that Wardrobe Accounts of the 18th, 19th, and 20th of Edw. III. may be discovered; and ifany such Robes should be mentioned in either of them, this matter would be cleared against Mr. Ash-mole; though by the way their silence only would not be a sufficient proof to reject Froissart’s report,for there is no incongruity in supposing that this Order subsisted some short time before either thepeculiar Habit might be appointed for it, or before the same could be provided.”

C