262

HISTORY OF THE

[CHARLES II.

Duke of Albemarle, 1 the Duke of Newcastle applied, without success, forpermission to wear the Star and Mantle, and to vote in Chapters, before he hadpossession of his Stall. 2 Sir Edward Walker, Garter King of Arms, dying onthe 20th of February 1677, a controversy arose whether that Office was in thegift of the Crown, or of the Earl Marshal. After much discussion the questionwas decided against the Earl Marshal; and in April following the King nomi-nated Sir William Dugdale, 3 whose learned works bear lasting testimony tothe propriety of the selection.

Nothing took place after that time until the 31st of August 1680, whenHenry Fitz Roy Duke of Grafton, another of the King’s natural sons, who wasthen serving at Sea with Sir John Bury, and James Cecil Earl of Salisbury,were Elected. 4 * The Earl of Salisbury was Knighted and Invested on the 15thof September in a Chapter at Whitehall, on which occasion Prince Charles,Elector Palatine of the Rhine 0 (grandson of Frederic King of Bohemia, and thePrincess Elizabeth, daughter of King James the First), being in England, waschosen in the place of his father. 6 The Duke of Grafton, by his Proxy, SirEdward Yilliers, and the Earl of Salisbury, in person, were Installed on the30th of September 1680 ; 7 and Prince Charles by his Proxy, the Earl ofCraven, on the 24th of January 1681. 8

In a Chapter held at Whitehall on the 11th of April 1681, Charles LenoxDuke of Richmond, another of the King’s illegitimate children, was Elected,on the death of the Earl of Ossory; and he was Installed on the 20th of thesame month, when the number of Companions became complete. 9 On the25th of September 1682, William Duke of Hamilton (son of the loyal Mar-quess of Hamilton who was beheaded in 1649) was chosen a Companion on

1 Vide p. 257, antea. * Additional MS. 6280.

3 The particulars of the controversy, which will be again noticed under the Officers of the

Order, are given in the Additional MS. 6280, f. 109. Ashmole was consulted by both parties ; andit was proposed to him to succeed to the Office himself.—See his Diary, pp. 350, 351.

* London Gazette, No. 1543.

5 Ashmole says in his Diary, “ 1680, Sept. 15, 5 Hor. 30 minutes, post merid. Sir Charles Cotterellpresented me to the Prince Elector Palatine, in the Council Chamber, whose hand I kissed, and hadmuch discourse with him about the Order of the Garter, into which he was ready to be Elected.”—p. 356.

6 Garter’s Register. London Gazette, No. 1547. Additional MS. 6280.

i Ibid. 8 Ibid. No. 1584.

9 Ibid. No. 1606. Garter’s Register. The Elector of Saxony died on the 22nd of August, and theEarl of Ossory on the 30th of July 1680.