90

HISTORY OF THE

[ESQUIBES.

and shall be deposited with Our Genealogist of Our said Most Illustrious Order,which Esquires shall be duly ministering to the said Knight during the time ofhis Stallation, and at all and every other time when they shall be duly sum-moned to do their service to the said Knight, and shall be Habited according tothe Ordinance of the Sovereign in such Habit as shall befit their situation asEsquires of the Body to the Knights of Our said Most Illustrious Order.” * 3

At all Installations the Grand Master is attended by three Esquires, whoare called “ The Sovereign’s Esquires ;” 4 and his late Majesty, King George theFourth, appointed three young Noblemen to wait upon him in that capacity atthe Installation in August 1821. On that occasion the Installed Knights wereattended by their Esquires; and the Knights supplied such vacancies as hadoccurred among them, since their Installations, by new nominations. 5

No Esquires have been appointed since 1833, in consequence of theInstallation of the Knights being Dispensed with. Unlike the Esquires of theKnights of the Bath, the Esquires of the Knights of Saint Patrick have notPlates of their Name and Arms affixed to the Stalls of the Knights inSaint Patrick’s Cathedral.

The Ordinance of the 28th of February 1783, “ touching the Badges,Devices, and Habits,” purported to relate also to “ the Habits of the Esquires” 6of the Knights Companions, but not a word occurs therein, nor in any subse-quent Statute on the subject. A Dress has nevertheless been appointed forthe Esquires, who wear a Surcoat of white satin lined with blue silk, having onthe left breast an Escutcheon, argent, charged with the Cross of Saint Patrick,gules. Their Under Habit is a Vest with sleeves, of blue satin, trimmed withwhite silk lace: Breeches of blue satin, slashed with white and edged with red;white silk Stockings; white knee and shoe Rosettes; blue satin Shoes; a laceRuff and Ruffles, and a blue satin Bonnet; together with a Knight’s Sword,having a sheath of crimson velvet.

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3 Vide p. 15, antea. 4 Ceremonial of the Installation on the 27th of May 1819.

3 See the Lists of the Knights, &c. postea. 6 Vide p. 16, antea.