JAMES IL

Garter.

Returning to Oxford, he remained there until June 26, 1646, when the garrison was obliged to submit to the Parliament; but he had, by letters patent dated at that city, April 16, 1644, been created Chester herald, upon the vacancy of the office, by the promotion of Edward Walker, Esq. to be Norroy. Sir Henry St. George, Knt. going from thence to Garter's place, the death of Sir John Boroughs, Knt. Whilst Mr. Dugdale remained here, he attended the funerals of the nobility, and others of great quality; some of whom fell in the civil war. Then, and indeed during his whole life, he continued his researches into the records of the kingdom, as opportunities offered.

upon

The Parliament Commissioners sequestered his estates, and deprived him of his office; but taking advantage of having been included in the articles of capitulation of Oxford, going to London, he made his composition to them at Goldsmith's Hall, paying £168. He is described as William Dugdale, of "Shewstock, Co. War. Gent."

Returning into Warwickshire, he pursued his favorite studies until May 1648, when he went with Lady Hatton to Calais, to meet her Lord, whom he accompanied to Paris. He obtained, during his three months. stay in that kingdom, from Mr. Francis du Chesne, son of the learned Andrew du Chesne, deceased, many curious MSS., relating to the alien priories. They had been cells to great abbeys in France. These MSS. he found of great use in his " Monasticon." He returned to England, by means of letters of safe conduct under the sign manual, and signet of the Queen of England, dated at St. Germain-en-Laye, August 3, in that year. During the Usurpation, he spent his leisure in writing, and printing his works; residing much of his time in London to inspect the press, the ordinary correctors not being skilled in the pedigrees.

At the happy Restoration, to prevent the importunity of others who aimed at the office of Norroy, void by the removal of Sir Edward Walker to his lawful place of Garter, which had been usurped, Chancellor Hide, having seen his " Antiquities of Warwickshire," and the first book of the "Monasticon Anglicanum," whilst in the little court of Brussels, asked of his Majesty, and readily obtained the place, with a special warrant under the royal signet, to prepare a patent under the great seal for it, which passed June 18, 1660, when he again entered upon his heraldic

office,

office, and with a diligence and discretion that did him the greatest

honor.

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Sir Edward Walker, Garter, dying whilst he was in Warwickshire, he had nothing to do with the dispute that agitated the Court and the College about the right to appoint a successor. The King wished to appoint a gentleman, whom" Sir William Dugdale says was "very well qualified with learning in all points of honor and arms," in whose favor many noblemen had solicited his Majesty; but the Earl of Norwich, son and heir to, and deputy for the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, absolutely refused to recede from his claim to nominate Garter, the King at length asked him whom he had a desire to recommend, who naming Mr. Dugdale, Norroy, his Majesty immediately replied, "Nay, then, I am content." Of this the secretary of the Earl Marshal informed him by his Lordship's desire, requesting him to come up to London immediately.

This news was received with surprize, because he had declined. going to solicit for the place, though much importuned by several honorable persons, who alleged his reasonable hopes of succeeding, "as he was next king of arms, to whom it properly belonged, and the "most ancient officer in the College of Arms then living, by above twenty "years." Though he had pleaded his great age, yet being so honorably appointed, he thought it neither decent to his Majesty nor his patron, to decline accepting the office; he, therefore, in a few days, rode up to London, where he was welcomed by the Earl Marshal, "with very "noble expressions for complying with him therein."

The patent passed under the great seal, April 26, 1677. On Thurs. day, May 24, being Ascension Day, he was solemnly created Garter, at the College of Arms, by the Earl of Peterborough, who then exercised the office of Earl Marshal, as deputy to the Earl of Norwich, by virtue of his Majesty's immediate warrant for that purpose; and on the following day

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* Sir William Dugdale calls this gentleman Sir William Howard, Knt. but King, Lancaster, more properly styles him "Sir William Hayward, one of the gentlemen of "the King's privy chamber," which post he was in at least so early as 1676. He remained in it during that reign, and was in the same service to James II., and to William and Mary, as appears by Chamberlayne's "Present State of England," printed in those reigns. Blome, in his "Britannia" calls him Sir William Hayward, of Oxted in Surrey, Knt.

JAMES II.

Gartet.

Garter.

JAMES II. day being introduced to the King, in the old bedchamber at Whitehall, by the Earl Marshal, he received the honor of knighthood, though much against his inclination, from leaving so small an estate. At the same time his Majesty put the badge of the order, usually worn by Garter, round his neck, suspended to a chain of gold. On the first of June following, in a solemn chapter held by the Sovereign, and many companions of the order, in the Red Room at the same palace, he took his oath as Garter, kneeling by the King, it being administered by the Bishop of Salisbury as Chancellor. Sir William died in universal esteem and venera tion, February 10, 1685-6, and was buried on the 12th, in the parish church of Shustock, under a large altar monument. He was one of the first antiquaries this nation ever produced, as the number and worth of his publications shew. They were, "Monasticon Anglicanum," 3. vol. fol. printed in 1655, 1661, and 1673, in which he was much assisted by Roger Dodsworth, Esq. It produced many law suits, by the revival of old writings. It gave great disgust to the puritans, as it contained the history of the ancient religious regulars, with the foundations of monasteries and collegiate churches. It bears a very great price at this time, from the difficulty of obtaining a complete set, a usual thing with works which are published at various times, and because many copies of single volumes having been lost or destroyed, the many bought up by the Romish gentry, and still more by the foreign religious foundations. Antiquities of Warwickshire," fol. 1656, and in 1730, in two volumes, with additions, and a continuation by W. Thomas, D. D., and a subsequent one, printed in Coventry, in one volume. Dr. Thomas' is the best edition. The late captain Heely consulted me about another edition, but he found the gentry not disposed to assist. " Antiquities of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul," 1658, fol. republished in 1716, by Edward Maynard, D.D. " History of draining and embanking the Fens," fol. 1660. These two works are in very general estimation. Sir Henry Spelman's" Concilia," the second volume, with the second part of the Glossary. "Origines Judiciales," fol. 1666, second edition 1671, a spurious one in 1680. These also are valuable works. "Baronage of England," fol. first volume 1675, second and third 1676, a very splendid copy of which, with the arms of the extinct baronies, is preserved in the library of Caius College, Cambridge. This work is not so accurate as might have been expected,

66

Garter.

great errors having been discovered in it, Mr. Charles Hornby, clerk of JAMES II. the Pipe Office, published an anonymous octavo pamphlet, in 1738, detecting "many of the numberless errors and defects" in it; but with all its acknowledged faults it is a very valuable publication. "The History of "the Civil Wars from 1639 to the Restoration," fol. Oxford, 1681; this is by no means a capital performance. Usage of Arms," 1682. "A Ca

talogue of Baronets, &c. in 1681," are of very inferior consideration. "Summons to Parliament," 1685. A splendid edition of this was published at Birmingham, but which did not answer to the bookseller who printed it. Of all his works, his Warwickshire is most estimable: its plan is the best model that is known for county histories. Nothing but unwearied research, the most judicious and most powerful friends, with a long life, could have accomplished these works, especially as he was equally assiduous in his profession in the College; for when Norroy, he visited the counties of Derby, Nottingham, Stafford, Chester, Lancaster, York, Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmoreland, and this in so exact a manner, that he noticed all "collaterals, viz. uncles, aunts, bro"thers, and sisters, in the descents by him entered." His loyalty, fidelity, and courage, were displayed in his conduct towards his royal master Charles I.; and his disregard to fear or favor, "in his publicly disclaiming "such as took upon them the titles of Esquire or Gentlemen without just "right, and faithfully registering the arms of all such as could manifest any justifiable right thereto; also in defacing such arms as he found in any "churches, or public places, as were fictitious, and pulling down several "achievements irregularly, and against the law of arms, hung up in any "churches or chapels, within the precincts of his province," and his vindicating the rights of the College by his action against Randle Holme, a painter of Chester. Sir William's MS. collections were very large: these he left to Oxford. I have seen in Warwickshire several instances of his attention to the neighbouring gentry, relative to their families. In the MS. of John Ives, Esq. was Sir William's directions for the search of records, and making use of them, in order to an historical discourse of the "Antiquities of Staffordshire," which Mr. Ives published in his select papers.

In the reign of Charles II., and all probably whilst Sir William was Garter, there were elected these foreign princes into the order of St. George:

JAMES II.

Garter.

George: Henry Charles de lá Tremouille, Prince of Tarente, who gave at his investment a diamond, valued at £200: William, Prince of Orange, afterward our William III.pwho gave 1200 dollars: Frederick-William, Prince Elector, Marquis of Brandenburgh, afterward King of Prussia, who gave 100 pieces of gold, each valued at ten rixdollars: John Gasper de Marchin, Count de Grewille, who presented to Garter £200 in gold: Christian, Prince, afterwards King of Denmark: Charles IX. of Sweden, who gave a gold chain, and medal, valued at £200: John-George II. Duke of Saxony, who gave a silver basin and ewer, a gold chain, and a medal, also a sword with a cross hilt of agates adorned with gold: Charles, Count Palatine of the Rhine, and Prince George of Denmark. It does not appear that Sir William left the kingdom to invest any of them; probably ' it was done by his deputy, Thomas St. George, Norroy, who went for him to Saxony.

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Sir William was a patron of learning and science. Robert Thoroton, M.D. dedicated his History of Nottinghamshire to him, whom he stiles "his worthy friend." He was then Norroy. Garter was not less estimable in private life than in his public capacity. He married, March 17, 1622, Margery, second daughter of John Huntbache of Seawall, in the parish of Bishbury in Staffordshire, Gent., by whom he had three daughters. Mary, married to Mr. White. She is buried at Shustock, near her parents. Her mural monument bears this inscription, "Neare unto this place lyeth "the body of Mrs. Mary White, widd., eldest daughter of Sir William Dugdale, Kt. late Garter principal King of Armes, who departed this life "on the 17 day of Feb. 1689, aged 63 years." Margery, married at Shustock, Nov. 29, 1669, to George Dod, of Birmingham, Gent. Jane, who dying a spinster, was buried at Shustock, August 9, 1720, "aged "84, et gratia plena." And Elizabeth, married to Elias Ashmole, Esq. Windsor herald, and Sir John Dugdale, who became Norroy. Sir William's wife, died December 18, 1681, and was buried December 21, at the upper end of the chancel of Shustock church, in a narrow vault, containing two stone coffins placed there by him for the reception of his, and her body. Upon Sir William's tomb are the arms of Dugdale, impaling Gules, a Fesse between three Dogs' Heads erased.

"M.S.