ANN. Heralds. insignia to invest the Elector of Brandenburgh, though he modestly declined it, as there were much elder members of the College than himself; but Sir Thomas declared, that he must go, or that himself would. This was the Lancaster. more honorable to him, as he was not only preferred to the other and senior heralds, but to the provincial kings of arms, though one of them was Garter's brother. Having prepared all the credentials, he kissed the King's hand upon his departure, February 4, 1689, and received £250 advance, with an allowance of 30s. per diem. He set out with his colleague, Mr. Johnson, nephew to Dr. Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury, March 12, passing through Holland, Westphalia, and Lunenburgh, going in that gentleman's coach. They were received at the Electoral Court with great splendor, as if ambassadors, their characters. being Oratores, Legati, et Deputati. They invested that Sovereign with all possible magnificence, Friday, January 6, on which day they dined with the Elector, who, a few days after, presented him with 500 gold ducats, and 150 more, as a composition for his upper garment, &c. and with his Electoral Highness' sword, value about £10. Mr. Samuel Stebbing, his secretary, who had been his servant near seven years, received from the Elector 75 ducats, and each of the footmen 15 ducats. After his audience of leave he returned through Hamburgh; Mr. Johnstone, the envoy, staying behind. Sir Paul Rycaut, their Majesties resident, and the principal merchants of England, who resided there, very nobly entertained him, until he sailed from thence, July 22. He arrived at Hull in August, from whence he rode post to London, leaving his secretary, servants, and baggage, to come by water. He kissed the Queen's hand at Whitehall, the King being in Ireland, and having made the compliments of the Electoral Family, he presented her Majesty with the amber cabinet which the Electress had sent by him. He then accounted with Garter for the moiety of the presents; and upon the King's return from Ireland, being introduced to his Majesty by the Chancellor, he presented the Elector's letter, and the compliments he received from the Elector and his Family, in the same manner as he had before done to the Queen. Soon after he received £250, for the bill of extraordinaries during his journey, being the remainder of what was due to him, which, with what he had been paid before he set out, made £500. He accompanied Garter, in 1691, with the Order to the Duke of Zell. In the latter part of this year he was engaged to survey the lands belonging ANN. Heralds. longing to Jesus' College, in Cambridge, which lay in the counties of Oxford, Gloucester, and Glamorgan, as, he had in that of Northampton; but this cost him a dreadful sciatica, which threatened to lame him as long as the lived, and even affected both his speech and memory: but recovering, he was, August 20, 1692, joined in commission with Sir William Colt, Knight, envoy to the Princes of the house of Lunenburgh. He had only 30s. a day, as before, and not 40s. as Garter had received for his travelling expenses, the government pleading want of money. The inability to advance him money detained him long. The privy seal passed about Michaelmas, but he waited for money until William returned from Flanders; when kissing the King's hand, and receiving a sum in advance, on December 2, he set out the following day. Passing through Holland, he arrived at Osnaburg the 15th, at Hanover the 18th, and Zell the 19th. where Sir William Colt received him with extraordinary kindness, and conveyed him to Dresden in his coach. Leaving Hanover 31st. passing Leipsic January 6th. he arrived at the court of Saxony the 9th having long been expected, no time was lost. He had his first audience the 13th. the second on the 20th. when the Elector received the Blue Ribbon, Garter, and lesser George. The grand ceremony was performed the 26th. with all splendor and magnificence, the Elector resolving to outdo the "Exemplar" of Brandenburg. "The carousal, the fire-works, the glorious opera, the masquerade, and "the other diversions which followed, in honor of this solemnity, were very extraordinary, and the Elector did somewhat outdo the Elector of Brandenburg, even in his presents." Mr. King receiving for Garter 50 pieces of gold, purposely coined, each valued at 10 ducats, presented in an embroidered crimson velvet purse, and in another curious one of nuns' work, 200 ducats, as a compensation for his habit. The secretary had six large silver beakers, partly gilt, and the footmen fifteen dollars each. The two commissioners, as was customary, alone dined with the Elector on the day of the ceremony; they also eat with his Highness on February 5th. the day they received their audience of leave. Parting with Sir William Colt, who staid to negotiate as Envoy, February 13th. he was conducted handsomely out of Dresden. He came to Hamburgh 26th. to Amsterdam March 15th. and thence went to the Hague. There he remained until his Majesty's arrival from England; when, having given an account of his legation, made the electoral compliments, and delivered his Highness' letter, he took his leave, and returned to England, April 19th. kissing her Majesty's hand 23d. thus concluding this embassy with great honor to himself. His bill of extraordinaries, of £344. 9s. 5d. was not ordered to be paid until July 26, 1694. He was greatly interested about, and employed in the instalment of these three foreign Princes. The Elector of Saxony died before the cere-. mony, but his achievements were hung up. The installation took place July 5, 1694; the particulars of which are given by Mr. King. It is sufficient here to remark, that in the ceremony, he officiated as assistant to Garter, who was aged, and had not perfectly recovered his indisposition; her Majesty (William not being in the kingdom) having passed a warrant for Mr. King to have officiated absolutely for him, and to have worn the mantle, if the case had required it. We must greatly lament, that he had not permission to accept the crown of Norroy, which his friend, Sir John Dugdale, was anxious to resign to him; but to this the Earl Marshal could not be prevailed to consent. After Queen Mary's decease he displeased that Nobleman about the funeral work so much, that he took from him his place of registrar, and gave it to Dr. Plot, Mowbray herald extraordinary, though his Grace continued to treat Lancaster with " a handsome respect, and, on the other hand, he "expressed all suitable deference" to that nobleman; but it probably prevented his advancing higher in the College, to which he had every requisite claim. This is the last incident which he has given of his life, from which. I have extracted these particulars, omiting all the trivial circumstances of his boyish, almost childish learning, and an early paralytic affection, which stopped his growth, and seemed to threaten him with debility of both body and mind*. There was nothing shewed the superiority of Mr. King's merits more than his proceedings, precedents, arguments on claims, and controversies, concerning baronies by writ, and other honors, given chiefly in Collins' Baronies. I feel pain in not being able to continue the life of this ornament of the period in which he lived. I can only add, that his other literary labors were composing a pack of cards, containing the arms of the English no bility, * It appears that the Earl Marshal afterward suspended him for keeping back £200, which be received as fees at the installation of the Elector of Hanover, the Dukes of Bedford and Marlborough, at Windsor, March 13, 1702-3, whilst the office of Garter was vacant; but the suspension was afterwards taken off. Mr. Brooke, Somerset's, notes.. ANN. Heralds. Lancaster. ANN. Heralds. Lanca ter. bility, in imitation of " Claud Oronce Fine Brianille;" and " the Order of the "Installation of Prince George of Denmark, Charles Duke of Somerset, and George Duke of Northumberland, at Windsor, April 8, 1684," printed in London, 1684, in folio. As also the "Installation of Henry Duke of Norfolk, Henry Earl of Peterborough, and Laurence Earl of Rochester, "Windsor, July 22, 1685," printed in London in the same year, 1686, in folio. Besides the various occupations of which he has given us an account, he afterward became secretary to the Commissioners for settling the public accounts, and secretary to the Comptrollers of the Army. In both he acquired the highest commendation. Mr. King was a man of great, most wonderfully varied powers. In several sciences he excelled: he was respectable in all he attempted. As an herald and genealogist, he equalled his great master, Garter Dugdale. Having fixed upon a lodging in James' Street, Covent Garden, whilst surveying Westminster, he boarded with Mrs. Ann Powel," a maiden gentlewoman," whom, after residing with three months, he married, July 20, 1674, being then in the twentysixth year of his age. "She was," he says, " a person of a gentleman's family "in Gloucestershire, being the daughter of Mr. John Powel, of Firley, in "the parish of Forthampton, on the farther side the Severn, descended from "the Powels of Denbighshire." As he never mentions his children, we may suppose he never had any from this marriage. Burying this wife, he united himself with Mrs. Frances Grattan, who survived him. By her he had three children, who all died infants. It was not until 1687 that Mr. King began to accumulate wealth, which was owing to the preceding expenses, his many family incumbrances from his father's ill husbandry, and that generous way of living, to which both his own, and his first wife's inclination led. What he acquired afterwards was, we must suppose, very considerable. Dying August 29, 1712, aged 63, he was buried in the chancel of St. Bennet's Church, Paul's Wharf, probably under the herald's seat, where is a handsome mural monument of marble, inscribed, "Near to this place lyeth interred "and some time deputy Garter king of armes, «Secretary "Secretary to the Honorable the Commissioners "as also to the Honorable the Comptrollers "He was a skilful herald, "a good accomptant, surveyor, and mathematician; "and well versed in political arithmetick. "He had one son and two daughters, viz. "Oct. Mens. et 16 Dierum." ANN' Heralds. Lancaster Nov. 14, 1712.-ROWLAND FRYTH, Esq. A native of Thornes, in Staffordshire. Thomas Fryth of Thornes, an ancestor of his, disclaimed all right to arms, at Glover's visitation in 1583; but Gwillim's Heraldry gives them a coat. Blome, in his Britannia, also mentions them as gentry, calling Edward Frith, of Thornes, Gent. Perhaps he was father of the herald. Son of Rowland Frith, of Thornes, Gent." a man of great integrity, and remarkable for his fidelity "to the King and to the Church." The late Mr. Brooke, Somerset, queried whether Lancaster had not that office from the interest of Fryth the builder, who gave name to Fryth Street, Soho, and was concerned in erecting Norfolk House, St. James' Square. It was of little use to this gentleman to have the tabard of an herald, as he survived his appointment only about five weeks, dying December 7, 1712, and was buried at Shenstone, near Thornes. June 4, 1713.-JOHN HESKETH, Esq.-See next reign. Y y |