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Robert B. Johnston
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Editha W. Johnston
THE JEWEL HOUSE
THE KING'S STATE CROXY.V
Reproduced by permission uf Messrs. Cassell & Co., from a painting made by Mr. Cyril Davenport (Copyright).
THE
JEWEL HOUSE
An Account of the Many Romances
Connected with the Royal Regalia
Together with Sir Gilbert Talbot's
Account of Colonel Blood's Plot
Here reproduced for the first Time
BY MAJOR-GENERAL
SIR GEORGE YOUNGHUSBAND
K.C.M.G., K.C.I.E., C.B.
KEEPER OF THE JEWEL HOUSE
ILLUSTRATED IN COLOUR, ETC.
HERBERT JENKINS LIMITED
3 YORK STREET ST. JAMES'S
LONDON S.W.i <& <& MCMXXI
A
HERBERT
JENKINS'
BOOK
Wo
;
^
852208
The Mayflower Press, Plymouth, England. William Brendon & Son Ltd.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE JEWEL HOUSE . . . . .11
v,
II. THE REGALIA IN THE TOWER ..... 34
III. THE REGALIA (continued) . % . . .50
IV. THE ROYAL PLATE 61
V. THE KING'S ECCLESIASTICAL PLATE . . .71
VI. THE REGAL EMBLEMS ...... 80
VII. THE GREAT TRAGEDY 91
VIII. THE KEEPERS OF THE JEWEL HOUSE . . .109
IX. POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE ..... 127
X. THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS . . . 143
XI. THE CRIME OF COLONEL BLOOD . . . .174
XII. THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 191
APPENDICES
A. THE KEEPERS OF THE REGALIA FROM 1042-1920 . 221
B. LETTER FROM QUEEN ANNE BOLEYN TO HENRY VIII 224
C. COMPLETE LIST OF THE REGALIA IN THE JEWEL
HOUSE ........ 228
D. SIR GILBERT TALBOT'S MSS 232
INDEX ......... 250
ILLUSTRATIONS
COLOURED PLATES
The King's State Crown ..... Frontispiece
To fact Page
The Queen's State Crown ... 41
The King's Orb ....... 47
The King's Royal Sceptre ...... 86
The Jewel House in Queen Elizabeth's Reign (double page) . 16
The Jewel House in 1815 . . . . . -19
The Jewel House in 1920 . . . . . .22
The Imperial Indian Crown . . . . . -38
The Diadem of Mary of Modena . . . . .40
The King's Sceptre before and after the Introduction of the Star of
Africa ........ 43
The Jewelled State Sword ...... 83
The Keeper of the Jewel House in his State Robes . . . 109
Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex . . . . .116
The Black Prince with the famous Ruby . . . .144
The Duke of Wellington at the first cutting of the Koh-i-Nur
Diamond . . . . . . . .158
Portrait of Colonel Blood . . . . . .174
Colonel Blood stealing the Crown . . . . .181
Facsimile of a Page from Sir Gilbert Talbot's MSS. . . 232
Facsimile of a Page from Sir Gilbert Talbot's MSS. . . 233
THE JEWEL HOUSE
CHAPTER I
THE JEWEL HOUSE
When kings began to reign — The Crown of the King of the Ammon-
ites— A Crown weighing 125 Ibs. — The Treasure House of
Kings — Egbert the first King of England — His regalia — King
Alfred's Crown — Edward the Confessor's Crown and Staff and
Ring — The Crown Jewels first placed in Westminster Abbey —
Henry III removes them to the Tower of London — The Jewel
Chamber in the White Tower — The Jewel House in the reign of
Queen Elizabeth — The Martin Tower turned into the Jewel
House by Charles II — The word " Bolleyn " on the wall —
Northumberland and Heriot prisoners there — A slender guard
and the result — Colonel Blood fails in his attempt on the Crown
— Northumberland's ghost — Narrow escape from fire of the
Jewel House — Removal of Crown Jewels to the Wakefield
Tower — Its former history — Origin of name — The murder of
Henry VI in this tower — The young Princes buried in the base-
ment— The lesson from St. Patrick's Jewels — King Edward VII
makes the Jewels secure — The tantalized burglar — The German
lady and the Kaiser's hopes — The Jewels in the Great War —
Their narrow escapes — Their removal till the end of the War —
Return to the Tower — Their wonderful adventures as recorded.
WHEN Kings first began to reign on earth
they wore on their heads and carried in
their hands the emblems of royalty.
To give them dignity, the seats they
occupied were raised and glorified and became
thrones. Thousands of years ago the crown became
12 THE JEWEL HOUSE
the mark of sovereignty, for did not Saul fight his
last battle wearing his crown, and with the bracelet
on his arm ? Whilst the prophet Samuel in his
book records that the crown of the King of the
Ammonites, taken in battle by King David, was of
pure gold, studded with precious stones. The
prophet also commits himself so far as to add that
this crown weighed one talent. Perhaps in this detail
we may make allowance for Eastern hyperbole,
a talent being equivalent to 125 lb., or the weight
of two fair-sized portmanteaux. It is not reasonable
to assume that even the most muscular King would
with equanimity thus handicap himself whilst
waging war. The throne of Solomon has become
historic, made, we are told, of ivory overlaid with
gold with a lion standing on each side, and twelve
lions guarding the sides of each of the six steps that
led up to it. As the value and number of kingly
emblems increased, it became necessary to deposit
them when not in use in a place of security strongly
guarded, which came to be known as the Treasure
House of the King. In ancient days it was not
unusual to place the Regalia in some holy place,
such as a church or cathedral, where the sanctity
of the building was held to be an additional safeguard ;
but more usually it would be kept with the King in
his castle.
Egbert, the first King of England, was crowned
nearly eleven hundred years ago, in A.D. 827, and
THE JEWEL HOUSE 13
King George V, the present King of England, is his
direct descendant. The English monarchy is the
oldest in Europe, and the English Royal Family had
a longer pedigree than that of any European poten-
tate, even before the Great War. The kingly emblems
in King Egbert's days were few and of no great value,
probably nothing more than a crown and a sceptre.
The crown of King Alfred was made of gold wire,
and was, when broken up and melted down by the
Commonwealth, valued only at £238 los. od.
Edward the Confessor, besides a crown, had a staff
or long sceptre, a replica of which is now amongst
the Crown Jewels. He also had a Coronation ring
set with a large and very fine sapphire, which same
sapphire may be seen in the cross pate on top of
King George V's State Crown.
As the Crown Jewels increased in number and
value, the King ceased to carry them about with him
on all occasions, and they were handed over to the
safe keeping of the Abbot and monks of West-
minster. In Westminster Abbey can still be pointed
out the Chapel of the Pix, where the regal emblems
were kept. It is not improbable that Edward the
Confessor inaugurated this manner of safeguarding
the Regalia when not in use, and his successors for
two hundred years followed his example. But
though Westminster Abbey proved a sure sanctuary
against robbers and marauders from the outer world,
unfortunately within the sacred walls were those
14 THE JEWEL HOUSE
inured to sanctity, and who were by no means
indisposed to profit in so obvious and mundane a
matter as disposing of the Crown Jewels. Probably
the Treasure Chamber was rarely inspected or
visited, and as the monks themselves were the
guardians, inconvenient inquiries might easily be
disposed of, unless and until certain portions of the
Regalia were required for the King's personal use.
It was doubtless some such demand which led to
the discovery that the Treasure Chamber had been
broken into and some of the Regalia had disappeared.
The chief regal emblems, such as the Crown and
Sceptre, had been transferred to the Tower by
Henry III, but the lesser yet very valuable pieces
of plate were still at Westminster. The theft was
brought home to a monk named Alexandre de
Pershore, who had sold the plate to a travelling
merchant named Richard de Podelicote. As a
result the Abbot Wrenlock and forty-eight monks
were tried and sentenced to two years' imprisonment
in the Tower. This was in the reign of Edward I,
and as a result the King decided that Westminster
Abbey was not altogether a safe place for any
portion of so valuable a collection of plate and
jewelry, and ordered it all to be transferred to the
Tower of London. An official Keeper of the Regalia,
whose duty it was to guard and have sole custody of
the Jewels, had already been appointed by Henry III,
and henceforth a divided control ceased.
THE JEWEL HOUSE 15
From that day, some seven hundred years ago,
the grey old walls of the Tower of London have been
the outer casing of the casket which has contained
the Crown Jewels of thirty-two Kings and Queens of
England. The Jewels were probably first placed
in the White Tower, that being the central keep of
the Tower of London, itself then, and for many
centuries after, the strongest fortress in England.
On the north side of the crypt of St John's Chapel,
which is in the White Tower, there is a small chamber
with only one entrance and with no windows. This
chamber, which some erroneous person for long
marked as the cell of Sir Walter Raleigh,1 would
in those days have been an ideal place for the safe
storage of the Regalia. It is not only an inner
sanctuary, but also it was guarded without all
round by soldiers and by battlements. A monk
might pilfer the plate, but he had to get it past the
soldiers and out of the fortress to profit by his
prowess. In this sanctuary, in the crypt of St.
John's Chapel, the royal emblems and plate may
well have remained for several reigns, and perhaps
some centuries, but as the Regalia increased in
quantity these restricted quarters would have been
found too small to conveniently and suitably house
them. Thus we find in an accurate survey of the
1 It is very clear from all historical records that Sir Walter
Raleigh was never imprisoned in the White Tower, so that a mis-
guiding notice in the crypt might well be removed.
16 THE JEWEL HOUSE
Tower of London, made in 1597, in the reign of
Queen Elizabeth, that a special Jewel House had
been built outside of and adjoining the south face
of the White Tower. This Jewel House was a long
low building with a flat, castellated roof, whilst at
the western end was a tall turret. There were two
entrances, one through the turret and one in the
middle of the south wall. The building was evidently
one of two storeys, as two tiers of windows are
shown, with two lights on each floor.
The Regalia remained in this Jewel House through
the reigns of James I and Charles I, but with the
tragic death of this last unhappy monarch the need
for a Jewel House disappeared, for by orders of the
Parliament all regal emblems were broken up,
destroyed, or sold for what they would fetch. Un-
used and uncared for, the old Jewel House fell into
decay and disrepair, and became no longer a place
of safe keeping. Thus when the Restoration came and
Charles II ascended the throne of his forefathers, a
new Treasure House had to be found. The place
fixed upon was the Martin Tower, which forms the
north-east bastion of the inner ballium wall of the
Tower of London. Who Martin was, or why this
tower was named after him, has escaped all re-
searches, but it is of interest to note that the
Middle Tower was at one time called the Martin
Tower, and the inference seems to be that some
well-known personage who had long lived in the
VUuc and Kxact Dvnugh, of tlu-TOW
~ —
PLAN OF' THE TOWER O
IN 1597 IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH (w) ; IN l66o IN
hi the Year 1.5 p 7 by GULIKLMVS HAMAS /> and J.d.-ts COYNE
SHOWING THE JEWEL HOUSE
OF CHARLES II (l) ; IN 1920 IN THE REIGN OF GEORGE V (s)
THE JEWEL HOUSE 17
Tower of London first occupied quarters in the
Middle Tower and afterwards those in the Martin
Tower, and that on his death from long association
his name attached itself to his last residence.
When Charles II came to the throne, all the regal
emblems, such as the Crown, the Sceptre, and the
Orb, had to be remade to replace those destroyed
by the Commonwealth, whilst the royal plate had
also to be renewed. Naturally, therefore, it took
some time for the Regalia to arrive at its former
excellence and value ; during the early years of
the reign it could be easily housed, and was appar-
ently not considered to be of sufficient importance
to be guarded by soldiers. It was thus placed in
the lower floor of the Martin Tower, which in
former reigns had been used more frequently as a
place of imprisonment for the more important or
more affluent prisoners. Inscribed on one of the
walls inside is the word " Bolleyn," which for long
was held to be the mark of Queen Anne Boleyn,
and as such held up as proof that the unhappy
lady was imprisoned in the Martin Tower. But a
closer examination of the records of those days
shows conclusively that the Queen was never im-
prisoned in that particular tower ; on the other
hand, during this examination it became sufficiently
clear that her brother, George Boleyn, Viscount
Rochford, was probably a prisoner here, and the
inscription may very possibly have been carved by
i8 THE JEWEL HOUSE
him. Another mark of an old prisoner in the
Martin Tower is the sundial on the south wall,
ascribed to Heriot the astronomer, who together
with Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, known
as " Hotspur," was for long a prisoner here.1
The sole guardian of King Charles' new Crown
Jewels in the Martin Tower, unaided by sentries or
yeomen, was an old man named Talbot Edwards,
then nearly eighty years of age, who was Assistant
Keeper of the Jewel House under Sir Gilbert Talbot.
Edwards and his family occupied the upper storeys
of the Martin Tower, but Sir Gilbert Talbot lived
chiefly at the Palace at Whitehall, it being one of
his duties to reside always in whichever palace
the King happened to be occupying from time to
time. The chamber in which the Jewels were
placed was semi-circular in shape with one door,
and with very thick walls. In the outer or thickest
wall was made, or already existed, a recess which,
when a cross-wired door had been added, formed a
cupboard, the front of which was open to view.
This arrangement was made not only so that the
Jewels might easily be inspected, but also because it
was one of the perquisites of the Assistant Keeper
to show the Crown Jewels to visitors for such fees
as he could inveigle out of them. There were no
guards either of soldiers or yeomen on the Regalia ;
1 This Henry Percy, " Hotspur," appears as an early ancestor
in the genealogy of the Younghusband family.
THE JEWEL HOUSE 19
which fact, becoming known to the notorious
Colonel Blood, that worthy with two accomplices
attempted to steal the Crown Jewels, as is recorded
in due course.1
The attempt, though it very nearly succeeded,
failed rather through good fortune than from any
wise precaution. It, however, brought to notice
the insecure manner in which the Regalia were kept,
much as the theft of the St. Patrick's Jewels in
Edward VII's reign drew similar attention, and it
was decided in due course to build a new Jewel
House specially constructed to ensure security. The
site chosen was just below the Martin Tower on its
western side, between that tower and the then
existing Armoury. This site was not an ideal one,
so that quite early after its occupation reports
were made that the new Jewel House was liable to
be endangered by sparks from the chimneys or
furnaces of the Armoury, which was only a few feet
away. A guard of soldiers was now placed on the
building, and yeomen warders were detailed, or
hired by the Assistant Keeper, to aid him in his
duties. The guard furnished a double sentry on
this post, which was afterwards reduced to a single
sentry. But this sentry declared that he nightly
saw the ghost of the Earl of Northumberland
walking up and down what is now known as
Northumberland's walk, a narrow beat along the
1 See Chapter XI.
20 THE JEWEL HOUSE
edge of the ramparts running each side of the Martin
Tower. When one sentry had seen the ghost,
others also were ready to declare that they also had
seen it, so that as time went on and the superstition
grew, the post became decidedly unpopular amongst
the soldiers, whilst some even refused to go on it
alone. The sentry was therefore again doubled,
and the Earl and his midnight walks faded away
into the mists of antiquity.
As illustrating how persons who are determined to
see ghosts may succeed in doing so, this is a very
useful incident. This Henry Percy, Earl of Northum-
berland, known as " Hotspur " from his fiery temper,
who for thirteen years was imprisoned in the Martin
Tower, lived there in ease and such comfort as
wealth could in those days command, and eventually
left under a salute from the great guns of the Tower,
a guard of honour, and an escort to North amberland
House, at the head of what is now Northumberland
Avenue. There was no tragedy whatever about
his long sojourn in the Tower. His father, however,
another Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland,
was without doubt murdered in the Bloody Tower,
so that if the Northumberland ghost had taken his
nightly walks about the Bloody Tower there would
have been some sensible connection. Evidently
the ignorant soldiery of the day mixed up the two
Earls of Northumberland, and imagined the wrong
one nightly pacing the portion of the ramparts,
THE JEWEL HOUSE 21
which he had probably never even seen in his life-
time, for the Martin Tower and the Bloody Tower
are on opposite sides of the fortress and quite in-
visible one from the other.
Another ghost sworn to in the Martin Tower is
that of Queen Anne Boleyn. A worthy warder a
century or so ago under sworn testimony gave an
account of how Anne Boleyn had appeared at supper-
time, in the form of a bluish grey column, like smoke
in a glass tube. How exactly the Queen was
recognised in this disguise is not stated, but the
main point is that Queen Anne Boleyn was never
imprisoned in the Martin Tower. She went straight
to the Lieutenants' Lodgings and from there to
her execution. As has been already mentioned,
however, her brother, George Boleyn, Viscount
Rochford, was undoubtedly a prisoner in the Martin
Tower, and on one of the inner walls is roughly
engraved the name " Bolleyn." History and records
and tradition doubtless became somewhat mixed
as the centuries passed, so that warder after warder,
on taking over these quarters, heard from his pre-
decessor that the engraving had been made by
Queen Anne Boleyn. A bowl of punch, and a
lively imagination, would produce the rest of this
ghost story.
Inside the new Jewel House a strong cage was
constructed, through the bars of which by light
of dim lanterns the Crown Jewels could be seen at
22 THE JEWEL HOUSE
certain hours by those who had passes, and were
prepared to pay a fee for the same. That the
tremors of those who feared danger from fire
were not unfounded eventually proved only too true.
In 1843 the Armoury, which as mentioned was only
a few feet from the Jewel House, caught fire and
was burnt to the ground, placing the Crown Jewels
in most imminent peril. That they escaped severe
damage, if not destruction, was due to the great
presence of mind, ready resource, and courage
of a Sergeant, who broke into the Jewel
House, and aided by yeomen bundled the precious
articles without ceremony out on to the parade
ground. Though thus hastily cast forth, and in spite
of the crowd and confusion, nothing was lost or
injured. It would be gratifying to be able to record
that the hero of this adventure received some notable
recognition of the service he had rendered. Truth,
however, impels the confession that the deed was at
the time eclipsed by the great tragedy of the burning
down of the ancient Armoury, a building several
centuries old with many historic associations. Later,
when this conspicuous service came to light, the
ardour of recompense had grown cold.
The next, and present, abode of the Crown
Jewels became the Wakefield Tower, one of the lesser
towers on the inner ballium wall, adjoining the
Bloody Tower and facing the Traitors' Gate. The
origin of the name has been a subject of some
THE JEWEL HOUSE 23
discussion. For many years, indeed for some cen-
turies, the Wakefield Tower was held to have been
so named because the prisoners taken at the battle
of Wakefield were therein imprisoned. But further
examination shows that this tower was never
used as a prison, nor could it have contained
the number of prisoners supposed to have been
incarcerated in it. Moreover, there is some evidence
that the name was given to this tower long before
the battle of Wakefield. A more reliable conclusion
is that it was named after William de Wakefield,
one of the King's Clerks, who was appointed to hold
custody of the Exchanges in the Tower in 1344,
and very possibly had his office in part of this
building.
In ancient days the Wakefield Tower, then
named the Hall, formed the entrance to the
Royal Palace, which fell into decay during the reign
of Queen Elizabeth. She having been a prisoner in
the Tower as a Princess, had conceived such a horror
for the place that when she became Queen she
refused to live there. In previous reigns the King
or Queen always lived in the Tower before their
Coronation, and thence proceeded in state, pre-
ceded by the Knights of the Bath, to Westminster.
In the Wakefield Tower is still a small chapel or
oratory which was used as a private place of devo-
tion by the Monarch when in residence at the
Palace. In this little chapel, whilst kneeling at
24 THE JEWEL HOUSE
his prayers, Henry VI was murdered by Richard of
Gloucester.
A narrow, winding stair, some of the steps now so
worn with age as to be hardly safe, leads down from
the adjacent Bloody Tower to the basement.
Down these steps the bodies of the two young
Princes who were murdered there were dragged, and
hastily buried in the basement of the Wakefield
Tower. Here they lay for five days when Richard of
Gloucester, by whose order they had been murdered,
made the somewhat superfluous discovery that the
bodies were not buried in consecrated ground. They
were hastily dug up and buried close to the south
wall of the White Tower, and being there more or
less under the shadow of St. John's Chapel, were
considered suitably interred. The Constable of the
Tower, Sir Robert Brackenbury, was the only
person who knew the secret, and he died with it,
being shortly afterwards killed at the battle of
Bosworth. It was not till the reign of Charles II
that the remains of the two little Princes were
accidentally found, and by order of the King re-
moved to Westminster and buried there.
The walls of the Wakefield Tower are eight feet
thick, and there is only one entrance, whilst the
windows are heavily barred. In these more or
less practical days, however, reliance is not
placed solely on solid walls, or even on sentries
and yeomen, to keep tjie Crown Jewels in safety,
THE JEWEL HOUSE 25
After the St. Patrick's Jewels had been stolen
in Dublin, King Edward VII determined that the
Crown Jewels of England should be placed, as
far as human prescience could devise, beyond the
power of anyone to tamper with them. The most
expert mechanical and scientific genuises, with
Messrs. Chubb at their head, were called into con-
sultation, and the result was the invention of the
present octagonal-shaped steel casement furnished
with steel bars.
It is naturally not allowable to mention what
the mechanical safeguards are, but the inexpert
or indeed expert thief may certainly count on
being guillotined or electrocutioned if he makes
the attempt to emulate Colonel Blood's adven-
ture. It has been a source of some amusement
to the warders to watch known burglars — for admis-
sion to view the Crown Jewels is open to all His
Majesty's subjects, not excluding burglars — with their
faces flattened against the bars thinking, thinking,
thinking, how possibly they could get hold of these
priceless gems. One indeed, with a deep resigned
sigh, was heard to mutter, " Gor' blimy it ain't to
be done ! " So we may hope for the best. Not only,
however, are the Crown Jewels guarded by all the
resources of science, but soldiers, yeomen warders,
and policemen keep watch over them night and day.
Just before the War, amongst other visitors was a
German lady, who looked long at the Jewels and
26
carefully examined the steel encasement in which
they are exhibited. Then she went back to one of the
yeomen on duty and remarked, " You may think
those Jewels very wonderful and very wonderfully
guarded, but do not be surprised if I say that they
will soon belong to our Kaiser." The yeoman was
so taken aback that he did not know what to say,
yet made perhaps a better reply than much fore-
thought might have supplied. He said, " I don't
think so, madam. Pass along, please." This old
yeoman was in the Cameron Highlanders at the
Relief of Lucknow.
During the Great War the Germans in their
first daylight raids made a special target of
the Tower of London, clearly marked as it lay
below on the banks of another clear landmark,
the Thames. That their efforts to hit it were not
more successful was a matter of bad luck for them
and good for us, for we had then no anti-aircraft
guns to drive them off. The first bomb just missed
the Tower to the westward, and fell into the dry
moat in the part used by the garrison as their drill
ground. It penetrated six feet of gravel and rubble,
deflecting at a slight angle as it went downward ;
then it ran nearly level for four more feet, and
finally turned upwards at an angle and traversed
another eighteen inches. Happily it failed to explode.
When with much caution it was dug out tail first
it was found to measure 4! ft. The top 22 in.
THE JEWEL HOUSE 27
formed an ordinary percussion shell, such as is fired
by field artillery ; the rest of the bomb consisted of
a brass cylinder filled with a yellow powder. This
powder, though perhaps intended for purely incen-
diary purposes, was doubtless intentionally also of a
highly poisonous nature. So poisonous indeed was it
that those who touched it were afflicted for months
with a species of blood poisoning, which seriously
affected their health and produced a painful and irrita-
ting skin disease. Indeed, one official was thus affected
who had not to his knowledge even touched the
infected portions of one of these bombs ; he had
merely stood close to where a wall was plastered
with the yellow powder from an exploded bomb,
whilst a strong wind happened to blow grains of it
in his face. He came out with the same eruption,
though in a less virulent form than the one who had
actual man-handled a piece of the bomb.
This bomb will probably be found in the Imperial
War Museum, but it seemed to us that the gods
intervened to get it there. When the bomb had been
dug out urgent messages arrived by telephone and
otherwise that no one was to meddle with the
blamed thing (I am not sure of the exact wording)
till an expert from the Ordnance Department arrived.
Arrive he did, and how he ever departed, except in a
ring of smoke and glory, puzzles us still. He took
up the live shell, and directing everybody to stand
well clear, a hundred yards or so away, for fear of
28 THE JEWEL HOUSE
accidents, he proceeded to unscrew the percussion
fuze at the head of the bomb. This in itself is
a delicate operation even for an expert. Appar-
ently the head would not unscrew, but the expert
nothing dismayed started hammering and forcing
it in a manner which made mere amateurs tremble
not only for the intrepid expert, but for the ancient
walls of the Tower of London. Finally this philo-
sophic warrior decided that unaided he could not un-
screw the head, so he demanded that a taxi should be
sent for. Into the taxi entered the gallant gunner
and the bomb, and apparently they arrived safely
somewhere, for in spite of the censorship, we should
probably have heard if he had not.
The second bomb again just missed the Tower,
this time to the eastward. Most unfortunately,
however, it hit the Royal mint, which stands just
across the road. This bomb did the mint, as such,
no harm worth mentioning, nothing to interfere
with work being carried on as usual, but it so hap-
pened that it fell close to where a goodly number
of workmen, not actually working at the moment,
were assembled, and caused forty-four casualties.
One small boy looking upwards was heard to say,
" Why, it looks like a bird," and the next second
he was himself up and out in the blue of heaven.
The third bomb hit the railings to the north of
the Tower, and whilst doing no harm whatever to
it caused some damage outside. A couple of horses
THE JEWEL HOUSE 29
drawing a van were killed, and many windows in
Postern Row were broken. The effect was very
much that of a shrapnel shell bursting, indeed there
probably was a shrapnel fixed at the head of the
bomb, as in the case of the first bomb mentioned.
The bullets from this shrapnel shell had sufficient
force to make clean round holes through stout iron
railings, whilst naturally they went through windows
and doors as through paper. Against the flimsiest
walls they were of no avail, leaving only pit marks
and knocking off plaster.
The fourth bomb I chanced to see myself. I was
sitting at my writing-desk, which is near one of the
south windows of St. Thomas' Tower, and to be
quite exact was writing a note to a lady thanking
her for a book she had kindly sent me. There being
a good deal of din in the skies, though little enough
to one who was just back from the War, I happened
to glance out on the river. At that exact moment,
only a few yards away, something from the skies
fell splosh into the river, and a column of water
some six or seven feet high demonstrated the fact.
That was the closest shot which the Germans made
at the Crown Jewels of England. The total casual-
ties to the credit of this attack on the Tower were
one pigeon, which probably had a weak heart and
died of shell-shock, and one pane of window broken
in the Jewel House.
After these narrow escapes it was decided that
30 THE JEWEL HOUSE
it would be wiser not to chance further risks, and to
place the Regalia in a less exposed place than the
Tower of London. Consequently the Jewel House
was closed for repairs, so to speak, and the Crown
Jewels were removed elsewhere. The wonderful
stories evolved by the more emotional persons over
this ordinary precaution were not without interest.
One inspired person mentioned, that from certain
information he had received a castle in Cornwall
had been secretly acquired and that the Jewels
had been taken there by special train at dead of
night. He added that in front of the Jewel train,
and behind it, were two other trains full of troops,
police, detectives, machine-guns, and what not.
Another very astute gentleman had secured the
exclusive information, which he imparted with a
knowing smile as between two conspirators, that
for the past eight months a deep and secret vault
lined throughout with concrete had been excavated
at Bath, and that the Jewels were now safely de-
posited there. The sole ground for this rumour
rested on the undoubted fact that eight months
before the Keeper of the Jewel House had been at
Bath, and there, by way of camouflage doubtless
had undergone a course of the waters. Another
equally knowing individual, a son of Israel, said that
he knew for certain that the Jewels were in Cumber-
land, the slender thread on which this rumour hung
being due to the fact that the late Keeper of the Jewel
THE JEWEL HOUSE 31
House, Sir Arthur Wynne, had now settled in
Cumberland. When these stories were told it was
incumbent to smile in rather an embarrassed manner,
as one found out in doing a fatuous thing, and the
informants generally departed feeling like an em-
bodiment of Fouche and Sherlock Holmes. It was
only necessary to add, " Please do not mention your
suspicions to anyone, it might get into the papers,"
to ensure that it got anyway as far as the Censor.
But these rumours as to where the Jewels were,
and how they got there, were nothing to the brilliant
stories of their return, which an unfettered, an un-
censored press could now make public. One of the
more emotional ran : "At dead of night two
officers of the Grenadier Guards dressed in frock
coats and with silk hats, and each carrying an
automatic pistol, drove up to the secret hiding-place
in a closed motor-car. With them were two detec-
tives also in civilian clothes but with bowler hats ;
they too were armed with automatic pistols. Beside
the military chauffeur, dressed in khaki sat another
soldier with his loaded rifle at the ' present.' In a
few seconds the Crown Jewels were transferred
from the secret strong-room to the car by the two
officers, whilst the detectives stood tensely at the
alert, their pistols cocked. In a few minutes all
was ready, and the car sharply wheeling on the
gravel drive sped at the rate of forty miles an hour
to the Tower of London."
32 THE JEWEL HOUSE
Which is all very nice and lurid, but as a
matter of fact the whole process of taking the
Jewels away and returning them to the Tower
was much more simply accomplished and was
not nearly so dramatic. It is now no longer a
secret that a royal car drove into the Tower of
London and up to the Jewel House. Into it the
more important and valuable portions of the Regalia,
already packed in their own cases, were handed.
It was all a matter of a few minutes, and then the
car drove away to Windsor Castle, and there
deposited the Jewels in a secure place. The return
journey at the end of the War was equally simply
and effectively accomplished. Nor was there probably
any officer of the Grenadier Guards, with or without
a silk hat, nearer than the far dim horizon of Flanders.
Naturally, however, the Crown Jewels do not travel
without very careful precautions, and these, those
who trembled for them may be assured, were
fully taken.
During their absence from the Tower some of the
cases had somehow got rather damp and mildewy,
the sight of which caused the Court Jewellers more
than a little anguish. This dampness probably
accounts for another brave story, to the effect that
the Crown Jewels had been sunk in the river opposite
the Tower, and had in this moist retreat been kept
for many months.
It is remarkable how wonderfully indiscreet some
THE JEWEL HOUSE 33
ambitious news collectors may become. Informa-
tion regarding the location or movement of jewels
of priceless value may be confided to all and sundry
of the honest folks in these realms, but newspapers
are bought not only by honest persons, and it is of
considerable interest to a professional burglar or
jewel thief to be informed exactly how and when
he can best make a bid for so great a prize.
Thus we see that throughout the centuries the
Jewels have in turn been safeguarded first in
Westminster Abbey, then in the White Tower, next
in an annexe to the White Tower, after this in the
Martin Tower, and then in a special building close
to the Martin Tower. Finally, but for a brief
sojourn at Windsor Castle during the Great War,
in the Wakefield Tower.
CHAPTER II
THE REGALIA IN THE TOWER
The Crowns — St. Edward the Confessor's Crown, or the Crown of
England — Original destroyed by the Commonwealth — A replica
made for Charles II on his Restoration — The Cap of Maintenance
— The King's State Crown — Made for Queen Victoria out of
ancient stones — Historic gems set in it — Thousands of precious
stones of all colours — The Imperial Crown of India — Made for
George V when crowned Emperor of India — The reason for
making this new crown — Cost £60,000 — Contains 6000 precious
stones — The Queen's Crowns — Crown of Mary of Modena —
The diadem of Mary of Modena — Cost £110,000 — Beautiful
and simple though costly — Queen Mary's Crown — Set entirely
with diamonds — The Koh-i-Nur, its chief glory — Two portions
of the Star of Africa — The Prince of Wales' Crown as eldest son
of the King — Coronet of the Prince of Wales at Carnarvon Castle
— The King's Sceptre with the Star of Africa — The King's
Sceptre with the Dove — The Queen's Sceptre with the Cross —
The Queen's Sceptre with the Dove — The Queen's Ivory Rod —
St. Edward's Staff— The King's Orb— The Queen's Orb.
THE CROWNS
f • "\HE most valuable and important portions
of the Regalia, and those which appeal
most to the eye and the imagination,
are the Royal Crowns. Of these there
are three which pertain to the reigning sovereign,
whether a King or a Queen. Next there are two
crowns and a diadem which pertain to the Queen
Consort, when a King is on the throne. And lastly
34
THE REGALIA IN THE TOWER 35
there is the crown of the eldest son of the King,
who is, if not by right yet at the King's pleasure,
always created Prince of Wales.
The three crowns of the Sovereign are :
(1) St. Edward the Confessor's Crown, or the
Crown of England.
(2) The Imperial State Crown.
(3) The Imperial Crown of India.
The original crown of Edward the Confessor was
destroyed by the Commonwealth, but on the restora-
tion of Charles II a replica was made, and this is
the crown now to be seen in the Jewel House, and
is the one with which all the Kings and Queens of
England have been crowned since 1661. It was
made of " massie gold " and is of the shape known
as royal in contradistinction to the form described
as imperial. The shape of a Royal crown is familiar
to all from childhood upwards, for it is the crown
which stands on the shield supported by the lion
and the unicorn in the arms of England.
True, the older figure has become somewhat
blurred to the younger generation, since Edward VII
substituted an Imperial Crown for the older shape
on many things, including the Royal mail and
Royal note-paper. This was done of set purpose,
being a sign and portent that the kingdom had
grown into a world-wide empire, greater far and
more rich and populous than any empire that had
existed since the beginning of the world. But the
36 THE JEWEL HOUSE
Crown of England retains its ancient shape. Round
the band of this Crown are set at intervals great
stones of different colours, red, and blue, and green,
and yellow. Above the band stand alternately
fleurs-de-lis and crosses pate's, from these spring
the two golden arches of the Crown, edged all the
way with large pearls. These arches are the insignia
of a ruling monarch ; without them the Crown would
remain only a coronet. Where the two arches cross
each other they are deeply depressed, and in the
hollow thus formed stands a monde or globe of gold.
On the monde is fixed a richly jewelled cross with
large drop-shaped pearls, pendent from the arms.
The weight of this Crown is nearly 5 Ibs.
Inside the Crown is the Cap of Maintenance of
purple velvet, with an edging of minever to protect
the King's head from too hard a contact with solid
gold. The original Crown of England, of which,
as has been mentioned, this is a copy, is said to
have descended century after century from Edward
the Confessor, who ascended the throne in 1042.
The Vandals of the Commonwealth have much to
answer for !
The King's State Crown is more beautiful, and
intrinsically of immensely greater value than
St. Edward's Crown. It is, however, as a crown
comparatively modern, the custom being for each
succeeding King or Queen to have their own State
Crown made afresh. But the stones that are set in
THE REGALIA IN THE TOWER 37
it, of which there are many thousands, are mostly of
very great age, and have been used century after
century to adorn the State Crowns of successive
Kings and Queens.
The State Crown now in the Tower was made for
Queen Victoria, in 1839, an(i wrth some alterations
and additions has been so preserved by Edward VII
and George V. Of the large jewels in it, such as the
Black Prince's ruby, Queen Elizabeth's pearl earrings,
the Stuart sapphire, the sapphire of Edward the
Confessor, and the Star of South Africa,1 historical
records proclaim their origin. But the thousands of
smaller stones carry with them their own age, for
certain forms of cutting pertain to certain centuries.
Thus the table-cut diamond is an older stone than
the rose-cut, and the rose-cut is older than the
brilliant. Inversely no brilliant in the present
Crown could have been in that of Charles II, for
this process of cutting was then unknown.
The State Crown is of the Imperial, as distinguished
from the Royal shape of the older crown ; thus the
arches are not depressed where they cross each
other, but slope up to the monde. In the band the
two great stones are the Star of South Africa in
front, and the Stuart sapphire exactly opposite it
at the back. Between these, round the band at inter-
vals are very large sapphires, rubies, and emeralds
thickly encrusted with diamonds. Above the band
1 See Chapter X.
38 THE JEWEL HOUSE
are alternate crosses pate's and fleurs-de-lis in
diamonds, in the centre of each being a large
coloured gem. Indeed, the whole Crown is a complete
mass of diamonds interspersed with coloured gems
and pearls. Up the arches which spring from the
crosses pates are clusters of diamonds formed to
represent oak leaves with the acorns represented by
large pearls. The device on the arches is commemora-
tive of the oak of Boscobel, in which Charles II hid
for his life when a fugitive. The Black Prince's
ruby, which is as large as an egg, is set at the foot of
the front arch. The monde is covered with a com-
plete mass of diamonds so closely set as to leave
no metal visible. On top of the monde is a large
cross pate, also an entire mass of diamonds, and in
the centre of it is set the magnificent sapphire which
was once in the coronation ring of Edward the
Confessor. Where the two arches cross may be seen
pendent four very large pearls as large as small
birds' eggs. These were Queen Elizabeth's earrings.
Inside this Crown is a purple velvet Cap of Mainten-
ance edged round the bottom with minever. This
Crown weighs 39 oz. 5 dwts.
The third Crown of the King is the Imperial
Crown of India, made for George V when he was
crowned Emperor of India in 1912. As mentioned
elsewhere, the Crown of England is not allowed
by ancient law to leave the shores of the British
Isles ; consequently this new Crown had to be made.
THE IMPERIAL IMHAN CKOWN
THE REGALIA IN THE TOWER 39
The work was entrusted to the Court Jewellers,
Messrs. Garrard, and a very fine example of the
jeweller's art was the result. The Crown cost £60,000,
and is adorned with some six thousand precious
stones. These are mostly diamonds, but some very
large and valuable coloured stones are also displayed.
Notably a large cabuchon emerald in front of the
band of the Crown, a very fine ruby in the front
cross pate, and a very valuable emerald in the cross
pate on top of the Crown. In shape the Crown ap-
proaches nearer the Imperial shape as pictorially
known. Instead of two arches as in the other crowns
there are eight demi arches which incline upwards
to support the monde instead of being depressed
to receive it. These demi arches spring from the
eight crosses pates and fleurs-de-lis, which stand
on the band of the Crown. The monde, as well as
all the crosses pates and fleurs-de-lis, are a mass of
diamonds with a large coloured gem in the centre
of each. Inside the Crown is the Cap of Maintenance
of purple velvet bound at the bottom with minever.
The Queen also has three crowns, or rather two
crowns and a diadem. These are the crown first
made for Mary of Modena, Queen of James II, a
diadem made for the same Queen, and the present
Queen Mary's State Crown.
Queen Mary of Modern's Crown is small in size,
and was made to be worn on top of the head and not
to fit it. The general effect may be noticed on the
40 THE JEWEL HOUSE
statue of Queen Anne which stands outside St.
Paul's Cathedral. Indeed, this is very probably
a representation of identically this same crown. It
is adorned entirely with diamonds and pearls, and
has no coloured stones. Round the band is a con-
tinuous succession of large-sized diamonds, and
above these is a string of pearls each as large as a
pea running completely round the circumference.
Above the band alternately are crosses pate's and
fleurs-de-lis, also in diamonds. From the crosses
pate's spring the two arches of the crown ; these are
adorned with rows of large pearls with diamonds
on each side of the rows. At the point of crossing
the arches are depressed, and on this depression
rests the monde, a mass of small diamonds. On
the monde is fixed a cross of diamonds with large
pearls at the points. The Cap is of crimson velvet
bordered at the bottom with minever.
The diadem belonging to the same Queen, and
said to have been given her by James II at a cost
of £110,000, is of a beautiful and simple design. Not
being a crown, it has no arches, and is in fact simply
a broad gold circlet thickly encrusted with diamonds,
the top edge being bordered by a row of large pearls
touching each other all the way round. In front this
row of pearls is slightly arched, and a large diamond
is fixed in the apex. The diadem is fitted with a
cap of crimson velvet bound at the bottom with
minever. This diadem was worn by Mary of Modena
DIADEM OF QUEEN MARY OF MODENA,
WIFE OF JAMES II
Reproduce,! by per
THE QUEEN'S STATE CROWN.
ssion of Messrs. Cassell & Co., from a painting made by Mr, Cyril Davenport (Copyright}.
THE REGALIA IN THE TOWER 41
on the way to her Coronation, and during the
ceremony it was replaced by the Crown, above
described, which she wore as she returned to the
Palace in State with the King.
The most important and most beautiful of the
Queen's crowns is that which belongs to Her present
Majesty, for not only is it officially, but privately
the property of Queen Mary, though three of the
great diamonds in it may belong to the State. It
was designed and made by Messrs. Garrard, and is
certainly of great credit to twentieth century work-
manship. The crown is set with diamonds through-
out, no coloured stones having been used. In front
of the band is one of the four large Stars of Africa,
and round the band are alternate roses and crosses
composed of diamonds. The rims of the band are
also set continuously with small diamonds. On the
band stand three fleurs-de-lis and three crosses pates
alternately, all set with diamonds. In the centre of
the front cross pat 6 is the great and historic Koh-i-
Nur diamond.1 From the fleurs-de-lis and crosses
pate* spring six demi arches which slope gracefully
upwards to support the monde. The monde is
completely encrusted with small diamonds. On
the monde stands a cross pate, in the centre of which
is displayed another of the Stars of Africa, drop-
shaped with the point downwards. Inside the
Crown is a purple velvet cap lined at the bottom
1 See p. 151.
42 THE JEWEL HOUSE
with minever. The Crown is of considerable size,
made to fit the head instead of standing on it, as
does the older Crown of Queen Mary of Modena.
The Prince of Wales' Crown, as it is called, but
more correctly the Crown of the eldest son of the
King, is at the Tower. This is distinct from Prince of
Wales' Coronet, which is kept at Carnarvon Castle.
It is the King's prerogative to make whom he
pleases Prince of Wales, but usually, as at present,
the title is given to the eldest son. The Crown at
the Tower is very simple and only differs in general
appearance from the coronets of some members of
the peerage in having one arch over it, supporting
a gold monde and cross. Above the band stand
alternately four gold fleurs-de-lis and four gold
crosses pates. Inside is a crimson velvet cap
edged at the bottom with minever. The eldest son
of the King places this Crown on his own head
during the Coronation service at the same time as
the peers put on their coronets. On later occasions
it is placed on a stool before the Prince when he
attends at the House of Lords when the King opens
Parliament in State.
The Coronet of the Prince of Wales, as such,
which as mentioned is kept at Carnarvon, is a more
beautiful and graceful insignia. It consists of a
circlet of gold adorned with pearls and amethysts.
Above the circlet stand alternately four crosses
pate's and four fleurs-de-lis. These all are pierced
(BEFORE) (AFTER)
THE KING'S ROYAL SCEPTRE BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTRODUCTION
OF THE STAR OK AFRICA
THE REGALIA IN THE TOWER 43
and within the outlines of the former are sprays of
the Rose of England and of the latter the Daffodil
of Wales. The daffodil with a certain amount of
excusable heraldic elasticity, is introduced in place
of the more homely though less picturesque leek,
the hitherto best known emblem of the Little
Sister. Between the crosses pates and the fleurs-
de-lis are rosebud sprays. This Coronet was made
throughout of Welsh gold, by Messrs. Garrard, in
1911, for Edward, the present Prince of Wales.
THE SCEPTRES
Next to the crowns in emblematic importance
and kingly dignity come the sceptres. Of these
there are in all five in the Jewel House, each with
its special history and significance. The greatest
and most important of these is the King's Royal
Sceptre with the Cross. It is of gold, richly jewelled,
about three feet long, and was made for Charles II,
remaining practically the same till the reign of
Edward VII. When the Stars of Africa1 were
presented to that monarch he decided to have the
largest portion placed in the head of the Sceptre,
but explicit orders were given that no part of the
old Sceptre was to be removed, the diamond was
merely to be inserted. This proved a very difficult
problem, but was successfully solved by Messrs.
Garrard, as a comparison of drawings of the Sceptre
1 See p. 162.
44 THE JEWEL HOUSE
before and after clearly show. As seen now, the
Star of Africa is the central attraction, not only
from its huge size, but its extraordinary brilliancy.
It is drop-shaped, 2^ in. in length and iH in. in width,
and weighs 5i6J carats. It is held in place by four
very ingeniously contrived gold clasps, which can
be opened and the diamond taken out when required
to be worn as a pendant. Above the diamond on
enamelled scrolls stands the great amethyst orb
which is faceted all over, and has round the centre
a jewelled band with an arch of gold, rubies, and
diamonds. On top of the amethyst orb is fixed the
Cross, made entirely of diamonds with a large
emerald in the centre. These all form the head of
the Sceptre.
Below the great diamond the fleur-de-lis of the
old Sceptre has been cleverly depressed into the form
of a support; this is thickly jewelled with coloured
gems and diamonds, and below this again is a jewelled
band. Near the hilt of the Sceptre is a smooth
portion for the grip ; above this is a collar of gems
and enamels, and below another similar collar
having rich sprays of gold and enamels, thickly
jewelled with coloured stones and diamonds. At
the butt is a sphere encrusted with enamels and
precious stones. When the King holds this Sceptre,
he may veritably be said to have in his hand a
King's ransom.
The King's Sceptre with the Dove comes next in
THE REGALIA IN THE TOWER 45
importance. It is a rod of gold three feet seven inches
in length. At the top is a monde or orb of gold with
a fillet round the centre studded with diamonds,
and with an arch above similarly jewelled. From
the top of the monde rises a golden cross, on which
is sitting a white enamelled dove with extended
wings, its eyes, beak, and feet of gold. Below the
monde is a band studded with diamonds, and beneath
this another band with drooping designs, ornamented
with coloured gems and diamonds. In the centre of
the Sceptre is an ornamental band of enamels and
gems, and gold open-work with coloured gems,
enamels, and diamonds. Nearer to the bottom of the
Sceptre is another band with large jewels. The
boss at the foot of the Sceptre is encircled by two
bands, one jewelled and the other enamelled.
The Dove is symbolical of the Holy Ghost. This
Sceptre is borne in the sovereign's left hand during
one portion of the ceremony at the Coronation.
Next we have the Queen's Sceptre with the Cross
which was originally made for Queen Mary of
Modena. It is made of gold ornamented with
diamonds, and is two feet ten inches in length. At
the top is a double fleur-de-lis thickly set with fair-
sized diamonds. Above this is a golden monde,
round which is a fillet thickly adorned with diamonds,
the arch over the monde being similarly decorated.
On the monde stands a cross which has a large dia-
mond on each of its arms and one in the centre. The
46 THE JEWEL HOUSE
middle of the Sceptre is ornamented with sprays
formed of open-work in gold, with leaves and flowers
composed of large and small diamonds. The Sceptre
ends with an elaborately jewelled boss.
The Queen's Sceptre with the Dove resembles that
of the King, but is rather smaller and is differently
ornamented. Thus the fillet encircling the monde
and the arch over it are ornamented with coloured
gems as well as diamonds, and with leaves enamelled
red and white. At the middle of the Sceptre is a
collar of dark blue enamel, ornamented with gems
and designs in white enamel. Near the foot is another
more elaborate collar with sprays of open-work in
gold, ornamented thickly with gems and enamels.
At the foot is a boss with ornaments of gold, gems, and
enamels. This sceptre was lost for many years,
but was eventually found, in 1814, hidden at the
back of a shelf in the Jewel House.
The Queen's Ivory Rod was destroyed by the
Commonwealth, but a replica of it was made for
Queen Mary of Modena, and this is now in the Jewel
House. This Rod or Sceptre also has a dove on top
of it, but with closed wings. It stands on a gold
cross which in its turn rises from a gold monde.
The dove has golden eyes, beak, and feet. The Rod,
which, as its name implies, is made of ivory, is in
three pieces, with collars of gold at the joining
points. Its total length is three feet one and a half
inches. The boss at the bottom is very similar to
The Kings Sceptre
before the
Star of Africa
was introduced.
Reproduced l>y pe
The Queen's Sceptr
with the Cross.
THE KING'S ORB.
lission of Messrs. Cassell & Co.. from a painting i
ule by Mr. Cyril Davenport (Copyright).
THE REGALIA IN THE TOWER 47
the monde at the top, and both are ornamented with
champleve enamels.
St. Edward's Staff, known also from very early
days as the Rod of Justice and Equity, is a replica
made for Charles II of the ancient staff destroyed
by the Commonwealth. It is much longer than
any of the sceptres, being four feet seven and a half
inches in length, and being intended to be used as
a walking staff, is shod with a spike of steel like an
alpine-stock. It is made of plain bright gold, and
at the top has a gold monde surmounted by a gold
cross. In the monde of the original Staff was a
piece of the true cross. This Staff is emblematically
intended to guide the King's footsteps in the way
he should go.
THE ORBS
There are two Orbs in the Jewel House, one for
the King and the other for the Queen. The orb is a
very ancient Christian emblem, and signifies the
domination of the Christian religion over the world.
It may be described as a globe of gold on which
stands a cross. The King's Orb, which is known as
the Orb of England, is a very valuable and richly
gemmed emblem, and is only placed in the hand of
the King or Queen who is actual sovereign of the
realm. The Queen's Orb, which is of somewhat less
importance and value, and smaller in size, is the
insignia of a Queen Consort.
The King's Orb is a golden globe six inches in
48 THE JEWEL HOUSE
diameter, round the centre of which is a fillet of
gold outlined with fine pearls and ornamented with
clusters of gems, the gems being set in borders of
white and red enamel. The centre stones of these
clusters are large rubies, sapphires, and emeralds,
each surrounded by diamonds. Over the top of the
Orb is an arch of similar design and similarly
jewelled. Standing on the Orb is a large amethyst
on which is fixed the cross. The amethyst is of
remarkable size and beauty, one and a half inches
in height and faceted all over. The cross is a very
beautiful one, and has in the centre on one side an
emerald and on the other a sapphire, each surrounded
with diamonds. The outlines of the cross are marked
by rows of diamonds, and there are three large
diamonds along the centre of each arm. At the foot
of the cross, where it rests on the great amethyst,
is a collar of diamonds. At the ends of each of the
arms is a large pearl, and in each of the four inner
corners is also a large pearl. This Orb was made for
Charles II by Sir Robert Vyner to replace an older
orb destroyed by the Commonwealth.
The Queen's Orb owes its origin to Mary, wife of
William of Orange. By right of succession, Mary
was Queen of England, and William her Consort,
but she insisted on a joint occupation of the throne.
Thus it came about that William III was crowned
King of England and took the King's Orb in his
hand, whilst a smaller replica was made for Queen
THE REGALIA IN THE TOWER 49
Mary. Though in general appearance they are much
alike, the Queen's Orb is not so important or hand-
some as that of the King. The globe is of polished
gold, and round it is a fillet outlined with large
pearls and studded with rubies, sapphires, and emer-
alds. These coloured stones are alternately circular
and octagonal, and are set in collars of gold. The
arch over the Orb is ornamented in a similar manner.
The cross, which stands on top, is studded with
rubies, sapphires, and diamonds, differently ar-
ranged on either side.
CHAPTER III
THE REGALIA — continued
The Jewelled State Sword — The most valuable in the world —
The emerald worth £2700 — The sword described — The King offers
it to the Church and redeems it for 100 shillings — The sword
lost and found — The Sword of State — Carried before the King —
The sword described — The three swords of Henry VIII —
" Defender of the Faith" — The Sword Spiritual — The Sword
Temporal — " Curtana," or the Sword of Mercy — St. George's
golden spurs — The Bracelets — Bracelets worn by King Saul as
well as Babylonian and Assyrian monarchs — The Coronation
rings — The King's ring — The Queen's ring — Queen Victoria's
ring — Charles II's Coronation ring — Coronation ring of Edward
the Confessor — James II's monde — Model of the Koh-i-Nur
— Model of the Cullinan Diamond — Chisel and hammer.
1
Jewelled State Sword is the most
beautiful and valuable sword in the
world. To illustrate its value it may be
mentioned that one stone alone, a square
emerald set at cross of the hilt, is worth at least
£2700, and this is only one of scores of precious
stones which adorn this Sword. The grip is one
mass of diamonds, which give so brilliant an effect
that the beautiful designs are almost lost to sight ;
these are, however, when looked closely into, oak
leaves and acorns. These may be, as in the State
Crown, emblematic of Charles II and his oak tree,
THE REGALIA 51
though perhaps, and more prophetically, an emblem
of old England : the mighty oak that built her
ships, and through them made her what she is in
this year of grace.
At the head of the hilt of the Sword is a large
and very valuable diamond, which has on its four
sides four large rubies, and below these two rows
of large emeralds and diamonds. The " quillions,"
as the cross-piece between the hilt and the blade
is called, is encrusted with a mass of small diamonds,
so thickly set that the gold beneath is scarcely
visible. At the extremities of the quillions are
lions' heads beautifully modelled and also formed
entirely of small diamonds set close together.
The blade of the Sword is of Damascus steel of
the very finest temper, and is in itself of great
value. The scabbard is of dull gold ornamented
throughout its length with jewels, both large and
small. At the upper end is a cross formed of a
sapphire, a ruby, two diamonds, and a yellow
sapphire ; this latter a rare and valuable stone-
This rich cross is enclosed with laurel sprays of
diamonds. Looking down the scabbard we see
first the Rose of England, portrayed by a ruby
set thickly round with diamonds. Then comes the
Thistle of Scotland, fashioned out of rubies,
emeralds, and diamonds ; and next the Shamrock
of Ireland, appropriately formed of emeralds alone.
These three devices are thrice repeated as the
52 THE JEWEL HOUSE
scabbard fines away to a point. Between the
devices are crossed golden sprays of laurel and
palm leaves. On the " chape " or butt end of the
scabbard appear again oak leaves and acorns formed
of small diamonds. At the extreme tip is a large
and very beautiful turquoise, oblong in shape, and
set around with diamonds.
Naturally a sword of this magnificence is meant
more for display on State occasions than for use on
the field of battle ; indeed, from a swordsman's
point of view, it would be quite impossible to firmly
grip a hilt made of diamonds and other angularly
cut stones. The scabbard and jewels are not
ancient, whatever the history of the blade may be,
having been made for the Coronation of George IV,
just one hundred years ago. Since that reign this
has been the Sword which the King at his Coronation
hands to the Archbishop of Canterbury as symbolis-
ing that he places his Sword at the service of the
Church. Happily for the financial stability of the
empire, it is arranged between Church and State
that after each Coronation the Keeper of the Jewel
House is empowered to redeem the said Sword
by paying to the Archbishop the apparently in-
adequate recompense of 100 shillings.
The Sword was rarely used except at coronations,
and not being carefully guarded as it now is, got lost
or mislaid in the reign of Queen Victoria, possibly
because a queen has no use for a sword. For some
THE REGALIA 53
decades this priceless weapon disappeared entirely,
and then was only accidentally found at the back
of an old disused cupboard. How truly British,
both friends and semi-friends, will alike exclaim !
Doubtless numbers of people had seen the box
containing it, but as this box closely resembles an
ordinary gun case, it was probably taken for one
and left undisturbed. In this box, which looks like
a gun case, are the emplacements for two swords.
One is for the Jewelled Sword, but what lay in the
other is not recorded — possibly a less ornate weapon
for the King's ordinary use when in uniform. This
latter has disappeared probably amongst the cast-off
accoutrements of some bygone monarch.
The Sword of State which is carried before the
King at the opening of Parliament is quite a different
weapon. It is a long, two-handed sword, with a
gold hilt and quillion, and is encased in a crimson
velvet scabbard. The length of the blade alone is
32 in., and the breadth of the same about 2 in.
This is the Sword with which the King knighted
the Prince of Wales when he was created a Knight
of the Garter. The quillion of the sword is formed
of an elongated lion on one side, and a similarly
maltreated unicorn on the other. On the hilt are
raised representations of a portcullis, a fleur-de-lis,
and a harp. On the pommel are a thistle, an orb,
and other emblems. Down the scabbard are various
designs in gold, such as portcullis, the lion standing
54 THE JEWEL HOUSE
on a crown, orb, and cross. Then more conspicu-
ously the Royal arms of England, the double Tudor
rose, the thistle of Scotland, the harp of Ireland,
and the fleur-de-lis of France.
The remaining three swords in the Jewel House
are of a set, and were sent to Henry VIII by the
Pope as Defender of the Faith. Henry VIII, as
we know, disagreed with the Pope over his first
matrimonial venture, and throwing His Holiness
overboard, so to speak, made himself sole head of
the Church of England. This bold deed, though
based on a personal matter, was the foundation of
England's greatness. The swords the King retained,
as also the title, which is still born by English
sovereigns, and appears on their coins to this day :
" Georgius V. D.G. Britt : Omn : Rex. F.D.
Ind. Imp : ". These three swords are named the
Sword Spiritual, the Sword Temporal, and " Cur-
tana," or the Sword of Mercy. They are long,
straight swords with broad blades of exactly similar
pattern, but there is one curious difference between
Curtana and the other two, for the blade of this
sword has had about six inches of blade broken
off, leaving a blunt point. This break and shorten-
ing are intended to portray the element of Mercy.
The Golden Spurs, known as St. George's Spurs,
which are one of the King's military emblems now
to be seen in the Tower, were made for Charles II
by Sir Robert Vyner, and were copied from the
THE REGALIA 55
pair that existed in former ages, and which were
sold or melted down by the Commonwealth. They
are of the pattern known as " prick " spurs, for
instead of rowels they have one sharp point. The
straps are of crimson velvet embroidered in gold.
Bracelets have long been a regal emblem, being
old even when Saul, King of Israel, was slain and
the Amalekite brought his crown and bracelet to
King David. The Babylonian and Assyrian mon-
archs wore bracelets as one of the insignia of royalty,
whilst at the present day the Shah is the only male
person in Persia who has a right to wear a bracelet.
What may be the exact significance of the bracelet
is not clear ; it may have none, and may in the
course of ages have become by usage one of the
insignia of a reigning monarch. The bracelets at
present in the Jewel House were made by Sir
Robert Vyner for Charles II from some ancient
design, and are of solid gold. On them are enamelled
designs representing the emblems of the three
kingdoms, as well as the fleur-de-lis of France.
They are lined with crimson velvet.
A recent addition to the Crown Jewels in the
Tower are the Coronation Rings. These are the
private property of their Majesties, who with their
usual gracious forethought have sent them to the
Tower so that all their subjects may see them.
The Coronation Rings are three in number : th?
King's Ring, the Queen's Ring, and a special ring
56 THE JEWEL HOUSE
made for Queen Victoria and presented to her by
her uncle, William IV.
The King's Ring is not ancient, dating only to
the reign of William IV, and is of a magnificence
that makes it unsuitable for daily wear even by a
king in these days. In the centre is a very large
and valuable sapphire which could not now be
bought for £1000. Lying over this, in the form of
a cross, are four long, narrow rubies. Round the
whole is a circle of diamonds. The general design
is to represent the Cross of St. George on a blue
shield, as it is in insignia of the Order of the
Garter.
The Queen's Ring is not so large or ambitious,
and might be worn without being unduly pro-
nounced on ordinary occasions. In the centre is a
large rectangular ruby set around with diamonds.
The ruby is one of remarkable beauty and con-
siderable value.
The third ring at the Jewel House is a small
replica of the King's Ring, and was bequeathed by
William IV to the then Heir-Apparent to the
throne, the Princess Victoria. A kindly thought
on the part of the old King, knowing that a very
large man's ring would not be suitable for a young
girl-queen. Unfortunately the jeweller was too
much of a courtier, and made the ring so small that
it caused Queen Victoria intense agony. The
sapphire in this ring, though smaller, is so perfect as
THE REGALIA 57
to be in value equal to the larger stone in the King's
Ring.
A much older Coronation ring than any of these
is probably in existence. It belonged to Charles II,
and was amongst the Stuart relics bequeathed to
George III by Cardinal York. Where it is, or who
owns it, is not known, for it must be remembered
that these Coronation rings are the private property
of each Sovereign and are at their disposal. It was
therefore open to George III to give or bequeath
it to whom he pleased.
Older far than any of these is the sapphire now
in the cross pate on the summit of the King's State
Crown, which was in the Coronation ring of Edward
the Confessor nearly 900 years ago. Perchance
some future King will transpose the two sapphires
as a matter of sentiment, replacing Edward the
Confessor's sapphire in the Coronation ring and
transferring the sapphire now in that ring to the
cross pate.
A typical example of the depredations to which
the Crown Jewels were subject in less guarded days
is shown in the Jewel House. This is a jewel which
passed for long as a magnificent faceted aquamarine,
in the shape of a monde or globe surmounted by a
diamond cross, which figured first on top of the
Crown of King James II. Many historians mention
this stone with speechless admiration. Yet when
a more critical age came to examine this precious
58 THE JEWEL HOUSE
stone, it was found to be nothing more valuable
than a ball of coloured glass ! Naturally when
this discovery was made the ornament lost its
place of honour on top of the King's Crown, and is
now shown only as a curiosity. Whether the
original aquamarine had been disposed of by
James II before his flight or sold in some long
past reign by order of the King, or whether owing
to slack guardianship it was removed through the
connivance of the guardians and replaced by a
worthless imitation, history does not relate. At
any rate, an expert goldsmith and jeweller must
have been in the secret for the making of an exact
replica, and must have required prolonged possession
of the model to work from. Probably, too, when
the substitution was first discovered nobody cared
to say much about it lest they themselves should be
suspected of theft, or at least accused of criminal
carelessness in its custody.
Amongst the Jewels may be seen a model of the
Koh-i-Nur diamond as it was before being cut into
the form of a brilliant. It was at that period set in
an armlet with two lesser diamonds on either side,
and could either thus be worn, or alternatively as an
ornament in the turban, by the Eastern potentate
who then owned the great diamond. This model is
set in the original setting of gold, richly enamelled.
The crimson silk cords ending in tassels of pearls
and rubies, with which the armlet was furnished,
THE REGALIA 59
are also shown in original. This model shows the
curious conical shape the diamond then had from
which its name, "The Mountain of Light," was
derived. A looking-glass set behind it enables one
to see the beautiful enamels at the back of the
setting.
Another model of great interest is that of the
Cullinan diamond or the Star of Africa, exactly
showing its size and appearance when first found.
It is difficult to imagine a diamond of this size and
appearance until we actually see the model. It
will be found described amongst the greater gems
in another place.
The Star of Africa was, it will be remembered,
cut into four great portions, whilst numerous small
pieces also resulted. This operation was performed
at Amsterdam by the famous diamond-cutters,
Messrs. Coster. The hammer and chisel with which
this delicate operation was performed are kept in
the Jewel House, and are most unlikely-looking
instruments. The chisel is in the shape of a deep
man's comb without a handle, and is more like a
wedge than a chisel, as generally understood. It is
of hardened steel, yet not so hard but that it shows
the marks where it struck the diamond. The
hammer is equally unconventional, being a solid
steel cylinder, like a short rod or truncheon. Ap-
parently only three or four sharp blows opposite
the natural cleavages were sufficient to break up
60 THE JEWEL HOUSE
the great rough stone into the four great Stars of
Africa.
It is difficult by word of mouth, or with the pen,
or even by illustrations, to give an adequate idea
of the splendour and brilliancy of the Crown Jewels.
They have to be seen to be adequately appreciated.
This by the gracious permission of His Majesty the
King it is possible for all, rich or poor, to achieve by
visiting the Jewel House at the Tower of London.
The poor can see them without toll or fee on what
are known as " free days," whilst the rich need
only spend sixpence for the same privilege on
" paying days." If these chapters in any way help
to give an added interest to their visit they will
have amply achieved their object.
CHAPTER IV
THE ROYAL PLATE
Plate for the Royal table — Plate for the King's Chapel — Trumpets
and maces — Queen Elizabeth's gold salt cellar — Escapes the
Commonwealth — The design of the salt cellar — The State
salt of Charles II — Presented by the City of Exeter — A jewelled
castle armed with golden guns — Charles II 's wine fountain —
Presented by the Borough of Plymouth — The finest specimen
of plate in the Jewel House — Not only ornamental, but useful
to His Majesty — The ordeal of the lady on top — The eleven St.
George's Salts — Curious history of a set of four — A correspond-
ence that lasted ninety-two years — The ordeal of the serpents —
St. George on the canopy of the great salts — The salt spoons —
Two golden tankards — To be viewed from a discreet distance —
The silver trumpets — Used at Coronations — And when Peace is
Proclaimed — Crimson and gold bannerets — The Archbishop's old
time exhortation — The maces of the sergeants-at-arms — Charles
II, James II, William and Mary, George I — The mace originally a
bludgeon — The crown at head of it the insignia of Royal authority
— The policeman's truncheon a miniature mace — The maces
at the Proclamation of Peace — The mace-bearers originally
a corps of knights — Bodyguard of the King.
Royal Plate in the Jewel House may
be roughly divided into two main cate-
gories, the one being plate for the Royal
table and dignity, and the other ecclesias-
tical plate for use at Coronations or at services in
one of His Majesty's Chapels Royal. The table
61
62 THE JEWEL HOUSE
plate consists mostly of large gold salt cellars,
known as Salts of State, whilst the kingly dignity
is represented by the great gold maces borne by
the sergeants-at-arms, and the silver trumpets
which sound a fanfare when the king is crowned.
The oldest piece of table plate in the Jewel House
is Queen Elizabeth's gold salt cellar. How this
escaped the depredations of the Commonwealth, or
how it avoided being melted down with other
Royal plate, to meet the necessities of Charles I,
history does not relate. Very possibly it was
sold in those days, and preserved by the pur-
chaser through the troublous times, and then
either given back, or sold back, to the Crown on
the Restoration.
The salt cellar, which is a very fine specimen of
Elizabethan work, stands about a foot in height ;
at the top is a shallow pan in which the salt was
placed, over which is a gold canopy supported on
brackets. The object of canopies such as this
apparently was to keep the larger and more obtru-
sive pieces of dirt and dust from the rough rafters
overhead, from falling into the salt. Salt was a
precious thing in those days, and as carefully to be
protected as would pate de foie gras in these times.
On top of the canopy stands a knight in armour
holding a long two-handed sword and a shield.
He also is manifestly guarding the salt from theft
and danger.
THE ROYAL PLATE 63
With the exception of this one piece, none of the
gold table plate in the Jewel House dates further
back than the reign of Charles II, and this for good
and sufficient reasons, as we have seen. To renew
the Royal Plate at the Restoration several contribu-
tions were made, and the chiefest of these by the
loyal county of Devon. The city of Exeter presented
His Majesty with a magnificent golden State salt
cellar, fashioned like a castle ; and the Borough of
Plymouth came forward with one of the handsomest
pieces of gold plate in existence, a beautiful wine
fountain.
The State salt cellar stands nearly two feet high,
and is a most elaborate and beautifully worked out
representation of a square castle prepared for defence
as it would be in medieval days. At each corner
are turrets for flank defence, and cannons and guns
bristle from every wall. On the top is a cupolo
shaped like a Royal crown, and under this may be
seen exquisitely fashioned field-guns on wheels.
The castle is adorned throughout with precious
stones, one specially large sapphire being observable
above the portcullis at the front entrance. Some
historians think it was intended to represent the
White Tower, which is the keep of the Tower of
London, but as many castles in those days were
more or less of this design, and amongst them
Exeter Castle, it seems more probable that the design
was taken from that city.
64 THE JEWEL HOUSE
The tops of the four turrets as well as the crown
left off and disclosed shallow pans or saucers each
capable of holding a small quantity of precious salt.
There are also small troughs under the windows
also intended each to hold a little salt. Probably
nobody but the King and Queen and three or four
distinguished guests seated near were intended to
take salt from the State salt cellar, its place being
in the centre of the great banqueting table exactly
opposite the King.
The wine fountain, besides being an exceedingly
fine example of the goldsmith's art, must have been
a very acceptable and appropriate present for the
jovial King to receive. The fountain stands two
and a half feet high, the central figure being a lady
very lightly clad, holding a snake by the neck.
Below the lady are two tiers of shallow receptacles
shaped like shells and ornamented with mermaids,
dolphins, and sea nymphs. The lower, and larger
tier, measures 28 in. in diameter. When in use the
fountain could be made to play as does a water-
fountain in the garden. The procedure would be to
place a barrel of wine in the gallery : from this a
pipe would run which could be fixed to the hollow
at the base of the fountain. When the tap was
turned on the wine would run up inside the lady and
out presumedly through the serpent's mouth. The
height of spray would depend on the height of the
barrel above the table. The wine as it fell in spray
THE ROYAL PLATE 65
would drip down the lady, which impending deluge
doubtless accounts for her lack of garments ; thence
it would flow into the tier of smaller receptacles.
As these filled up they would overflow into the
larger receptacles below, and when these in their
turn were filled to overflowing, the only way to pre-
vent a flood, and a devastating waste of good wine,
was for the company to continuously dip their
beakers into them and thus stem the tide by steadily
drinking the contents.
There are eleven other great gold salt cellars
amongst the Royal plate at the Tower dating from
the reign of Charles II, which used to help in deco-
rating the tables at Coronation banquets. These are
all known as St. George's Salts and are of several
patterns.
A curious story attaches to one set of four of these
salt cellars. They are cylindrical hi shape, rather
like a deep drum, and embossed with sprays of leaves
and flowers in high relief. At the top are three
brackets curving outwards fashioned as serpents.
When the Royal plate was being overhauled for the
Coronation of George IV, some bright expert
decided that the brackets were not brackets, but
legs, and turned the salts over and stood them on
these. He was then faced by an aching void which
would hold a couple of pounds of salt, for the cylin-
ders are hollow. Naught dismayed, he had shallow
gold pans to hold salt made to fit the cylinders,
66 THE JEWEL HOUSE
and on these were engraved the Royal arms and the
words " George IV." Thus upside down the salts
remained for ninety-two years, the serpents standing
on their heads, and the herbaceous ornamentation
drooping sadly. During those ninety-two years an
animated correspondence appears to have been
carried on as to which end upwards the salts should
rightly stand, and it was only hi the time of the
present Keeper of the Jewel House that the serpents,
doubtless to their relief, were allowed again to hold
up their heads, and the golden flowers and foliage
were condemned no longer to droop. The real
mission in life of these brackets, as has been re-
discovered in this post-bellum age, is to support
a napkin which was spread over them so as to protect
the salt from dust and dirt.
All the rest of the St. George's Salts have a perman-
ent golden canopy over them very similar to that
which covers Queen Elizabeth's salt cellar. On top
of the canopy in each case is a knight in armour,
in some cases mounted, in others on foot. The
knight is probably meant for St. George, in some
cases mounted before killing the dragon, and in
others dismounted and at rest, after having accom-
plished that historic feat.
Appertaining to the great salt cellars there
remain a residue of twelve gold salt spoons, the
missing numbers no doubt having been lost, or
annexed by excessively loyal guests.
THE ROYAL PLATE 67
Two very handsome gold tankards are in the
Jewel House, which were added to the Royal plate
by George IV. Viewed from a discreet distance
the effect is very fine, but a closer inspection is not
recommended to those who disapprove of realism
in art. Queen Victoria, it is reported, disliked these
flagons intensely.
The silver trumpets and gold maces are placed
in the Jewel House as part of the Royal Treasure.
There were originally sixteen silver trumpets, but
one disappeared in a bygone reign and has never
been recovered, so that fifteen only remain. They
are the ordinary shape of a cavalry trumpet, and are
used not only at the King's Coronation, but also when
proclamations are made by the Heralds in the King's
name. They were thus used, for instance, when the
Heralds rode to various parts of London and pro-
claimed the Peace at the end of the Great War, in
1919. Pendent from each trumpet is a crimson silk
banneret richly embroidered in gold, displaying
the Royal arms with the cypher of the reigning mon-
arch. At the Coronation of the sovereign the trum-
peters blow a fanfare on these silver trumpets, the
ritual for which in the old world wording of the
Coronation service is thus given :
' The Archbishop of Canterbury speaks thus to
the people : ' Sirs, I here present unto you King
George, the undoubted King of this realm : where-
68 THE JEWEL HOUSE
fore all you who are come this day to do your
homage, are you willing to do the same ? ' The
people signify their willingness by loud and repeated
exclamations, all with one voice crying out ' God
save King George.' '
Then the trumpets sound a fanfare.
Of gold maces there are eight in number at the
Tower. The oldest of these are two made for Charles
II ; there are two also which date from the reign of
James II, whilst three were supplied for William and
Mary, and one for George I. They are all of very
similar pattern. A mace was originally a weapon
used by cavalry soldiers, and many and various
patterns of these may be seen in the Armoury in
the White Tower. It was, in fact, a bludgeon with
a short handle and a heavy head, sufficiently heavy
to beat in the steel helmets worn hi those days.
The ceremonial mace has, instead of a battle-head,
a crown, and this crown is to denote the delegation
of the Royal authority. The Sergeant-at-arms carry-
ing the mace before the Speaker, and placing it on
rests before him in the House of Commons, thus
conveys the Royal Assent to the assembly. In
the same way mayors of towns have crowned maces
borne before with the same intention. When
policemen, or peelers as they were then called, were
first incorporated, they were served out with trun-
cheons which were miniature maces with a Royal
THE ROYAL PLATE 69
crown at the head of each. These crowns, however,
were not very practical weapons with which to
knock a burglar on the head ; indeed, they generally
broke off, which was an untoward catastrophe, so
they were discontinued. Those who were in the
streets of London when the Peace proclamation was
made at the close of the Great War, will have
noticed that sergeants-at-arms bearing their maces
accompanied the heralds and trumpeters, thus
signifying that the whole ceremony was with the
King's authority.
At the coronation of a sovereign the sergeants-at-
arms, whose number seems to have varied in the
course of centuries, carry their maces and form part
of the procession. Originally the mace-bearers were
a corps of twenty-four knights, or gentlemen of
high degree, who formed a sort of bodyguard to
the King, and thus they were in the reign of Richard
Cceur de Lion. As late as the reign of Charles II
the sergeants-at-arms bearing their maces are shown
mounted on horses. At the present day a sergeant-
at-arms walks and carries his mace, no mean
weight, as those who have seen them stagger after
a long day may well imagine. Thirty-four pounds
do they each weigh.
We have now accounted for all the secular plate
in the Tower pertaining to royalty, and proceed
to describe the ecclesiastical plate used at the
70 THE JEWEL HOUSE
coronations of our monarchs, or on certain occasions
during their reigns, either at Westminster, or at
St. Peter ad Vincula, a Royal chapel within the
Tower.
CHAPTER V
ECCLESIASTICAL PLATE
The Ampulla or Golden Eagle — It's great age — Repaired for Corona-
tion of Charles II — The lapis lazuli eagle lost or sold — The
Ampulla escapes the Commonwealth — Hidden in Westminster
Abbey — The Ampulla at the Coronation — Filled with holy
oil — Oil costing £200 — Height of eagle — A prototype of the
lecternes in churches — The anointing spoon — Of Byzantine
origin — The spoon described — Its use at a coronation — Oil on
the King's head — The Maundy Dish — Its severe simplicity-
Inaugurated by Charles II — Maundy money for the aged poor —
The ceremony of presentation at Westminster — The baptismal
font — For Princes and Princesses of the Blood Royal — The
alms dish — Queen Victoria orders a new font — The bacchan-
alian flagons — The alms dish and flagon of William and Mary —
Used in the chapel within the Tower.
1
ecclesiastical plate, if so it may be
called, which is kept at the Tower, apper-
tains to religious ceremonies, chiefly in
connection with coronation of the sover-
eigns called upon to reign over the British Empire
and the baptism of the Royal children. But also
there are pieces of church plate which are used on
certain set occasions, as is in due course set forth.
The oldest piece of plate, ecclesiastical or secular,
preserved in the Tower, is the Ampulla or Golden
71
72 THE JEWEL HOUSE
Eagle. This bears distinct traces of Byzantine
origin, and thus may be fourteen hundred years old.
It was for long attributed to Sir Robert Vyner, and
was supposed to have been made for the Coronation
of Charles II. But recent exact examination by
experts has shown that the eagle is of a very much
earlier origin. To one skilled in such matters it
is, for instance, at once apparent that the screw
with which the head is attached to the body is of a
pattern that was ancient even in the days of Charles
II, and further a close examination of the body of
the eagle shows distinct signs of Byzantine workman-
ship.1 It may thus be concluded that this eagle
was used in very early days for the Coronation of
English Kings. It then was supplanted perhaps for
centuries by a much more ornate and intrinsically
valuable emblem of lapis lazuli, with a golden eagle
at the top enriched with pearls and diamonds,
mentioned by Mezeray. This valuable bird has
disappeared altogether, and whether it was disposed
of to meet the necessities of Charles I, or whether
sold or destroyed by the Commonwealth, is not
clear. But the older eagle survived these troublous
times owing to the fortunate circumstance that it
was hidden and forgotten in the Treasure House
at Westminster Abbey. Much mutilated, and with
the wings broken off, it was handed over to Sir
Robert Vyner, who restored it for the Coronation
1 The Crown Jewels of England, by Younghusband and Daven-
port, p. 34.
ECCLESIASTICAL PLATE 73
of Charles II to the form in which we see it at
present in the Tower.
The eagle, far from being of life size, is only nine
inches high, and is in truth a very poor representa-
tion of an eagle, thus further emphasizing its
ancient origin. It is, however, of solid gold hollowed
only sufficiently to contain a small quantity of holy
oil. This is introduced by unscrewing the head and
pouring the oil into it, the holy unguent being
composed chiefly of olive oil and balm. Of so great
a value is it, that it is on record that James II paid
no less than £200 for the small quantity required
for his Coronation ceremony. The Ampulla is the
prototype of the large brass eagle which we see in
many churches bearing the Holy Bible on its back,
emblematically about to fly to the four corners of
the earth carrying the sacred message of the gospel.
At the Coronation, when the moment for the
anointing of the King arrives, a small portion of the
holy oil is poured into the anointing spoon, the beak
of the eagle forming the channel.
The anointing spoon, into which the oil is poured
from the Ampulla, can probably claim almost
equally ancient origin. On this, too, recent examina-
tion has discovered distinct traces of Byzantine
workmanship. So ancient a spoon has naturally
been repaired and renewed from time to time during
the centuries, but that it has existed for more
than a thousand years is quite evident. The handle
74 THE JEWEL HOUSE
of the spoon is seven and a half inches long, tapering
towards the top, showing that it is intended to be
gripped with the whole hand, instead of being
balanced on the fingers as are more modern spoons.
It is richly ornamented and set with pearls. The
bowl of the spoon is two and a quarter inches in
length, and is curiously divided longitudinally by
a ridge. When in use at a coronation, the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury dips his two first fingers into
the holy oil resting in these two compartments, and
with the oil thus raised makes a cross on the King's
head, on his breast, and on the palms of his hands.
The Coronation service directs the Archbishop to
pour the holy oil on to His Majesty's head, but
being a kindly prelate, he does not obey these
instructions too literally, thus saving the Royal
person and robes from a devastating deluge.
That this Ampulla and the spoon escaped the
studied destruction of the Commonwealth is proved
by the records of the Restoration, for it is expressly
stated that, " All the Regalia, except the ampulla and
spoon, both of which were constantly kept in the
Church of Westminster, were sacrilegiously plun-
dered."
One of the most impressive pieces of ecclesiastical
plate, impressive from its severe simplicity, is the
Maundy Dish. In contrast to the highly decorative
alms dish of William and Mary, it is perfectly plain.
In diameter it is somewhat over two feet, and it weighs
ECCLESIASTICAL PLATE 75
two hundred and two ounces. It was made in the
reign of Charles II in 1660-61, who decided, in place
of continuing the ancient custom of distributing the
Royal Bounty, to make instead an offering to the
aged poor. The number of the aged poor to be thus
beneficed is regulated by the King's age, that is to
say, if he is fifty years of age, fifty old men and fifty
old women receive the bounty. The bounty itself
consists of a silver penny, a silver twopenny, a
silver threepenny, and a silver fourpenny, making
a total of tenpence. This in Charles II days was a
fairly handsome dole ; whilst even at this day the
set of four silver coins is of a value far above its
intrinsic merits. Indeed, on one occasion a five
pound note was given at the Abbey door for the
purchase of one of these sets. In addition, however,
to the coins, the aged poor who are yearly selected
by the Dean of Westminster receive other handsome
doles from the King in money and clothing.
The ceremony takes place in Westminster Abbey
on the Thursday before Good Friday, known as
Maundy Thursday. The dish is taken from the
Tower to Westminster, where at the ceremony a
yeoman of the guard carries it in procession, holding
displayed the little red bags containing the Maundy
Money. The aged poor are marshalled on each side
of the aisle, and to them after an impressive service
the little bags of money are one by one distributed,
by the clergy, in the King's name.
76 THE JEWEL HOUSE
It will be noticed that William and Mary have
placed their cypher in the middle of the Maundy
Dish, but the plate mark clearly shows that it was
made at the beginning of the reign of Charles II.
After the ceremony at Westminster the Maundy
Dish is conveyed back to the Tower, and there rests
behind iron bars for yet another year.
Of the ecclesiastical plate the most prominent
piece is the gold baptismal font made for Charles II,
and intended to be used for the baptism of all Royal
children born thereafter. If the original intention
had been carried out a very long successions of
Princes and Princesses, including those now living,
would have had this historic connection with an
ancient piece of church plate. Unhappily, however,
owing possibly to the inadvertence of Court officials
or the clergy, the font has only been spasmodically
used. The first recorded occasion is at the christen-
ing of the Princess Augusta, afterwards Duchess of
Brunswick, the third daughter of Frederick Louis,
Prince of Wales in the year 1737. We also know that
it was used at the baptism of George. IV, and for the
same ceremony in the case of twelve of the children
of George III.
Then it seems to have been lost sight of, or perhaps
was mistaken for a punch bowl, for we find that in
1840-41, Queen Victoria ordered a baptismal font to
be made of silver-gilt, which is now at Windsor
Castle, and in which all Princes and Princesses from
ECCLESIASTICAL PLATE 77
that date have been baptised. It may confidently
be hoped that at some future date the older font will
again come into use, and will not again be lost to
sight.
Charles IFs font gives the general impression of
a large, covered bowl standing on a slender, rounded
column, and has a somewhat top-heavy effect. In
height it is about 3 ft. 6 hi., whilst the bowl is about
18 in. in diameter. On top of the cover is a group of
gold figures representing St. Philip baptising the
eunuch, whilst below is the cypher of Charles II sur-
mounted by a Royal crown. The same device is
repeated on the base of the font. As part of the set
is a very handsome and massive golden alms dish
with the Royal arms of the Stuarts engraved large
in the centre.
The flagons which have become associated with
this font are, as their plate-marks show, of later
origin, and the association, therefore, was only
temporary, and might without doubt be dissevered.
They are, in fact, tankards made and intended to
be used at the festal board, and not for sacramental
wine. The designs in high relief on these tankards
is sufficient evidence of this, for they depict bac-
chanalian scenes of the most realistic nature. It
is possible that it was these flagons, which were
thought to be indissoluble from the font, which
caused the whole set to be put aside by Queen
Victoria. The flagons are of German origin, made in
78 THE JEWEL HOUSE
Hamburg, and though their date is uncertain, may
rightly be ascribed to the Hanoverian dynasty.
Amongst the ecclesiastical plate is a very handsome
golden alms dish and flagon made for William and
Mary, the plate-marks on which show they were
made in 1691-92. The alms dish is more than two
feet in diameter, and has in the centre in high relief
a fine representation of the Last Supper. Below
this is a panel on which is displayed the cypher of
William and Mary, surmounted by a royal crown.
Round the wide rim, also in high relief, are four
winged cherubs, and between these golden foliage,
garlands, and fruit. The flagon stands about a foot
and a half high, and has a handle and cover. The
body is covered with boldly embossed cherubs'
faces, foliage, and festoons of roses and fruit. The
cypher of William and Mary, surmounted by a royal
crown, is on the front of the flagon.
These two pieces of ecclesiastical plate have the
privilege of replacing much older plate three times
a year on the altar of the Chapel of St. Peter ad
Vincula within the Tower. These three occasions
are Easter Sunday, Whit Sunday, and Christmas
Day. On these three days the Keeper of the Jewel
House hands them over to the Tower authorities for
the period of morning service, and then, reclaiming
them, replaces them with the Regalia.
The altar plate, which the alms dish and flagon
of William and Mary replace on these three occasions,
ECCLESIASTICAL PLATE 79
dates to the reigns of Charles I and Charles II.
This older set of plate, though quite plain, is in the
eyes of connoisseurs more impressive than the more
ornate and finely designed insignia of the later
reign. The origin of this curious routine is lost in
antiquity. It may, however, have been ordered
so as to emphasize the arrival of a new dynasty and
the death of the old ; thus with large and resplendent
plate to outshine the smaller and plainer vessels
of the Stuarts. But the origin, be what it may, the
custom has become established, and will without
doubt continue year by year as long as the Tower
stands, and England is England.
CHAPTER VI
THE REGAL EMBLEMS
The emblems of Royalty — Spiritual and Temporal — The regalia
used at the Coronation of George V — The emblems borne in
procession at Westminster — The Ampulla or golden eagle —
The Anointing Spoon — The Sword and Spurs — The ceremony
of the Jewelled Sword — The King offers it to the Church —
Redeems it for 100 shillings — The Armilla, or Pall of Cloth of
Gold — The Orb placed in the King's hand — A potent of Chris-
tian domination — The Coronation ring — The ensign of Kingly
Dignity — The Sceptre with the Cross — The Sceptre with the
Dove— A glove presented by the Lord of the Manor of Worksop
— The King is crowned with St. Edward's Crown — The Peers
put on their coronets — the people shout and " the great guns of
the Tower are shot off " — The enthronement of the King — The
Queen's Coronation — The Anointing — The Ring — The Queen
is crowned — The Peeresses put on their coronets — The Queen's
Sceptre — The Ivory Rod with the Dove — The Regal emblems
on view in the Tower.
1
emblems of Royalty are many and
curious, and each has its significance.
When a King or Queen of England is
crowned, all these emblems are brought
from the Tower to Westminster Abbey, and each in
turn is presented to the new sovereign by the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury. This fact in itself is curious
and interesting. It is not the House of Lords which
represents the aristocracy of the country, nor the
80
THE REGAL EMBLEMS 81
House of Commons which represents the people,
nor the Lord Chancellor as representing Law and
Order, but the highest prelate of the Church of
England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who on
behalf of 500,000,000 subjects of every race and
creed, is deputed to crown the rightful successor
King of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of
wide-world dominions.
Of these emblems some are of a purely kingly
significance, such as the Crown and Sceptre ;
others, like the Orb and Ring, have a religious con-
nection, whilst others, as symbolized by the Sword
and Spurs, are military emblems giving the knightly
touch.
When a King or Queen is to be crowned, all the
regal emblems from amongst the Crown Jewels,
which are required for the ceremony, having been
conveyed from the Tower to Westminster Abbey,
are there met by the Peers and high officers, each
of whom, either by hereditary right or by order of
the King, takes charge of one emblem. The portions
of the regalia used at the Coronation of King
George V were :
St. Edward's Crown, or the Crown of England.
The King's Imperial State Crown.
The Orb.
The Sceptre with the Cross.
The Sceptre with the Dove.
The Jewelled State Sword.
82 THE JEWEL HOUSE
The Sword of State.
The Three Swords of Justice and Mercy.
The Gold Spurs of St. George.
The Bracelets.
The Coronation Ring.
The Ampulla or Golden Eagle.
The Anointing Spoon.
These are all borne in procession to the altar,
and there, with the exception of the Swords, each
article is handed to the Archbishop of Canterbury,
who in his turn hands them to the Dean of West-
minster, and by that prelate they are each in due
order placed upon the altar. When the ceremony
of coronation commences, the first emblems used
are the Ampulla and Spoon.
The Dean of Westminster pours a little of the oil
from the Ampulla into the Anointing Spoon and
takes it to the Archbishop. The Archbishop dips
his first two fingers into the oil, and with the oil
that adheres to them anoints the King, first on the
head, then on the breast bared for the occasion,
and thirdly on the palms of both hands. In each
case the anointing is made in the form of a cross.
This ceremony of the anointing of Kings is of very
ancient origin, as may be gathered from Bible history.
Thousands of years ago it was the custom to pour
oil on the King's head and thus anoint him King
over his people. What the origin of the custom
was is not quite clear, but in the course of centuries
THE KING'S ROYAL SCEPTRE AND THE JEWELLED STATE SWORD
THE REGAL EMBLEMS 83
it has become a recognized and indispensable part
of the ceremony. Indeed, so indispensable, that
there is on record a case where a Queen who had
always been obliged to wear a wig was so impressed
with the importance of the oil actually reaching
the skin of her head that she had a small trap-door
cut in the top of her wig so that the holy oil might
assuredly reach its destination. In olden days
the oil was literally poured on to the King's head,
so that it ran down his beard and must have con-
siderably damaged his clothes. In another place1 is
mentioned the old horn comb, used to rearrange the
King's hair, perchance disordered by a too enthusi-
astic archbishop, which was thrown away by the
Commonwealth.
The next portions of the Regalia which come into
the ceremony are the Spurs and Sword, the emblems
of knighthood and chivalry. With the Spurs the
Lord Great Chamberlain merely touches the King's
heels and returns them to the altar, but of the
Sword much is made. It is in itself a magnificent
work of art resplendent with costly jewels, the most
valuable sword in the world. This most fittingly is
carried by the Keeper of the Jewel House, an
officer of high rank in the Army and a warrior of
many wars. The Archbishop of Canterbury, taking
the Sword, and accompanied by the Archbishop
of York, the Bishops of London and Winchester
1 See p. 96.
84 THE JEWEL HOUSE
and other bishops assisting, approaches the King
and delivers it into the King's right hand. And
the King having girt the sword about him, the
Archbishop gives him a benediction strongly remin-
iscent of that bestowed on the Knights of the Bath
in olden days : ' With this Sword do justice, stop
the growth of iniquity, protect the Holy Church
of God, help and defend widows and orphans,
restore the things that are gone to decay, maintain
the things that are restored, punish and reform
what is amiss, and confirm what is in good order :
that doing these things you may be glorious in all
virtue ; and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus
Christ in this life, that you may reign for ever with
Him in the life which is to come." This Jewelled
Sword is then ungirded and placed by the King
on the altar as his tribute to the Almighty, but the
Almighty having no need of so valuable or indeed
of any sword, it is redeemed by the Keeper of the
Jewel House on payment of 100 shillings to the
Archbishop, and returns eventually to safe keeping
in the Tower.
The Dean of Westminster then puts upon the
King the Armilla or stole, and the Imperial Mantle
or Pall of Cloth of Gold, the Lord Great Chamber-
lain fastening the clasps.
The King being seated, the Archbishop of Canter-
bury places in his hand the Orb, which is the sign and
portent of Christian dominion throughout the world.
THE REGAL EMBLEMS 85
On top of the Orb is a jewelled Cross standing on a
great amethyst. To this the Archbishop draws
attention, saying : " And when you see this Orb
set under the Cross, remember that the whole world
is subject to the Power and Empire of Christ our
Redeemer." The Orb is then handed by the King
to the Dean of Westminster, who again places it on
the altar.
The Coronation Ring is the next emblem to be
brought forward also by the Keeper of the Jewel
House. The ring is the ensign of kingly dignity
and of the defence of the Catholic faith, and is
placed by the Archbishop on the fourth finger of
His Majesty's right hand. The ring is of gold, and
set therein is a large sapphire of great value sur-
rounded by a circle of small diamonds. Across,
but clear of the sapphire, north to south and east
to west, are long, narrow rubies, giving the general
effect of a red cross on a dark blue background, the
Cross of St. George on a shield. A smaller replica
of this large ring was given to Queen Victoria by
William IV, and used at Her Majesty's Coronation.
William IV naturally had this ring made in his
lifetime when the Princess Victoria was young,
but before the time that she came to the throne
both she and her finger had grown larger. With
many other things to think about, nobody thought
of trying the ring on the Queen's finger before the
ceremony, all taking it for granted that it had been
86 THE JEWEL HOUSE
fitted. Hence resulted the historic struggle of the
Archbishop of Canterbury to thrust the ring on,
and the intense agony of Her Majesty throughout
the rest of the ceremony. Both of these may be
seen in the Jewel House, together with the ruby
ring described later.
Next in the ceremony comes the presentation to the
King of the Sceptre with the Cross, and the Sceptre
with the Dove. But before the Archbishop places
these in his hands, the Lord of the Manor of Worksop,
by ancient right, presents the King with a glove
which His Majesty draws on. The Lord of the Manor
of Worksop also has the privilege of supporting the
King's right arm after the Sceptre has been placed
in the King's hand. The Sceptre with the Cross,
which is the ensign of kingly power and justice, is
delivered into the King's right hand by the Arch-
bishop. This is the sceptre which has the great
diamond the Star of South Africa set in its head.
This addition, which was introduced in the reign
of Edward VII, was directly inspired by that wise
monarch. The diamond represented the latest and
youngest member of the British Empire, but the
King made the proviso that though the great
diamond was to be introduced no portion of the
ancient sceptre was to be cut away or destroyed.
When the King commands someone will be found
with the brains and ingenuity to follow out the
deep political sentiment thus expressed. The brains
THE KING'S ROYAL SCEPTRE.
Reproduced by permission of Messrs. Cassell & Co., from a painting made by
Mr. Cyril Davenport (Copyright).
THE REGAL EMBLEMS 87
and ingenuity were duly furnished by Garrard's,
perhaps the most famous of a long succession of
Court Jewellers.
The Sceptre with the Dove, which is known as
the Rod of Equity and Mercy, is by the same
prelate placed in the King's left hand.
The King holds these two sceptres in his hands,
whilst the definite act of coronation takes place.
The crown used is St. Edward's Crown, or the Crown
of England. This the Archbishop first places on
the altar, and pronounces a blessing. The Dean of
Westminster than takes the crown and with the
bishops processes towards the King, who is seated
in the ancient Coronation Chair. There he hands
the crown to the Archbishop, " who putteth it rever-
ently on the King's head. At the sight thereof the
people with loud and repeated shouts cry, " God
save the King " ; the Peers and the Kings of Arms
put on their coronets, and the trumpets sound, and
by a signal given the great guns of the Tower are
shot off." »
St. Edward's Crown is very heavy, being made of
massive gold ; it is therefore almost immediately
replaced by the King's State Crown, a much lighter
and at the same time much more resplendent insignia.
St. Edward's Crown is never used again till the
next sovereign in succession comes to be crowned.
Throughout his reign the King on all State occasions,
1 From the Coronation Service.
88 THE JEWEL HOUSE
such as the opening of Parliament, wears his State
Crown, sometimes known as the Diamond Crown.
Indeed, it may well be so called, for it is one great
mass of brilliancy thrown forth by more than 6000
diamonds of every size.
The final act in the Coronation ceremony is the
enthronement, or as it is more anciently named,
the Inthronisation. Wearing the State Crown, with
a sceptre in each hand, and clothed in the robes
of majesty, the King is conducted from St. Edward's
Chair to the Throne of England, and is placed upon
it by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Then all
those peers and high officers who bear the Swords,
and Orb, and other portions of the Regalia, group
themselves round the steps of the throne, whilst the
Archbishop makes his final exhortation. After the
coronation of a sovereign all the Regalia are handed
back to the Keeper of the Jewel House and conveyed
to the Tower of London, where the majority rest
till the next King or Queen ascends the Throne.
During a reign the only portions of the Regalia
which usually leave the Tower are the King's
State Crown, the Queen's State Crown, the Sword of
State, and such maces as are required, these being
used when the King opens Parliament in State.
On great occasions, however, such as the day when
peace was declared, at the end of the Great War,
the silver trumpets are taken out and the State
trumpeters sound a fanfare thereon when the
THE REGAL EMBLEMS 89
heralds make proclamation. At the same time
two or three of the Sergeants-at-Arms' maces are
also taken out and borne in the heralds' procession.
When a Queen in her own right, like Queen
Victoria, is crowned, she uses the same Regalia as is
above described for a King, but when the Queen is a
Queen Consort the procedure and Regalia are differ-
ent. For such occasions a double set are made,
such as were used by James II and his Queen Mary
of Modena ; by William III and Mary II ; by
Edward VII and Queen Alexandra ; and by George V
and Queen Mary. The Regalia of a Queen Consort
consists of a State Crown, a ring, and two sceptres,
with regal robes somewhat similar to those of the
King.
The ceremony of the coronation of a Queen Con-
sort is comparatively brief, and is performed by the
Archbishop of York. First the Queen is anointed,
whilst four peeresses hold a rich pall or canopy of
gold over her. The Archbishop is enjoined to
pour the oil on Her Majesty's head, but we
confidently hope that he is usually not too
literal in the interpretation of this injunction.
After the anointing, the Keeper of the Jewel House
hands the Coronation Ring to the Archbishop,
who places it on the Queen's fourth finger of the
right hand, giving to it the name of the Seal of
Faith. Then the Archbishop takes the Queen's
Crown and reverently places it on her head, re-
90 THE JEWEL HOUSE
ferring to it as the Crown of glory, honour, and joy.
At the same moment as the Queen is crowned all
the peeresses put on their coronets. Finally the
Archbishop of York places a Sceptre in the Queen's
right hand, and the Ivory Rod with the Dove in
her left hand.
All the regal emblems above described are kept
in the Jewel House at the Tower of London, and
are there on view every day in the week, except
Sundays and Christmas Day, all the year round.
On Saturdays and Bank Holidays the Jewel House
is free to visitors, whilst on other days a charge of
sixpence is made. On a Whit Monday Bank Holi-
day as many as 16,000 people have been known to
pass free through the Jewel House. The money
paid for entrance does not, as in the old days, go to
the Keeper of the Jewel House or to his assistants,
but to the Treasury. The takings vary from over
£700 in a good month, say August, down to £150
in a bad month, generally December. The total
fees taken must be some £5000 per annum. Thus
the Crown Jewels are not like talents hidden in the
ground, but bring in a handsome income to the
State.
CHAPTER VII
THE GREAT TRAGEDY
Tragedy comes to the Crown Jewels — The Parliamentary obsession
— The emblems of royalty to be destroyed — Some sensible
Lords — The Puritan unmasked — Some excellent bargains for
the righteous — The Black Prince's ruby sold for £4 — Concealed
and returned to Charles II — Alfred the Great's Crown melted
down — Then 800 years old — Fetched £238 — Queen Edith's
Crown — Sold for £16 — A glass cup for £102 — The golden Dove,
emblematic of the Holy Ghost, £26 — The three swords another
bargain — St. George's gold spurs for £1 133. 4d. — The " old
home comb " — A complete list of the Royal plate and jewels
with their values — The Robes destroyed — The Restoration —
Regalia furnished for Charles II — Cost £320,000 of our money —
Included therein " a paire of Trowses and breeches over them " —
The presents of plate — The city of Exeter's gift — And that of the
Borough of Plymouth — A wine fountain and its uses — The
Great Salts — A golden baptismal font — The pilfering of jewels
— James II pays £500 for hire of jewels at his coronation —
A new State Crown required — A diadem which cost £110,000 —
A new Sceptre with the Dove £440 — The Sceptre with the Cross
£1025 — St. Edward's staff — A new Orb for Queen Mary of
Modena — The aquamarine monde of James II — The Maundy
Dish — The Alms Dish and flagon of William and Mary — The
Imperial Crown of India — Queen Mary's Crown — The tragedy
of 1649 happily wiped out.
1
greatest tragedy which has ever hap-
pened to the Crown Jewels occurred
during the sway of the Commonwealth.
This period, thus misappropriately named,
was, it is said by people who know all about these
91
92 THE JEWEL HOUSE
things, merely a national aperient, which as such,
they say, served its purpose, but the medicine smells
no sweeter to many of us of this day than it did to
those who had to swallow it in that bygone age.
The Parliamentarians took themselves extremely
seriously, and in the solemn attempt to stamp out
the monarchy, and all monarchical principles, they
with the limited intelligence that permeates the
parochially-minded thought to further this fanatical
principle by destroying even the emblems of royalty.
This though these had become nothing more danger-
ous than any other articles of wondrous historic
value such as are fitly preserved in the British
Museum. This class of fanatic might, with ponder-
ous conscientiousness, blow up the Pyramids of
Egypt in furtherance of some similar principle.
In solemn conclave, therefore, the House of Com-
mons passed a resolution that all emblems of royalty
should be totally broken up, the gold and silver
to be melted down, and the jewels sold to the best
advantage. True there were a few sensible members
of the House of Lords who pointed out that the
historic value of the Crown Jewels far exceeded
their intrinsic worth, and that to melt down crowns
and plate and to disperse jewels of renown was a
very extravagant procedure, especially so in an era
of strict economy. Nevertheless, broken up and
destroyed were the Crown Jewels, and happily we
have a list of the portions which fell into the melting-
THE GREAT TRAGEDY 93
pot, or beneath the hammer of the auctioneer. The
House of Commons of those days was liberally
primed with what are known as Puritans. A Puritan
was doubtless an excellent person according to his
lights, but an outside world has since been, perhaps
unjustly, somewhat inclined to confound him with
another not very popular and more ancient biblical
type. It is, therefore, perhaps not unnatural to
find that many mundane persons of those days, such
as Royalists and Cavaliers, in whispers at the time
and later more openly, declared that the disposal
of the Crown Jewels was so effected as to give the
Members of Parliament and their friends some very
handsome bargains.
This, indeed, would not be difficult, for as a
matter of policy it was considered inadvisable
that any obtrusive popular rush should take
place for the possession of these royalist relics.
Rather was it endeavoured to demonstrate of what
little value they were in the eyes of the simple
Republican ; therefore, doubtless the sale was little
advertised. It would be very interesting to know,
for instance, who and how some lucky person secured
the Black Prince's ruby, which is, and was, practi-
cally priceless, for £4. It may, of course, have been
a Royalist who obtained possession, and who,
guarding it carefully, handed it back to Charles II
on his Restoration. We should like to think so. But
more probably it went at that bargain price to a
94 THE JEWEL HOUSE
friend of Parliament, and by him was preserved as
a good investment, and eventually was sold back
for money, or a substantial benefit, to Charles II.
All that really matters now is that the ruby survived
those troublous days, and found itself again in a place
of honour in the State Crown of Charles II.
An object of great interest which was melted
down was the Crown of Alfred the Great. This
was made of gold wire-work, set with small gems,
and weighed 79^ ounces. Even at that time it was
nearly 800 years old. Melted down, this crown
was sold at £3 an ounce, and fetched altogether
£238 los. od. What became of the stones is not
stated. Either the despoilers had a disappointment
in the Crown of Queen Edith, wife of King Harold,
or its value was of set purpose depreciated. This
crown had always been held to be of massive gold,
but the assayers, it is said, found that it was made
only of silver-gilt, but it was set with garnets, pearls,
sapphires, and other stones. It weighed 5oJ ounces,
and was sold for £16 only. This appears to have
been a good investment for the fortunate pur-
chaser.
The " large glass cup wrought in figures," which is
mentioned in the inventory as having been sold for
£102 155. od., was a very ancient and valuable article.
It was not of glass, but was made of agate, and was
the great " stone " chalice of Edward the Confessor.
It is mentioned by Sporley, and was then six hundred
THE GREAT TRAGEDY 95
years old, and the date of the sale is nearly three
hundred years ago. All trace of this chalice has
been lost; it has probably long since been broken
and thrown away, unknown and unhonoured.
Amongst the articles to be broken up or sold is
a curious item. It is entered as " A dove of gold, set
with stones, and pearle, poiz. 8J ounces, in a box
sett with studs of silver gilt." By some this has
been confused with the ampulla or golden eagle,
for a dove or an eagle when not very exactly made
might resemble each other or any other bird. Very
possibly the Parliamentary Commissioners did so
mistake this dove for an eagle, and thought they
were destroying the ampulla. This, however, as
we have seen, was hidden away and escaped the
general sacrilege and destruction. This dove was
probably merely a holy emblem representing the
Holy Ghost, as does the dove on the top of the
sceptre.
Amongst the less valuable articles sold are men-
tioned three swords with scabbards of cloth of gold,
which were disposed of for £i each. Here again
somebody secured a great bargain, for these three
swords would in all probability be those sent to
Henry VIII by the Pope, when he bestowed on that
monarch the title of " Defender of the Faith."
These three swords were reproduced from ancient
drawings at the Restoration of Charles II, and are
now preserved in the Jewel House. They are the
96 THE JEWEL HOUSE
swords of Justice, Temporal and Spiritual, and the
Sword of Mercy. The point of this latter sword has
been purposely broken off about six inches, as an
emblem of mercy. The ultimate fate of three original
swords is not known. Only a short time ago, how-
ever, three swords very like these were dug up at
Mitcham when the foundations of a house were being
prepared. This spot has long been known as the site
of an ancient Anglo-Saxon settlement, and it is prob-
able that there was still a hamlet here in Cromwellian
days. It is, therefore, quite possible that someone
bought or acquired the swords at the great dispersal,
that their history got lost sight of, and that they
were lost and buried amidst the natural decay
which ordinary buildings suffer in the course of
centuries.
One of the King's military emblems, St. George's
Spurs, are mentioned as having been sold for
£i 135. 4d., they had always been held to be of
pure gold, but were sold as silver gilt.
Last of the list comes an almost pathetic article,
to wit, one old home comb " worth nothing."
This was probably the comb which may have been
used for centuries, and by many Kings, to rearrange
their hair after the Archbishop had perchance
disturbed it when anointing His Majesty's head at
the coronation.
A list of the chief portions of Regalia, broken up
and sold by order of Parliament, with the prices
THE GREAT TRAGEDY 97
realised, mentioned in The Crown Jewels of England,1
may be of interest : —
" A true and perfect Inventory of all the plate
and Jewells now being in the upper Jewell-house
of the Tower, in the charge of Sir Henry Mildmay,
together with an appraisement of them, made and
taken the 13th, I4th, and I5th daies of August, 1649 :
The Imperial crowne of massy
gold, weighing 7 Ibs. 6 oz.,
valued at ... £mo o o
The queenes crowne of massy gold,
weighing 3 Ibs. 10 oz., . £338 3 4
A small crowne found in an iron
chest, formerly in the Lord
Cottington's charge (from other
accounts this appears to have
been the crown of Edward VI.), £73 16 8
the gold, the diamonds, rubies,
sapphires, etc., . . £355 o o
The globe, weighing i Ib. 5 i oz., . £57 10 o
Two coronation bracelets, weigh-
ing 7 oz. (with three rubies and
twelve pearls), . . £36 o o
Two sceptres, weighing 18 oz., . £60 o o
A long rodd of silver gilt, i Ib.
5 oz., . . . £4 10 8
1 The Crown Jewels of England, by Major-General Sir George
Younghusband and Cyril Davenport.
98 THE JEWEL HOUSE
The foremention'd crownes, since ye inventorie
was taken, are accordinge to ordr of parm1 totallie
broken and defaced.
The inventory of that part of the
regalia which are now removed from
Westminster Abbey to the Jewel
House in the Tower.
Queene Edith's crowne, formerly
thought to be of massy gould,
but, upon trial, found to be of
silver gilt ; enriched with gar-
netts, foule pearle, saphires and
some odd stones, poiz. 50 J oz.,
valued at . . £16 o o
King Alfred's crowne of goulde
wyer worke, sett with slight
stones, poiz. 79^ oz. at £3 per
oz., .... £248 10 o
A goulde plate dish, enamelled,
etc., .... £77 ii o
One large glass cupp, wrought in,
figures, etc., . . . £102 15 o
A dove of gould, sett with stones,
and pearle, poiz. 8J oz., in a box
sett with studs of silver gilt, . £26 o o
The gould and stones belonging to
a collar of crimson and taffaty,
etc., .... £18 15 o
THE GREAT TRAGEDY 99
One staff of black and white ivory,
with a dove on the top, with
binding and foote of goulde, . £4 10 o
A large staff with a dove on ye top,
formerly thought to be all gould,
but upon triall found to be, the
lower part wood within and
silver gilt without, . . £2 10 o
Two sceptrs one sett with pearles
and stones, the upper end gould,
the lower end silver. The other
silver gilt with a dove, formerly
thought gould, . . £65 16 loj
One silver spoone gilt, poiz. 3 oz., . £0160
The gould of the tassels of the livor
cull'd robe, weighing 4 oz.,
valued at £8, and the coat with
the neck button of gould, £2,
the robe having some pearle,
valued at £3, in all . . £13 o o
One paire of silver gilt spurres,
etc., . . . £i 13 4
All these according to order of Parliament are
broken and defaced."
ioo THE JEWEL HOUSE
The ancient coronation robes destroyed at the
same time are catalogued and valued as follows : —
" One common taffaty robe, very
old, valued at . . . £0100
One robe, laced with goulde lace, . £0100
One livor culled silk robe, very old
and worth nothing, . . £000
One robe of crimson taffaty, sarce-
nett valued at . . £050
One pake of buskins, cloth of
silver and silver stockings, very
old, and valued at . £026
One paire of shoes of cloth of gold,
at . . .£026
One pake of gloves embroid6*1 w*
gould, at . . . £o i o
Three swords with scabbards of
cloth of goulde, at . . £300
One old combe of home, worth
nothing, . . . £000
Total in the chest, . . £4 n o"
The old Regalia having thus been wantonly
destroyed, it became necessary when the monarchy
was restored to make anew the emblems of royalty.
This work was entrusted to Sir Robert Vyner, the
Court Jeweller, with instructions that he was to
THE GREAT TRAGEDY 101
follow as closely as possible the fashions of those
destroyed.
The order included two crowns, one the Crown
of England, known as St. Edward's Crown, with
which the King was to be crowned, and the other
a State Crown which the King in accordance with
ancient custom would wear on all other State
occasions during his reign. Two sceptres also were
to be made, one the Sceptre with the Cross and the
other the Sceptre with the Dove. The Orb of gold
set with jewels and surmounted by a cross came
next ; then St. Edward's Staff, which is to guide
the King's footsteps/ and the Armilla1 and Ampulla.2
The bill for these, together with some minor portions
of the Regalia, amounted to £32,000, or about
£320,000 at the present purchasing value of the
sovereign.
Sir Edward Walker, Garter Principal King-at
Arms in the reign of Charles II, gives an interesting
and detailed account of this restoration of the
Regalia.3
" Because through the Rapine of the late unhappy
times, all the Royall Ornaments and Regalia
heretofore preserved from age to age in the Treasury
of the Church at Westminster, were taken away,
sold and destroyed, the Committee mett divers
1 A stole made of cloth of gold. * See p. 73.
* The Crown Jewels of England, by Younghusband and Daven-
port.
102 THE JEWEL HOUSE
times not only to direct the remaking such Royall
Ornaments and Regalia, but even to sette the form
and fashion of each particular : all which doe now
retayne the old names and fashion, although they
have been newly made and prepared by orders
given to the Earle of Sandwich, Master of the Great
Wardrobe, and Sr Gilbert Talbott, Kn1., Master
of the Jewell House.
Hereupon the Master of the Jewell House had
order to provide two Imperial Crownes sett with
pretious Stones, the one to be called St. Edward's
Crowne, wherewith the king was to be crowned, and
the other to be putt on after his Coronation, before
his Maties retorne to Westminster Hall. Also
An Orbe of Gold with a Crosse sett with pretious
Stones.
A Scepter with a Crosse sett with pretious Stones,
called St. Edward's.
A Scepter with a Dove sett with pretious Stones.
A long Scepter, or Staffe of Gold with a Crosse
upon the top, and a Pike at the foote of steele,
called St. Edward's staffe.
A Ring with a Ruby.
A Paire of Gold Spurrs.
A Chalice, and Paten of Gold.
An Ampull for the Oyle and a spoone.
And two Ingotts of Gold, the one a pound and the
other a marke for the King's 2 Offerings."
THE GREAT TRAGEDY 103
Besides these obvious tokens of royalty there
were and are a host of minor insignia which take
their part in the Coronation ceremony, down to the
garments which the King wears next his person.
Amongst these appears a shirt of fine linen, to be
left open in the place where the Archbishop would
anoint the King. The Master of the Great Wardrobe
had also to produce " a paire of Trowses, and
Breeches over them, with Stockings fastened to
the Trowses, all of Crimson Silke " ; and amongst
other things a pair of linen gloves, which appear
very modestly amidst so much splendour.
To supplement these strictly regal emblems the
people came forth gladly with offers of plate to
replace what had been melted down. As the solitary
piece of plate, left no doubt by an oversight by the
despoilers, was Queen Elizabeth's gold salt cellar,
which is now hi the Tower, much had to be supplied
to set the Royal table again on a regal scale. Devon-
shire, as we have seen, came forth nobly in the cause,
the two finest pieces of plate coming from the loyal
citizens of Exeter and Plymouth. Exeter presented a
State salt cellar, described in a former chapter, and
the Borough of Plymouth supplied the wine fountain
already described, both well in keeping with the
jovial days which wiped out the recollection of the
dismal period of the Commonwealth. It is a genial
picture to imagine King Charles with his jovial
courtiers stemming the tide set loose by the loyal
104 THE JEWEL HOUSE
Borough of Plymouth, and taking salt with his
almonds out of the Great Salt.
In accordance with the fashion of the age, the plate
on a dinner-table appears to have consisted very
largely of great salt cellars. These were made of
great size, so that besides furnishing a modicum of
salt, which was a precious thing in those days, they
gave a rich tone to the festive board. In the
Jewel House are no less than eleven of these
great gold salt cellars, all of which are known as
St. George's Salts, and all of which formed a portion
of the Royal Plate of Charles II.
To that popular monarch was also presented a
gold christening font, with the hope shared by all
his loyal subjects that many children of His Majesty
would be christened from it. The fates decided
otherwise, but the font remained a Royal font, and
many infant princes and princesses were christened
in it up to the days of Queen Victoria.
The Regalia seems to have been somewhat hardly
used in Charles II's reign, or Sir Gilbert Talbot, the
Keeper, must have much neglected his charge.
Doubtless a good deal of damage was done to the
State Crown and the Orb, and also to the Sceptre,
when Colonel Blood tried to carry them off. Several
stones were then lost, we know, but that would not
account for the heavy bill which had to be paid
when James II came to the throne.
The Crown of England, known as St. Edward's
THE GREAT TRAGEDY 105
Crown, which had been new made for Charles II,
and should never have left the Jewel House in the
Tower until the next King was crowned, had evidently
had the valuable stones pilfered out of it and worth-
less imitations set in their places. To replace
these gems appears to have been beyond the finances
of James II and his Parliament, for it is on record
that the sum of £500 was paid for the hire of jewels
for the Coronation ceremony, probably from the
Court Jewellers. In addition, £350 was paid for
additional gold and workmanship.
Apparently, too, the State Crown of Charles II,
which had been battered in by Colonel Blood, was
not in serviceable condition, for a new one had to be
made at a cost of £7870. Many of the old gems,
including the Black Prince's ruby, were doubtless
used, but the bill mentions that it includes fresh
jewels. The Crown and Diadem of his Queen,
Mary of Modena, are not mentioned in this bill ; the
cost of these may therefore have been otherwise
defrayed, possibly by the King out of his Privy
Purse. Both are now in the Jewel House, and the
diadem alone is said to have cost £110,000, a very
large sum indeed in those days.
A new Sceptre with the Dove was made, richly
jewelled, and costing £440 ; as well as a Sceptre
with the Cross, at a cost of £1025. Both of these
were probably made for Mary of Modena, and may
be seen amongst the present Regalia. St. Edward's
io6 THE JEWEL HOUSE
Staff, costing £225, is also charged for, though one
had been made for Charles II, and this latter is in
the Tower. Also appears in the list one Orb, costing
£1150, probably made for Queen Mary of Modena,
and now in the Jewel House. A pair of gold spurs,
known as St. George's Spurs, are shown as supplied,
the price being £63 75. 6d. For the bracelets the
charge appears to have been £44 i8s. 6d., and for a
chalice and palten £277 6s. 3d. These latter are
not to be found in the Jewel House now.
The bill also includes repairs to the Ampulla, or
Eaglet of Gold, and the Anointing Spoon, for which
the charge is £102 55. od. for the ampulla, and £2
for the spoon. The total bill for these items comes
out to the handsome figure of £12,050 35. 5d.
Whoever made out this bill, and whichever
Keeper signed it, must have known that they had a
very complacent Treasury to deal with. St. Edward's
Staff, the gold spurs, the gold bracelets, are all
charged for, though they had already been made and
presumably paid for in the previous reign. The
ampulla, too, had been repaired and restored by
Sir Robert Vyner only a few years before. All these,
which to-day are in the Tower, seem to bear silent
witness that somebody was paid twice over.
What James II said to Sir Gilbert Talbot over this,
or what reply Sir Gilbert Talbot made to His Majesty,
history does not relate. But the whole incident
shows how very loosely kept were the Crown Jewels
THE GREAT TRAGEDY 107
as recently as three hundred years ago. Indeed,
to be strictly just, they were never really secure till
the reign of Edward VII, and in the intervening
centuries a fairly regular disappearance of gems and
their replacement with coloured glass seems to have
been the rule rather than the exception.
A piece of ecclesiastical plate added to the Royal
treasure in the reign of Charles II was the Maundy
Dish,1 from which the Maundy money has since
that reign been distributed on Maundy Thursday,
the day before Good Friday. William and Mary
have inscribed their monogram and crest on the dish,
but the plate-mark shows that it belonged to the
reign of Charles II.
Two other pieces of church plate which were
added by William and Mary are a very handsome
alms dish and flagon.2 These have W.M. for
William and Mary, surmounted by a crown embossed
on them.
King George V and Queen Mary have added two
of the finest and most important additions to the
Regalia. These are the Imperial Crown of India and
Queen Mary's State Crown, which have already been
fully described.
Thus, though it has taken some centuries to accom-
plish, the devastation wrought by the Commonwealth
on the Regalia has been more than repaired. The
Crown Jewels of the King of England are at this
1 See p. 74. * See p. 78.
io8 THE JEWEL HOUSE
time more magnificent and of far greater value than
they have been in any former reign — nay more, they
are of greater value both historically and intrinsically
than the Crown Jewels of any other monarch.
THE KEEPER OF THE JEWEL HOUSE IN HIS STATE ROBES
CHAPTER VIII
THE KEEPERS OF THE JEWEL HOUSE
One of the most ancient offices under the Crown — The first keepers
the Abbot and monks of Westminster, 1042 — First official
Keeper appointed in 1216 by Henry III — Jewels removed to the
Tower — The Bishop of Carlisle as Keeper — John de Flete —
Robert de Mildenhall — Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex —
His romantic rise — A prot6g6 of Cardinal Wolsey — Helps Henry
VIII to divorce Katherine of Aragon — And to marry Anne
Boleyn — Made Keeper of the Jewel House, 1532 — In his port-
folio found the famous letter of Anne Boleyn to Henry VIII —
Executed on Tower Hill, 1540 — The Marquis Winchester —
His great rise — Keeper of the Jewels to Edward VI — Hands
them to Lady Jane Grey as Queen — Escapes the block and is
taken into favour by Queen Mary — Queen Elizabeth also
renews these favours — Dies in his bed — Sir Henry Mildmay,
Keeper of the Regalia in the reigns of James I, Charles I, and
interregnum — Deserts King Charles and joins the Parliamentar-
ians— One of the judges at Charles I's trial — Grows rich on
the proceeds of his office — Dubbed " The Knave of Diamonds "
— His flight, capture, and trial — His sentence — His estate
confiscated and given to James, Duke of York — His picture
after death — Sir Gilbert Talbot appointed by Charles II —
His rights and perquisites — Holds the office for thirty years —
Sir Francis Lawley — Heneage Montague — Charles Godfrey —
Hon. James Brudenell — Lord Lynn — Lord Abergavenny —
Lord Glenorchie — Sir Richard Lyttieton — The Earl of Darling-
ton— A break in the ancient office in 1782 — Revived in the
nineteenth century — Lieut.-Col. Charles Wyndham, who charged
with the Scots Greys at Waterloo — Sir Michael Biddulph —
Sir Hugh Gough — Sir Robert Low — Sir Arthur Wynne.
O
NE of the most ancient offices in the realm
is that of Keeper of the Jewel House.
His title has varied backwards and for-
wards during the centuries ; at one time
109
no THE JEWEL HOUSE
and in one reign he has been named the Master
and Treasurer of the Jewel House, in another reign
or century the Keeper of the Crown Jewels, some-
times he has been entitled the Keeper of the Regalia,
and at others, as at present, the Keeper of the Jewel
House, but his duties have been always the same,
the custody of the Crown Jewels.
In very ancient days, when the emblems of
royalty were few and of no great value, it was not
necessary to have an officer especially appointed to
guard them ; the Master of the King's Wardrobe
would take them hi charge along with the rich robes
that a King wore in those days. So that it is not till
1042 that we hear definitely of anybody being placed
in special charge of the King's Regalia.
The English King who first found it requisite and
advisable to place his treasure under special guardian-
ship was Edward the Confessor, and he, being inclined
that way, placed it in charge of the Church. It was
thus that the Abbot and monks of Westminster
became the first Keepers of the Regalia some nine
centuries ago. For nearly two hundred years the
Abbey of Westminster safely kept its watch and
ward, and it was only in 1216, in the reign of
Henry III, that the most valuable portions of the
Regalia, such as the Crown and Sceptre, were
removed to the Tower of London.
The inadvisability in this sinful world of leaving
Crown Jewels, intrinsically and historically of great
THE KEEPERS OF THE JEWEL HOUSE in
value, only spiritually guarded, was brought into
prominence by the theft of certain pieces of Royal
plate by the monks in charge. With the removal
of the Jewels to the Tower was appointed the first
official Keeper. Who he was is not related, but a
few years later, under the same monarch, it is clear
that the Bishop of Carlisle held the post.
The Bishop was typical of that age, a man of the
world, politician, courtier, with an episcopal mitre
as an adjunct, or rather as a powerful auxiliary in
his dealings with the world in general, and his
King and fellow-subjects in particular. There is no
record of the Bishop of Carlisle actually heading a
charge of cavalry, as did Thomas a Becket in one
of his less clerical moments, but he followed the
King in his campaigns, whether as a strategical,
tactical, political, or spiritual supporter, or whether
in all four capacities, careful readers of the history
of those days will be able to judge. But whatever
his chief role or whatever the emoluments of his
office, no mean addition came to his purse from the
ancient rights and perquisites of the Keeper of the
Jewel House.
Amongst the earlier keepers was John de Flete,
who held the post in 1337 in the reign of Edward III,
and whose pay we learn was twelve pence per diem.
Ten years later, also during the reign of Edward III,
Robert de Mildenhall was in custody of the Regalia ;
whilst in 1418 Henry VI appointed Thomas Chitterne.
H2 THE JEWEL HOUSE
None of these appear to have been men of any mark,
but no doubt honest folks of good repute and good
family, who could afford to live comfortably on the
income derivable, without having other offices
attached to it.
In the reign of Henry VIII we find that the highest
officers in the State were appointed Keepers of the
Regalia in addition to their more important duties.
Amongst these was Thomas Cromwell, Earl of
Essex, who, from very small beginnings, rose to be
the most powerful personage in the State, only
second to his sovereign. Son of a man of humble
position, who combined the trade of butcher with
that of shearer of cloth at Putney, he, after a turbu-
lent youth at home and abroad, returned with
empty pockets to the parental roof at the age of
twenty-eight. He then married a lady of equally
modest position, and settled down as a combined
solicitor and shearer, concerning which combination
of professions no doubt there passed a fairly obvious
if rude jibe. As law and trade prospered, he moved
first to Fenchurch Street and then to Austin Friars.
Thomas Cromwell's rise to fame commenced in
1523 when he became a protege of Cardinal Wolsey,
by whose influence he was returned for a seat in
Parliament. He was a useful man, the Cardinal
found, with a working knowledge both of the law
and of business, whilst undoubtedly he was above
the average in ability. Moreover he had the best of
THE KEEPERS OF THE JEWEL HOUSE 113
manners, acquired not only from his distinguished
clients, but from his experiences abroad. This
legal knowledge and these persuasive manners the
Cardinal first put to useful service in suppressing
the small monasteries, so as to secure funds for the
endowment of colleges at Oxford and Ipswich.
Wolsey was a great man, and the idea was great and
good, but unfortunately the desired result had to
be attained by the dubious method of violent
despoilation. So entirely had Cromwell become
agent for the Cardinal, that Anne Boleyn in a letter
addresses him as the " Secretary of My Lord."
For five years Cromwell was the faithful servitor
of the Cardinal, and then came the fall of that high
potentate, a crash which threatened to bring to
earth his follower with him. But Cromwell was an
exceedingly clever person, and in the Commons
succeeded in most ably defending his patron without
offending his opponents or the King. By thus
securing for his great patron a comparatively easy
downfall, he added greatly to his own prestige.
Wolsey escaped banishment or the block by acknow-
ledging his misdeameanours and consenting to
hand over the whole of his property to the King.
The King in return for this princely endowment,
which included Hampton Court much as we now
see it, pensioned the great man off as Archbishop of
York, in which seclusion he died two years later.
Cromwell had now caught the King's eye, and he
ii4 THE JEWEL HOUSE
used his legal knowledge and acquired Court ex-
perience to climb the ladder, lately so nearly over-
turned. The King wished much to divorce
Katherine of Aragon, and to marry Anne Boleyn,
but the Pope stood in the way. Cromwell, the
lawyer, suggested that as no legal obstacles stood in
the way of the King, who can do no wrong, the
simplest way of disposing of the religious difficulties
was to deny the supremacy of the Pope in England
and to proclaim himself head of the Church in his
own land. Henry VIII followed this advice, threw
the Pope overboard, divorced Katherine of Aragon,
and married Anne Boleyn.
Naturally these great personal services went not
unrewarded, first in his appointment as a Privy
Councillor, and next as Keeper of the Jewel House,
on April I4th, 1532. The latter was one of the
substantial benefits which in pay and perquisites
made a man rich in those days. His growing
wealth and importance clearly pointed to the
enlargement of his house and property at Austin
Friars. It is curious to learn that what is thought
a modern invention, the moving of a whole house
on rollers, was employed by Cromwell nearly four
centuries ago. A house belonging to a Mr. Stow
was deemed to be inconveniently close to the
CromweUian mansion, so it was with or without
consent jacked up on to rollers and bodily moved
away to a less objectionable propinquity.
THE KEEPERS OF THE JEWEL HOUSE 115
His part in securing the divorce of Katherine of
Aragon and the succession of Anne Boleyn brought
him still further quick and plenteous rewards. In
rapid succession he became Lord Chancellor, the
King's Secretary, Master of Rolls, and lastly Vicar-
General, so that he might be in a position to enforce
the supremacy of his King over the Church. Sir
Thomas More, late Chancellor, and Bishop Fisher,
fell beneath the axe on Cromwell's prosecution,
their crime being a refusal to acknowledge the King's
spiritual supremacy.
A little later we find Cromwell one of those who
on the fatal May 2nd, 1536, escorted the Queen he
had helped to make, the hapless Anne Boleyn, to
the Tower. And only a few days later we see him
seated a witness at her execution. In his portfolio
was later found that most pathetic and well-known
letter addressed by Anne Boleyn to the King 1
praying for mercy, which letter was never passed on
to the King.
For four more years the sun shone on the erst-
while solicitor and shearer, and he became first a
Knight of the Garter, then a Baron and Lord Great
Chamberlain, and finally Earl of Essex. Great
riches and territory too came to him from the
suppression of the greater monasteries and the
confiscation of their property. But in 1540 the
sun set on this phenomenal career, for on June loth
1 See Appendix.
n6 THE JEWEL HOUSE
of that year, accused of high treason by the Duke
of Norfolk, attainted by Parliament, he passed
silently to that same block on Tower Hill to which
he had assigned so many.
In the days when great officers of State held the
lucrative office of Keeper of the Jewel House in
addition to their other benefices was one William
Paulet, who later became ist Marquis of Win-
chester. Of good birth and a country squire, he
was knighted in 1525, and the same year made a
Privy Councillor. Shortly after he became a Member
of Parliament as Knight of the shire of Hampshire,
and also secured the curious appointment of " Sur-
veyor of the King's widows, and Governor of all
idiots and naturals in the King's hands." This
apparently led by easy degrees to Controller of the
Royal Household. In 1536 Sir William Paulet was
one of the judges at the trials of Sir Thomas More,
and Bishop Fisher, and also of the gentlemen with
whom Queen Anne Boleyn was accused of too
familiar consort.
A year later the Knight became a. Baron, under
the title of Lord St. John, and Treasurer of the
Royal Household, whilst not long after he became
a Knight of the Garter and Lord Chamberlain.
When Henry VIII died he was Lord President of
the Council, and must have sincerely thanked God
that he had so far survived and prospered and had
seen the end of that monarch's reign, with his head
THOMAS CKOMWKU,, EAKI. OK ESSKX
KEEPER OF THE TKWEL HOUSE IN THE REIGN OK HENRY VIII
still on his shoulders. The Lord President was one
of the eighteen executors of Henry VIII's will,
appointed to act as a council of regency during the
minority of the boy King, Edward VI. In 1550
St. John sided with the Duke of Northumberland
in the overthrow of Somerset, the Lord Protector,
and as a result found himself on the winning side
with an earldom, that of Wiltshire thrown in. He
received also the offices of Lord Treasurer and
Keeper of the Jewel House. A year later we find
plain William Paulet of a few years ago created
Marquis of Winchester.
When Edward VI died, the Marquis, as Keeper
of the Jewel House, handed over the Crown Jewels
to Lady Jane Grey, and saluted her as Queen.
Nine days later, however, he was amongst the
Lords who from Barnard's Castle, which lay on the
river-bank close alongside the Tower, proclaimed
Queen Mary the rightful sovereign of these realms.
Nor did the new Queen resent the late temporary
aberration, but took him to her stony heart, and
not only confirmed him in all his offices, but added
that of Lord Privy Seal. The Marquis was really a
wonderful person, for though his next appearance
in history is as one of those who conducted the
Princess Elizabeth to the dread doom of imprison-
ment in the Tower, we next discover him, a man
well stricken in years, riding through London pro-
claiming the same princess Queen of England. Nor
u8 THE JEWEL HOUSE
did Queen Elizabeth at once say, " Off with his
head " ; on the contrary, she confirmed him in his
appointment of Lord Treasurer. Though now
upwards of seventy years of age he was made
Speaker of the House of Lords, and died in harness
in 1572 at the venerable age of eighty-seven. The
secret of this long life, apart from physical fitness,
was the possession of the gift which perhaps we now
call tact. If any proof were needed, it is only
necessary to record that a plain squire rose to be a
marquis and lived through four reigns during which
heads fell as plentifully as apples in an autumn
gale, and yet eventually died peacefully in his bed.
One of the best known Keepers of the Crown
Jewels is Sir Henry Mildmay, who was appointed
to the office in April, 1620, by James I, and retained
that office not only through the reign of Charles I,
but also through the Commonwealth, and was only
dispossessed of it by Charles II on his Restoration in
1660. Besides being Keeper, or as he was termed
Master and Treasurer of the Jewel House, Sir
Henry was a Member of Parliament for Westbury
in Wiltshire, and also at another period for Maldon
in Essex. He was a persona grata with James I,
and also, it would seem, with Charles I during the
first fifteen years of his reign. But Sir Henry then
forsook his sovereign and became one of the Com-
mittee of the Commons. His defection was con-
sidered so important that he was, by the Parlia-
THE KEEPERS OF 1HE JEWEL HOUSE 119
mentarians, continued in his office, in so far as
concerned the drawing of the salary and emoluments
thereof, though the situation was somewhat grotesque
since he was of the party which was in open arms
against the King, whose Crown Jewels he was sup-
posed to guard.
Sir Henry was nominated, and sat as one of the
judges who tried Charles I, but he with some courage
or address escaped signing the death sentence, and
afterwards claimed that he only accepted nomina-
tion in hopes of saving the King. Throughout the
Commonwealth he remained Keeper of the Jewel
House, though there were no jewels to guard, for
these had been broken up, defaced, destroyed, and
sold by the order of Parliament. But being one
skilled in the etiquette of courts, he made himself
useful as Master of Ceremonies to Foreign Ambassa-
dors, and continued to enjoy the rich perquisites
attaining to the office of Keeper of the Jewel House.
For forty years Sir Henry Mildmay had grown
fat and prosperous on the proceeds of his office ;
indeed, he became a very rich man with great estates
and much ready cash to spend. But in 1660 Charles
II was restored to the throne, and Sir Henry Mildmay
was immediately pounced upon to produce the
crowns and robes, sceptres, and jewels belonging to
the kingly dignity, of which he was the reputed
guardian. At the time the general impression
was that Sir Henry had appropriated these to his
120 THE JEWEL HOUSE
own purposes and sold them to his own advantage ;
he was in consequence dubbed " the Knave of
Diamonds." As however has since become clear the
royal emblems, or such as remained, were disposed
of under the orders of Parliament. It may, however,
be conjectured that Sir Henry, in accordance with
the usages of the age and the rights of his office,
secured a goodly percentage on the sale prices. His
detractors averred that he had himself valued and
bought in the Crown Jewels at the exceedingly low
prices they fetched, and at his leisure disposed of
them at great profit. There is, however, no recorded
proof of this.
But Sir Henry Mildmay, whether he had a guilty
conscience or not, thought discretion the better part
of valour, and attempted to escape abroad. He
was, however, caught by Lord Winchelsea at Rye
in Essex and sent back to London. He was tried
in 1661 at the Bar of the House of Commons, and
sentenced to be degraded from all his honours and
titles. Furthermore, he was sentenced to be annually
drawn on a hurdle through the streets of London
from the Tower to Tyburn, then passed under the
gallows, and again dragged back to the Tower. This
penalty was to be exacted on each anniversary of
the day on which sentence had been passed on
Charles I, that is January 27th. Whether Sir Henry
ever took this ride is not clear, but probably he did
more than once, for it was only in 1664 that the
THE KEEPERS OF THE JEWEL HOUSE 121
Lords in mitigation ordered him to be transported
to Tangiers. On the way to his exile, however, he
died at the town of Antwerp. His vast accumula-
tions of wealth were forfeited to the Crown, his
estate at Wanstead being of sufficient importance
to be assigned to James, Duke of York.
There was a strong rumour at the time that Sir
Henry Mildmay had been either hanged or be-
headed, which rumour caused his relations and
descendants great annoyance. As proof to the con-
trary they produced a painting of the dead knight,
which still exists, showing him lying on his back on
his death-bed. The clothes have been drawn down
and his neck bared, so as to clearly show that no
trace of cord or axe was upon it, and that he died no
felon's death. Naturally a picture of this sort is no
proof in a court of law, for the artist might with
ease omit all signs of violence ; but history bears out
the contention that Sir Henry Mildmay died a
natural death.
Whatever the merits or demerits of Sir Henry
Mildmay may have been, Charles II had too many
Royalists with claims on his generosity to retain in
office one who had evidently been hand-in-glove
with those who had kept the King from his father's
throne, and in exile for so long. Amongst those
with such a claim was Sir Gilbert Talbot, who had
followed the King's fortunes in France, and was
now back in England in impoverished circum-
122 THE JEWEL HOUSE
stances. On his application for an appointment
the King made him Keeper, or as he was then styled,
Master and Treasurer of the Jewel House. We are
indebted to a very interesting manuscript dictated
in 1680 by Sir Gilbert Talbot for a detailed account
of the ancient rights and perquisites belonging to the
office. These he obtained from Sir Henry Mildmay,
and it is expressly stated that they were the same
as enjoyed by Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex,
in the reign of Henry VIII. Facsimiles of some of
the pages of the manuscript are given, but it is of
historic interest that they should be recorded in
full, and these will be found in the Appendix. Sir
Gilbert Talbot held the office for thirty-one years,
and as is duly related elsewhere, was in office when
Colonel Blood made his attempt to steal the Crown
and other portions of the Regalia. Sir Gilbert and
his connection with his office enters so much into
other parts of this book that it is not necessary here
to say more about him.
When Sir Gilbert Talbot died in 1691 the office of
Master and Treasurer of the Jewel House fell in
succession to persons of various degrees and ranks,
of whom little can be gathered from modern books
of reference.
Sir Francis Lawley, doubtless an ancestor of the
present Lawleys, was next in charge of the Crown
Jewels for six years, and was succeeded by Heneage
Montague, probably a cadet of the family of
THE KEEPERS OF THE JEWEL HOUSE 123
Montagu, who a few years later became Duke of
Manchester.
Montague was followed by Charles Godfrey, who
was Keeper through parts of three reigns, those of
William and Mary, Anne, and George I. Then
came the Hon. James Brudenell, a son of Lord
Brudenell, a title now merged into that of the
Marquis of Ailesbury, who held the office for fourteen
years during the reigns of George I and George II.
The Hon. James Brudenell was succeeded by
Charles Townshend, Lord Lynn, who was nine
years Keeper in the reign of George II.
The next in succession was William Neville, Lord
Abergavenny, an ancestor of the present Marquis
of Abergavenny, though the family now spells
the name Nevill without the final " e." This
Keeper was in office for six years in the reign of
George II.
He was succeeded by John Campbell, Lord
Glenorchie,1 a son of the Earl of Breadalbane, who
had custody of the Crown Jewels for eleven years
in the reign of George III. Next in succession came
Sir Richard Lyttleton, who held sway for thirteen
years and through parts of two reigns. Next came
Henry Vane, Earl of Darlington, who retained the
post for close on twenty years. Whether this noble-
man was inefficient, or eventually suffered from senile
decay, is not recorded, but evidently a Keeper was
1 Now spelt Glenorchy.
124 THE JEWEL HOUSE
deemed a superfluous person, for on his death came
a break in the ancient office which had then existed
for seven hundred years, and even through so
unfavourable a period for Royal offices as the
Commonwealth.
When Lord Darlington died in 1782 the office of
Keeper of the Regalia was suppressed under an
Act of Parliament, known as Stat. 22 Geo. Ill, c. 82,
and his duties were transferred to the Lord Chamber-
lain. It is reasonable to conjecture that the pay and
perquisites also went to the Lord Chamberlain.
For forty years or more the office of Keeper lay
dormant, whilst the Lord Chamberlain remained
responsible for the safety of the Crown Jewels. It
was not indeed till the reign of Queen Victoria that
the question arose of the suitability of this arrange-
ment, for naturally the Lord Chamberlain has much
else to do, and cannot give his personal guardian-
ship to so great a responsibility. It was the Duke
of Wellington, who was then Constable of the Tower,
who brought the matter to Her Majesty's notice,
and Queen Victoria thereupon decided to revive the
office of Keeper of the Crown Jewels. Appropri-
ately, too, Her Majesty decided that in future this
charge should be entrusted to an old and valiant
soldier. Her first choice, therefore, was Lieut.-
Colonel Charles Wyndham, who had charged with
the Scots Greys at the Battle of Waterloo, and is,
it is said, one of those portrayed in the famous and
THE KEEPERS OF THE JEWEL HOUSE 125
historic painting by Lady Butler, known all over
the world, " Scotland for Ever."
No less than seven officers were one after another
appointed by Queen Victoria during her long reign,
each serving till he died or was promoted elsewhere.
Colonel John Cox Gawler, late 73rd Foot, succeeded
Colonel Wyndham, and was in his turn succeeded
by Captain Arthur John Loftus, late loth Hussars.
Then came Lieut. -General Sir Michael Biddulph,G.c.B.,
a very distinguished officer who, after a few years
as Keeper of the Crown Jewels, was transferred
to the House of Lords as Gentleman Usher of the
Black Rod, a post he held to his death. Sir Michael
Biddulph was succeeded by Lieut. -General Sir
Frederick Middleton, K.C.M.G., C.B., known to many
previous generations of Gentlemen Cadets as Com-
mandant of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
The last appointment made by Queen Victoria was
that gallant old soldier, General Sir Hugh Gough,
one of the great soldier family of Goughs, who had
won the Victoria Cross as a subaltern in the Indian
Mutiny with Sir Deighton Probyn, Sir John Watson,
Sir Charles Gough his brother, and Sir Sam
Browne.
King Edward's only appointment during his
short reign was General Sir Robert Low, G.C.B., who
ended a long and distinguished career as a soldier
by the remarkable military achievement known as
the Relief of Chitral, certainly one of the most
126 THE JEWEL HOUSE
complete strategical and tactical successes recorded
amongst our smaller wars.
The office has twice fallen vacant during the
present King's reign. His Majesty's first selection,
when Sir Robert Low died, was General Sir Arthur
Wynne, G.C.B., who had distinguished himself in
many a war from the Jowaki Expedition of 1877
and the Afghan War which immediately followed
it, down to the South African War of 1899-1901.
Sir Arthur retired from the office of Keeper of the
Jewel House after five years, and was succeeded by
the present holder.1
1 See Appendix A for list of Keepers from 1042-1920.
CHAPTER IX
POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE
The salary of the Keeper £50 — His perquisites — Rooms in all the
King's houses — And at the Tower of London — His table
provided from the King's kitchen — Beer, wine, and spirits as
seemed good to him — The King's New Year gift money —
Presents from the Ambassadors — Perquisites and privileges —
How they were encroached upon — How the King decided —
The King and Sergeant Painter — The Court Jeweller's fee —
A breeze with the Queen's Household — The Keeper and the
Crown — The Keeper a Privy Councillor — His official robes —
" He hath no superior officer " — Pilfering of the Royal Jewels —
The office worth ^10,000 a year — The Keeper's modest salary
now — But no fear of the block on Tower Hill.
IN ancient days in England the salaries of
dignitaries and holders of offices under the
Crown were comparatively small, but the
emoluments direct and indirect were often
very valuable. Thus the official salary of the Keeper
of Jewel House was, up to Tudor and Stuart days,
only £50 a year, paid annually in arrears. But since it
is manifest that no one could live, however economic-
ally, and keep up his position on this nebulous
income the kings of those days allowed, what we
now think vulgar, that is perquisites. Three hundred
years hence, perchance butlers and hall-porters will
be as much above the region of subsidiary salaries
127
128 THE JEWEL HOUSE
as is now the Lord Chancellor or the Master of the
Horse, and as is, also from reliable information, the
Keeper of the Jewel House. In this respect the
Keeper of the King's Treasure in those days fared
by no means indifferently, his salary of £50 being a
mere bagatelle which might almost have been
dispensed with. To start with, apartments were
reserved for him in all the King's palaces, as well as
at the Tower of London, for it was his duty to travel
with the King wherever he went, and to take
with him such articles of the Regalia and Royal plate
as the King might have occasion to require. When
in London the Keeper would reside in the Royal
Palace, whilst his deputy was quartered at the Tower
in immediate charge of the Regalia. Thus he lived
rent free, though perhaps not always under the most
comfortable conditions according to modern ideas,
for there were a large number of similar officials
in the King's retinue, and each wrangled with
another as to who should have this accommodation
or that, and who should have precedence in this
minor matter, as in greater.
The Keeper of the Regalia not only lodged free
of charge, but also was his table plenteously provided
from the King's kitchen and from the King's cellar.
The allotment of solid refreshment laid down sounds
almost immodest, being no less than fourteen
"double-dishes " per diem. What a double dish was
is not quite clear, but at the Coronation of James II
POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE 129
there is a great enumeration of the " singular dishes,"
and the diagram of the table shows all these dishes to
be round in shape. Presumably, therefore, a double
dish was oblong in shape, was twice the size, and
held twice as much as a singular dish. And whereas
our forefathers thought little of the light viands of
these days, we may conclude that the fourteen double
dishes held little but solid meats and puddings.
Though appetites seem to have been large in those
days, there appears to be an ample margin in this
allowance for the Keeper not only to feed himself
and a moderate following on a fairly liberal scale,
but also to entertain his friends. Nor was the allow-
ance of liquid refreshment less liberal ; for in this
respect we learn that the Keeper was allowed as
much beer, wine, and spirits as seemed good unto
him, and presumably to his guests.
Apart from these creature comforts more sub-
stantial benefits in hard cash accrued to the guardian
of the Regalia. His Christmas box was a handsome
money present which came out of the King's New
Year gift money. This gift money, which usually
amounted to £3000 in gold, was presented to the
King by members of the nobility, each according
to his quality, and the Keeper received it on behalf of
His Majesty for redistribution. Out of this sum he
was entitled to keep one shilling in the pound as his
own share, and to make what profit he could in dis-
tributing the remainder in silver, the ratio between
130 THE JEWEL HOUSE
the gold pound and its exchange into silver being a
sensible source of profit. It was calculated that this
percentage and rate brought in from £300 to £400
every New Year to the Keeper, which we must not
forget was equal in value to £3000 to £4000 at this
date.
The highest hi the land in days of old were not
above taking presents, or as we should now vulgarly
call them, tips ; indeed, these were a recognised
source of income. The Earl of Essex, when Keeper
of the Regalia in the reign of Henry VIII, saw
nothing derogatory in taking presents of money from
foreign ambassadors, for it was the custom that he
should do so, and it was as much an obligation on
the part of those ambassadors to gratify the Earl
of Essex as it is in our day to gratify the present
Earl of Essex's butler. The occasion used for this
gratifying exchange of courtesies was when the
Keeper carried presents from His Majesty to these
ambassadors, and these occasions must have been
frequent or else the gratifications must have been
liberal, for on an average the Keeper counted on
making another £300 a year in this way, and again
we must multiply that sum by ten to get its present
value.
We are indebted to Sir Gilbert Talbot, who was
Keeper of the Jewel House in the reign of Charles II,
for an exact account of the ancient rights and privi-
leges of his office. These he had received from Sir
POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE 131
Henry Mildmay, who was Keeper in the reigns of
James I and Charles I, who in his turn passed on
what had been enjoyed by Thomas Cromwell, Earl
of Essex, Keeper in the reign of Henry VIII.
Sir Gilbert Talbot's preamble reads : —
' The Master of the Jewel House holdeth his
place by Patent, for life, under the Broad Seal of
England to enjoy all the perquisites and privileges
which any of his predecessors at any time enjoyed"1
These are as follows : —
1. A fee of £50 per annum out of the Exchequer.
2. A Table of 14 double dishes per diem.
3. £300 per annum out of the New Year's gift
money.
4. The carrying of presents to Ambassadors.
5. The small presents at New Year's tide.
6. Anciently Treasurers of the Chamber which
office was a branch of the Jewel House.
7. Frequently Privy Councillors, as were Cromwell
and the two Gary's.
8. Right to buy, keep and present all his Majesty's
Jewels (when given) .
9. Choice of his under Officers.
10. Choice of the King's and Queen's Goldsmiths
and Jewellers.
11. £20 in gold, upon signing of the Goldsmith's bill.
1 From the MS. written in 1680, in possession of Mrs. Lowndes.
See Appendix D.
132 THE JEWEL HOUSE
12. Lodging in all the King's houses.
13. A close wagon (when the Court moveth) for his
own goods ; and two carts for his officers.
14. Precedence in Courts and Kingdom.
15. Privilege of the Drawing room.
16. Robes at the Coronation.
17. In Procession place before all Judges.
18. He putteth on, and taketh off the King's Crown.
19. He keepeth all the Regalia.
20. He hath lodgings, etc., in the Tower.
21. A servant there to keep the Regalia.
22. He hath no superior Officer.
23. He furnisheth plate to Ambassadors and all
great Officers.
24. He remandeth it when Ambassadors return ; and
Officers remove or die.
25. He provideth a Garter and plain George for
Knights of the Garter.
Having thus recounted his rights and privileges, Sir
Gilbert Talbot in a long petition to King Charles II
pointed out how these had been encroached upon
through, he avers, the machinations of Hyde, the
Lord Chancellor. The first great grievance was
that his " 14 double dishes " per diem, which we
have seen carried in their wake as much bread, beer,
and wine as seemed good to the Keeper, were dis-
continued, and in place thereof he was given a
meagre £120 per annum as board wages. This was
POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE 133
indeed an economy for the Treasury, for the scale
of board wages had formerly been fixed at 355. per
diem on such occasions as the fourteen double
dishes, etc., could not on the line of march, for
instance, be supplied. 355. a day came to a matter
of £641 per annum, so that the Keeper stood to lose
£421 each year on the deal. Naturally this raised
his wrath.
In connection with the next item of complaint,
Sir Gilbert Talbot did somewhat better. His right
of old was £300 out of the money presented to the
King by the nobles in accordance with their patents
at the New Year. The total sum thus presented
was, we have seen, about £3000, so that the Keeper's
percentage was liberal enough ; but in addition,
though the Keeper received the £3000 on behalf of
the King in gold, he was allowed to disburse it to
those to whom it was distributed in silver, whereby
he calculated to make another shilling in the pound
profit, making a total of £450. King Charles,
evidently bored with details, and the persistence
of Sir Gilbert, compounded for £400 yearly, and that
sum became the Keeper's fixed perquisite under
this head.
Then came a very knotty point. Formerly, appar-
ently, the Keeper of the Jewel House received the
equivalent of £300 per annum for " carrying presents "
to the foreign ambassadors. These presents con-
sisted of plate, and the Keeper not only carried them,
134 THE JEWEL HOUSE
but made his percentage out of the goldsmiths on
their value, as well as receiving such gratuities or
favours as the ambassadors might give him in
return compliment. But the Duke of Buckingham
having prevailed upon Charles I to make these
presents in the form of jewels instead of plate, and
the Keeper of the day, who was Sir Henry Mildmay,
having incautiously remarked that he knew nothing
about the purchase of jewels, this useful addition
to his income was taken from him and given to the
Lord Chamberlain, who possibly knew no more about
jewels, but gladly added this item to his income.
The Keeper of the Jewel House was entitled to
twenty-eight ounces of silver-gilt plate every New
Year's Day as part of his emoluments. This he took
either in kind or cash, as seemed good to him.
Nobody seems to have interfered with this item,
but the Lord Chamberlain, Lord Manchester, is in
Sir Gilbert Talbot's bad books over a cognate
matter. Apparently certain nobles had yearly,
probably as a sort of tribute for their patents,
to make small presents of gold to the King on New
Year's Day. These can have consisted of little more
than a few coins, for the total amount only came to
£3° or £4°- Each offering of gold was contained in
a purse, and both the gold and the purses were
handed on to the Keeper as his perquisite. Lord
Manchester claimed these purses, but not the gold,
as his own, as did his successor the Earl of St. Albans.
POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE 135
But the Keeper complained to the King, and con-
tested this claim : so the King, who was for a
pleasant life and as few worries as possible, decided
that the purses by ancient right belonged to the
Keeper, but that if he was a wise knight he would
give five or six of them yearly to the Lord Chamber-
lain as a peace offering. This accordingly he did, and
all parties appear to have been contented.
Anciently the Keeper of the Jewel House was also
Treasurer of the Chamber, his title then being Master
and Treasurer of the Jewel House. But on the
Restoration, with so many faithful but needy
Royalists to be provided for, the office was divided,
and the Keeper felt this deeply ; for apparently
the Treasury portion was the richer, indeed it
became five times more valuable as a source of income
than the Jewel House.
The choice and appointment of his subordinates
was, and is, the right of the Keeper of the Jewel
House, and the reason for this was somewhat
curiously demonstrated. Apparently on one occasion
a vacancy having occurred, a certain Sergeant
Painter went direct to the King and asked him for
the post. Charles II, with his usual good nature, at
once consented. Painter armed with this authority
came to the Keeper and demanded the appoint-
ment. But Sir Gilbert Talbot refused to accept
him, and said he would take the King's orders him-
self. Going to the King, Sir Gilbert asked whether
136 THE JEWEL HOUSE
His Majesty had appointed Sergeant Painter to the
vacancy in the Jewel House. The King said he had
done so. Sir Gilbert pointed out that by right all
such appointments were made by the Keeper, so
that he might be sure of the honesty and loyalty of
those under him who were guarding the Jewels and
plate. " Well," said the King, " for this time let
it pass, and I will invade your right no more." Sir
Gilbert then asked if the King would be security
for all the Jewels and plate entrusted to Painter.
To which the King replied, " No, indeed will I not ;
and if that be requisite I recommend him not."
Having made this remonstrance to draw attention
to his rights, the Keeper withdrew his objections, and
calling up Sergeant Painter appointed him to the
post.
One of the handsomest perquisites of the Keeper
was the appointing of the Goldsmiths and Jewellers
to the King and Queen. These appointments were
worth £800 each to him, that being the sum paid him
for this privilege by the firms appointed. During the
confusion of the Restoration the Keeper nearly lost
this valuable addition to his income, for a Groom
of the Chambers, named Coronell (Colonel ?) Blage,
annexed the right and offered the appointment to
Alderman Backwell for £800. The Alderman,
however, hearing that the right of appointment had
heretofore belonged to the Keeper of the Jewel
House, drew back and informed the Keeper. That
POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE 137
officer at once intervened with such emphasis that
" Mr. Blage deserted his pretensions," and the £800
went to its lawful assignee. The Keeper no longer
appoints the Court Jewellers, and nobody gets the
£800 for doing so.
The Court Jewellers and Goldsmiths, according to
ancient custom, made to the Keeper a present of £20
in gold when he signed their annual bills. This was
in the bad old days doubtless a bribe, so that the
bill might not be too closely scrutinised. We may
also be well assured that the £20 did not come out
of the Jeweller's pocket, but was fully covered by
adding a little here and there to each item in the bill.
It is refreshing to learn that as early as the seven-
teenth century, some Keepers recognising the ques-
tionable nature of this £20 present, refused absolutely
to take it, and checked the bills honestly. Needless
to say that at the present day the Keeper is put
into no such invidious position ; in fact he never
sees a bill, all these being discharged by the Lord
Chamberlain, who, it is hardly necessary to mention,
does not receive a £20 honorarium from Messrs.
Gerrard, the Court Jewellers, for doing so.
In the days when the Keeper of the Regalia
followed the King wherever he went, rooms were
reserved for him, his officers, and his servants, in
all the King's palaces. Then breezes, as might now,
arose amongst the various Court officials as to the
apportioning of the available accommodation. Thus
138 THE JEWEL HOUSE
we find the Keeper recording that, in 1660, the
lodgings provided for him at the Palace in Whitehall
were rude, dark, and intermixed with those of the
Queen's Household. The dining-room was " a kind
of wild barn, without any covering beside rafters
and tiles. The Keeper's lodgings were two ill
chambers, above stairs, and the passage to them
dark at noon-day."
Perhaps naturally under these mixed conditions,
and tempers being shortened by the rain pouring
through the tiles during dinner, the relations between
the Keeper, who was a member of the King's House-
hold, and the members of the Queen's Household,
became colder and colder, till at length each flew to
their titular heads. The Queen's Household no
doubt had excellent grounds of complaint, as had
also doubtless the Keeper, and thus both were even.
But the Keeper, being an astute person, played a
final trump card ; he said he could not be responsible
for the King's plate and treasure with so many
people in and out who were not under his orders. It
was really not safe, he said ; it was absolutely essential
that he should have the whole set of lodgings to
himself. So out went the Queen's Household, and
the Keeper and all his officers were installed in a
compact and unassailable mass.
The Keeper of the Jewel House has always been,
and is to this day, a member of the Sovereign's
Household. In former times he held certain rights,
POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE 139
privileges, and precedence, but these in the course of
ages have mostly melted away, though his warrants
of appointment have from time to time stated that
he was to enjoy all the rights and privileges of his
predecessors. For instance, one of the rights, or
rather, as we should now style it, one of the duties
of the Keeper, was never to let the crown out of
his keeping. So definite were his instructions that
he had personally to take the crown from the Tower
to the King's Palace, and with his own hand place
it on the King's head. He had then to follow the
King wherever he went, say to the opening of Parlia-
ment, never allowing the crown to be out of his sight.
On the return to the palace he was to take the crown
off the King's head, and return with it to the Tower.
This procedure is now much altered. The Keeper of
the Jewel House, on demand of the Lord Chamberlain,
hands over the crown to him or his representative,
takes a receipt for it, and has no further responsibility
till the crown is returned to him.
In Tudor days the Keeper of the Jewel House
was generally made a Privy Councillor, and if not
already of higher rank was created a Knight, and
ranked as the senior Knight Bachelor of the King-
dom. At a coronation he wore a robe very like that
of a Baron, but with a crown embroidered in gold
on his left shoulder. A robe very like this is still
the official robe of the Keeper; it is, however, of
crimson silk more like that of a Knight Grand
140 THE JEWEL HOUSE
Cross of the Bath, with a golden crown embroidered
on the left shoulder. The whole costume may be
seen in Sir George Naylor's book of the Coronation
of George IV.
In precedence the Keeper ranked after Privy
Councillors and before all Judges, and had, as at
present, the private entree at all State functions at
Court. As late as the seventeenth century none
below the rank of Baron, and the Keeper of the Jewel
House who ranked as a Baron, were allowed this
privilege.
A very curious privilege which the Keeper of the
Jewel House still retains is that " he hath no superior
Officer in Court or Kingdom." He receives no orders
except from the King himself or conveyed to him
through the Lord Chamberlain. The origin of this
rule is not far to seek, for otherwise, in less settled
days, anybody who was in a position to do so might
have ordered the Keeper to hand over portions of
the Regalia or Royal Plate. As a safeguard against
the Keeper or his officers tampering with the Crown
Jewels, it was open to a committee detailed by the
Lords of the Treasury to inspect the Regalia at
such times as they might think fit. In spite, how-
ever, of these precautions there is very conclusive
evidence that the regal emblems were constantly
being tampered with, valuable stones extracted
and coloured glass inserted to replace them. Who
committed these abstractions, whether the Keeper
POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE 141
himself or whether by the King's command, is not
certain ; perhaps more probably the losses were
due to the Crown Jewels being insufficiently pro-
tected and guarded. As late as the reign of James II
we have a record of the new King paying as much as
£500 for the hire of Jewels for the day of his Corona-
tion, presumably to replace pieces of coloured glass
found in the regal emblems. A somewhat notable
instance of this is the large, faceted globe or monde
which used to be on the top of the King's Crown.
This was always described as a very valuable aqua-
marine, and is portrayed on the crowns of several
sovereigns. Unhappily, on examination the magnifi-
cent aquamarine was found to be of glass, the real
stone having been removed in some previous reign
and replaced by a worthless imitation. This glass
replica, as before mentioned, is shown as a curiosity
amongst the Crown Jewels.
To emphasise the position of the Keeper of the
Regalia he was frequently made a Privy Councillor,
and amongst those specially mentioned as such,
are Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, and the two
Gary's, probably father and son, who succeeded each
other. Taken as a whole, therefore, it is evident
that the office was both in dignity and emoluments
a very valuable one, and as such naturally much
sought after. It is calculated that, allowing for the
difference of value then and now, that about £10,000
a year would be the present equivalent of the Keeper's
142 THE JEWEL HOUSE
pay and emoluments. Both Thomas Cromwell and
Sir Henry Mildmay became very rich indeed, whilst
Sir Gilbert Talbot died by no means a pauper.
Compared to this brilliant and opulent past the
present may seem a less entrancing vista for the
Keeper of the Jewel House ; but times and customs
have changed, and an old officer with £300 a year
added to his pension, with snug quarters provided
by the King in the Tower of London, finds himself
in a more honorable and less precarious position
than his ancient predecessors with their bribes and
perquisites, but surrounded by jealous enemies, and
always with the block on Tower Hill upon the
near horizon.
The Black Prince's ruby — Its great size and value—Came to the
British in 1367 — Henry V wears the ruby at the battle of
Agincourt — Its narrow escape — On Bosworth Field — Henry
VII — The ruby is sold for £4. after Charles I was beheaded —
In the State Crown of Charles II — Stolen by Colonel Blood and
found in Parrett's pocket — Now in King George's State Crown
— The Koh-i-Nur — Its bloody history — Nadir Shah obtains
it by strategy — He is murdered — Passes to the Afghan throne
— Shah Suja brings it to Lahore — Captured by the British —
Presented by the Army to Queen Victoria — Now in the diamond
crown of Queen Mary — The sapphire of Edward the Confessor
— Said to have magic qualities — The Stuart sapphire —
Bequeathed to George III by Cardinal York — Now in the band
of the King's State Crown — The Stars of Africa — The largest
diamond in the world — Presented to Edward VII by the Union
of South Africa — Cut into four great portions — Value of the
stars — Some historic diamonds — Pearls of Queen Elizabeth —
Their history — Now on the King's State Crown — The perils
of the Jewels in the Great War — Four narrow escapes.
I
history of England might be written
round the gems that adorn, and in many
cases, grace the regal emblems. Of the
greater precious stones there are connected
and authentic traditions which carry them back to
Edward the Confessor, or to the Black Prince, or to
Queen Elizabeth ; but besides these are many
thousands of smaller stones set in the crowns,
143
144 THE JEWEL HOUSE
some of which, as is testified by their cutting, are of
untold antiquity. These have probably been set
and reset in the crowns of the Kings of England
for centuries, but being of no remarkable size or
shape are not recognisable in the presentments of
ancient crowns. Even in this year of grace it is
found impossible to pictorially portray a diamond
so as to give even moderate justice to the original.
Leaving, therefore, the smaller stones to their silent
testimony, it is possible to give the romantic stories
of the greater gems.
Of these the one which claims perhaps to the
British Empire the greatest interest is the great
ruby, which is indeed as large as a small hen's egg,
and is given the place of honour in front of the
King's State Crown. This is the celebrated and
historic jewel which first hi its English history
belonged to the Black Prince, the eldest son of
Edward III.
The ruby came to him in true knightly fashion on
the field of battle. In those days the potentates
of Europe were accustomed to lend each other
armed forces, large or small, to accomplish such
military achievements as might be dear to one or
the other or to both. Thus it was that Edward III
lent a small force of some four or five thousand
English troops to Don Pedro, King of Castille, to
be employed during a short campaign in Spain.
Mainly through the skill of the Black Prince, aided
THE BLACK PRINCE
WITH THE FAMOUS RUBY IN HIS COKONKT
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 145
by the courage of the English soldiers, Don Pedro
defeated his enemies at the Battle of Najera, which is
near Vittoria, where the Duke of Wellington many
centuries later won another British victory. In
gratitude for this signal service Don Pedro gave to
the Black Prince his most treasured jewel, an
enormous ruby.
The ruby, red as human blood, had come to Don
Pedro in bloody fashion. In 1367 it belonged to
the King of Granada, another minor sovereign in
Spain, and Don Pedro greatly coveted the greatest
gem of the Western world, as it then probably was.
He therefore took direct action towards obtaining
the stone, and in cold blood slaughtered the King of
Granada and carried off the ruby. His gift to the
Black Prince, therefore, however generous it may
have seemed, was not improbably a decent pretext
for getting rid of a treasure ignobly acquired, and
which when once possessed lost its value. How old
the ruby was in 1367 history does not relate, but it
bears visible evidence that it had previous to that
date an oriental origin, which may have extended
over many centuries.
This is judged by the fact that at the top of the
ruby may be seen a piercing, made evidently so as to
enable it to be worn suspended from a necklace.
This piercing of precious stones is of very ancient
oriental origin, from which it is concluded that the
ruby came from the East, and not improbably from
146 THE JEWEL HOUSE
Burmah, where similar rubies have been found.
The ancient piercing has in a later century been
filled up by inserting a small ruby in a gold setting.
However ancient its origin, the ruby came into the
possession of the British Crown in 1367-68, and has
since been through many and great adventures
before it reached its present well-earned security in
the Tower of London.
The Black Prince, using the pierced hole, had the
ruby sewn to the velvet cap he wore under his
coronet, and an ancient print shows the gem thus
disposed. The Prince died in 1376, a year before
his father, and therefore never came to the throne ;
but he bequeathed the ruby to his son, who afterwards
became Richard II. Henry IV, on usurping the
throne probably usurped the ruby with it, but it
does not reappear in history till the next reign, that
of Henry V. Here it had a very notable and thrill-
ing adventure, for it took part in one of the greatest
of British victories, the battle of Agincourt. It
was the custom in those days for the King, if a
doughty warrior, and Kings were expected to be so,
to take the field with his troops and to fight at their
head. Nor did he go to battle meanly clad, or
disguised as a knight of small account. On the
contrary, he went armed, caparisoned, and mounted,
as a king ; and so that there should be no mistake
about it, wore a regal diadem round his helmet.
Thus went forth Henry V on the morn of Agincourt,
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 147
and glittering on the front of his coroneted helmet
was the great ruby. As the battle swayed back-
wards and forwards many exciting encounters took
place between redoubted champions on either side,
each choosing out an opponent worthy of his steel.
In this knightly quest the great Due d'Alengon,
searching no doubt for an English duke or earl,
came upon a commanding figure, who from his
bearing, rich armour, and coroneted helmet was
evidently a knight of importance. Him, therefore,
the Due d'Alencon challenged to mortal combat ;
and lesser folk, as was the chivalry of the day, stood
aside and held the lists.
The duel was fierce and strong, and many a shrewd
blow was dealt and parried, but at length Henry V
prevailed, and the Due d'Alencon was unhorsed
and made a prisoner, to be later held to ransom.
It was only after the battle was over, and the victory
of Agincourt emblazoned for ever on the standards
of England, that the King being unhelmeted, and
his armour removed, it was discovered that a shrewd
blow had only just missed the great ruby, or perhaps
had been turned by it. Indeed, a mighty cut from
the Due d'Alengon's sword had hewn off a portion
of the golden diadem in which the ruby was set.
Some say that this was the last occasion on
which the ruby has figured in battle, whilst others
are of opinion that so striking a jewel would always
have been in the crowns of succeeding monarchs.
148 THE JEWEL HOUSE
If this was so another decisive battle, though not
on the victorious side, may be added to its war
record. A little more than a hundred years after
the battle of Agincourt was fought in England
another battle of importance, which decided not
only a local quarrel, but influenced the course of
the history of the nation. In this battle, which was
fought at Bosworth Field, Richard III, the Hunch-
back, was defeated by Henry Tudor. According to
the well-known story, when the tide of battle turned
against him, Richard, who had worn his crown
throughout the day, though probably behind a
safe barbed wire of knights, was seized with panic,
and to ensure a less conspicuous retreat, took off his
crown and hid it in a hawthorn bush. There some
lucky underling, doubtless in quest of loot, found
it in good and appropriate season, so that the
victorious army was through its appointed leaders
enabled to crown there and then, amidst the dead
and dying, Henry VII King of England. Let us
hope that the great ruby was in the crown on this
historic occasion, for it was the birth of the House
of Tudor.
Henry VII was the issue of a romance nearly
connected with the Black Prince, and through him
with the ruby. When Henry V died, Katherine,
his widow, having first tasted of royalty, became a
mere woman, and for love of a mere man married
a plain but stalwart soldier from the ranks named
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 149
Owen Tudor. It was their grandson who was the
victor at Bosworth, and who was there crowned
Henry VII.
The next recorded adventure of the great ruby
came more than a century later, though doubtless
if it could speak it would have much to say of what
it saw or suffered during those hundred and sixty-
four intervening years. When Charles I was be-
headed, it was ordered by Parliament that all the
insignia of royalty should be destroyed and the gems
set therein sold to the best advantage. In the list
which we have of the Regalia, which was in accord-
ance with this order totally destroyed, defaced, or
sold, we find the item : ' To one large ballas ruby
wraped in paper value £4." Thus humbly disguised
and lowly priced the Black Prince's ruby passed to
some unknown purchaser. He may have been a
Royalist in disguise, or he may have been a dealer
in stones, or this may have been a spurious deal to
favour a Parliamentarian whom it was wished to
gratify ; perchance even it passed by favour to a
fair lady beloved of a Roundhead. But whatever
its adventures during the Commonwealth era, we
find the ruby safe and sound back in the State
Crown of Charles II.
As is related in the account of Colonel Blood's
attempt to steal the Crown,1 for convenience of
porterage the arches were battered in and the
i Seejp. 183.
150 THE JEWEL HOUSE
rim bent double, so that it might conveniently
be slipped into a bag carried for the purpose.
During this rough treatment many of the stones
fell out, and amongst others the great ruby, which,
when the marauders were captured, was found in
Parrett's pocket. That this large ballas ruby, as
it is described, was the Black Prince's ruby is very
clearly evident, because the setting of Charles IFs
State Crown is still in existence, in which may be
seen a vacant hole the exact size and shape of the
Black Prince's ruby. Curiously enough, this historic
setting is not State property, but passed into private
possession, and was last owned by the late Lord
Amherst of Hackney.
The ruby is not set clear, but has a gold backing,
how ancient is not known, but so old that no jeweller
will run the risk of taking it off to weigh and accu-
rately measure the stone. Messrs. Rundell and
Bridge more than a century ago refused to do so,
and Messrs. Garrard, the Court Jewellers, at this day
would be equally diffident. A stone so old as this,
though apparently perfectly sound, is not wisely
put to so severe a strain as might be occasioned in
removing the gold setting.
That was the latest great adventure which is
recorded of the ruby. From that time to this, a
stretch of two and a half centuries, it has passed in
succession to thirteen Kings and Queens of England,
and now occupies the pride of place in front of the
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 151
State Crown of King George V, and rests secure
and safe in the Tower of London.
More famous even than the Black Prince's ruby,
and with perhaps an even more exciting history, is
the great diamond known throughout the world by
the name given to it many centuries ago in the East,
Koh-i-Nur, or Mountain of Light. This priceless
jewel was found in the diamond-fields of Golconda
in Southern India, and is first heard of when in the
possession of the King of Golconda. The King of
Golconda was a petty chieftain much too insignifi-
cant to own so great a stone, the fame of which
had spread throughout India, and stretched its
alluring light so far north as the throne of the Great
Mogul at Delhi. The Great Mogul at this time was
the Emperor Shah Jehan, and as Golconda was
some 1500 miles from Delhi, the ordinary procedure
of sending an army to knock Golconda on the head
and seize the jewel was not feasible. Shah Jehan,
therefore, employed such guile and diplomacy as is
dear to the Oriental heart to obtain his desire in
a less expensive manner. Thus by bribery and
cajolery the jewel passed, and quite fittingly from a
historic point of view, into the hands of a great
monarch.
The Koh-i-Nur is first recorded as having been
seen by a European in 1665, when the French
traveller Tavernier was shown it, then in the
152 THE JEWEL HOUSE
possession of the Emperor Aumngzebe at Delhi.
With the Great Moguls it remained till 1739, when it
started on the more adventurous and tragic period
of its career.
In that year the great invasion from the West,
under Nadir Shah, King of Persia, swept through
the Punjab and laid Delhi and the unworthy suc-
cessor of great Kings at his feet. Mahomed Shah
was the unworthy successor, and having lost his
kingdom, thought that at any rate he would cling
to the Koh-i-Nur, thereby to provide himself
with food and sustenance for the remaining years
of his life. To Nadir Shah the existence of the great
stone was well known ; indeed it was to be one of the
great prizes of the war, but search where they
would, neither he nor his army of followers could
find the diamond. Where searchings and direct
action failed, a little judicious love-making suc-
ceeded. Amongst Mahomed Shah's large assortment
of wives was one who was not impervious to the
gallant attacks of one of the bright knights of the
conquering hosts. In the intervals of talking about
more engrossing subjects during their midnight
meetings, this frail, comparatively fair, but un-
doubtedly indiscreet damsel, divulged the great
secret.
From personal observation she declared, and who
should know better than a lady who occasionally
shared his couch and his affections, the Emperor
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 153
Mahomed Shah kept the Koh-i-Nur day and night
concealed in the folds of his turban. The bright but
dusky knight immediately communicated this inter-
esting piece of information to Nadir Shah. That
potentate, instead of taking the commoner course
of murdering the wearer of this valuable turban,
or at the least committing burglary with violence,
chose a more courteous but equally effective means
of gaining possession of the diamond. He gave
orders that a banquet should be prepared, and as
the guest of honour invited Mahomed Shah. Again
Nadir Shah did not mix ground glass with his
guest's food, nor did he poison his wine : two
obvious methods ; nor did he make him drunk
and then steal the jewel. Neither was the gor-
geous menial who waved a fan behind the royal
diners instructed to thrust a dagger between the
shoulder-blades of Mahomed Shah. The acquisition
was much more diplomatically achieved.
In the East if one prince or potentate, or even a
person of lower degree, wishes to pay a marked
compliment to another, he after extolling the
extreme elegance and richness of the other's turban,
whilst deprecating the value of his own, proposes
as a mark of friendship and regard that they shall
exchange turbans. In the more sordid West there
might be some economic souls who would not wear
their best head-gear when such interchanges of
courtesies were imminent, but in the East the turban
154 THE JEWEL HOUSE
is a social insignia, and the higher a person's degree
the more magnificent his turban. Consequently,
when two kings meet each other at dinner or other
State occasions, it may safely be conjectured that
they will wear their most magnificent turbans, each
trusting that his own will outvie that of the other.
Even an exchange which might entail a sensible
loss would not be without its compensations, for all
the courtiers on the other side would extol the
magnificence and richness of the late possessor.
Mahomed Shah very naturally did not for a
moment foresee that so great a compliment would
be paid him by the conqueror, or he would assuredly
have left the Koh-i-Nur at home that night. To
his horror and surprise, during the course of the
dinner Nadir Shah made him a most polite speech,
extolled his valour and wisdom, swore eternal
friendship, and as a sign and token of the same
suggested that they should exchange turbans !
To the luckless Mahomed Shah no course was open
but to accept the compliment with the best grace
he could muster. It is not surprising to learn that
during the rest of the feast Nadir Shah was in
excellent spirits, whilst Mahomed Shah appears to
have lost his appetite.
Thus passed the great diamond to the King of
Persia, who when he returned to his own land, took
it with him. But it brought him no good fortune,
for he was in due course murdered, and the
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 155
Koh-i-Nur was taken by one of his bodyguard,
an Afghan named Ahmed Shah. This soldier
of fortune escaped to Afghanistan with the
diamond, and there eventually became Amir or
King of that country and founder of the Durani
dynasty. In 1772 Ahmed Shad died and was
succeeded by his son Taimur Shah, to whom also
passed the Koh-i-Nur. Shah Suja, the next occu-
pant of the throne at Kabul, succeeded also to the
possession of the famous diamond, but it brought
him no good fortune, for he was deposed and fled
for his life to Lahore, taking the stone with him.
There he found asylum with the Maharajah Runjeet
Singh, the Lion of the Punjab, but as he soon found,
only on condition that he handed over the Koh-i-
Nur to his host.
In Lahore the celebrated stone was seen by
Lord Auckland's sister, the Hon. Emily Eden, in
1838-39. Ten years later the threatening attitude
of the Sikhs, combined with repeated and overt
acts of hostility, compelled the East India Company
to settle once and for all with this turbulent neigh-
bour. With slender forces Lord Gough advanced
to subjugate the Sikhs, and in the three great and
hard-fought battles of the Sutlej, Goojerat, and
Chillianwalla, laid in the dust the vaunted power of
this military race. The Punjab was annexed to the
territories administered by the East India Com-
pany, the Maharajah Runjeet Singh ceased to
156 THE JEWEL HOUSE
reign, and the Koh-i-Nur passed to the British
Army as part of the spoils of war.
During the transition stage the Punjab was
administered by a board of five British officers,
amongst whom were the brothers Sir John l and
Sir Henry Lawrence. At one of the meetings of
the Board the question was raised as to what was to
be done with the treasure taken, amongst which
was the Koh-i-Nur, there lying on the table. The
Board decided to ascertain the wishes of the Directors
of the East India Company, and asked Sir John
Lawrence meanwhile to take charge of it. Sir John,
who had many and great matters on his mind,
beside which a diamond was of small import,
wrapped the stone up in a piece of paper, put it into
his pocket, and forgot all about it !
About six weeks after, at another meeting of the
Board, a letter was read from the Governor-General,
in which it was stated that it had been decided that
the Koh-i-Nur should be presented by the Army of
the Punjab to Queen Victoria. Sir John Lawrence
listened to this pronouncement without much
interest, till one of the Board mentioned incidentally
that the diamond was in Sir John's safe custody !
Sir John, not being an emotional man, never
turned a hair, but after hearing the debate through
mounted his horse and galloped off to his bunga-
low. There he summoned his bearer, or valet, and
1 Afterwards Lord Lawrence and Viceroy of India.
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 157
said : " About six weeks ago I brought home in my
pocket a piece of glass wrapped in a bit of paper.
What did you do with it ? "
" Cherisher of the poor, I placed that piece of
glass wrapped in paper on the top of your honour's
office box, and " —opening the box — " here it is ! "
Being an unemotional person Sir John did not fall
on his servant's neck and shed tears of gratitude ;
on the contrary, he merely said, " Very good," put
the diamond again in his pocket and rode off to
deposit it with someone who had nothing else to
think about, and a guard of soldiers to help him
do so.
From Lahore to England the Koh-i-Nur was sent
under special precautions in charge of Major Mache-
son, and on arrival was presented to Queen Victoria
as a loyal tribute from the Army which had by its
gallant deeds added the Punjab to the Empire.
It was on view to the public at the Great Exhibi-
tion of 1851, and when that was closed returned to
the safe keeping of Queen Victoria. The size and
weight of the Koh-i-Nur when first found is not
accurately known, but it is conjectured that after
its first cutting it weighed about 1000 carats. It
is, however, known that when in the possession of
Shah Jehan it had, by unskilful cutting, been reduced
to 800 carats. By the orders of that Emperor an
endeavour was made to get a better result, the
further cutting being entrusted to a Venetian
158 THE JEWEL HOUSE
named Ortensio Borgio. His effort was not deemed
satisfactory, and Borgio was fined £1000, and may
be considered lucky not to have lost his head as
well. When presented to Queen Victoria the
diamond weighed only i86J carats. Under the
superintendence of the Prince Consort it was again
cut by Coster of Amsterdam into the form of a
regular brilliant. By this last cutting the stone was
reduced to io6J carats, but curiously enough looks
larger and is superficially larger than it was before.
This result was achieved by cutting transversely
the original cone-shaped stone, this diameter being
greater than the base. Queen Victoria wore the
Koh-i-Nur set as a brooch, but it is now perhaps
more appropriately placed in front of the State
Crown of Queen Mary. The diamond can, however,
be removed at pleasure and worn as a brooch.
It might be thought that so historic a stone
should be set in the King's Crown, but a curious
tradition regarding it is thus upheld. From very
ancient days, and no doubt due to its bloody history,
the Koh-i-Nur is supposed to bring misfortune to
any man who may wear it, but that it brings no
harm to a woman. Certainly it has brought no
harm to Queen Victoria, Queen Alexandra, or
Queen Mary, all of whom have worn it constantly.
When presented to Queen Victoria the Koh-i-Nur
was valued at £140,000, but indeed such stones as
this are from their historic association practically
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 159
priceless. The Koh-i-Nur cannot be bought with
money, and he who wishes to take it by force must
first defeat the British Empire.
One of the oldest as well as one of the most
valuable gems in the Jewel House is the sapphire
which belonged to Edward the Confessor, and was
worn by him in his Coronation ring. It would thus
be considerably older than the Tower of London
itself, for the Confessor came to the throne many
years before the Conqueror landed in England and
built the Tower. As was not an unusual custom,
the ring with the sapphire was buried with Edward
the Confessor probably on his finger, in his shrine at
Westminster, but in the year 1101 the shrine was
broken open and this and other jewels taken out.
This was the ring which appears in the legend
regarding Edward the Confessor and St. John the
Evangelist. According to this legend St. John on
one occasion appeared before the King in the guise
of a pilgrim. To him the King of his bounty gave
the ring off his finger. Some little time after the
ring was returned to the King with a message in-
forming him privily of the exact day of his death.
Doubtless St. John meant this for a kindly warning,
so that the King might be absolutely at the height
of his holiness when the call came. Most people,
however, would have heartily cursed St. John for
his officiousness, for few care to live with a guillotine
160 THE JEWEL HOUSE
hanging over their heads and a clock facing them
ticking off the hours and minutes.
The stone has manifestly been recut, for it is at
present a " rose," and that form of cutting was
unknown in ancient days. Probably this was done
in the reign of Charles II. It is a remarkably
beautiful gem, of good colour and without flaw, and
is intrinsically worth a very high sum. In the days
of Edward the Confessor it was reputed to have
the miraculous power of curing what was known
collectively as the cramp, that is rheumatism,
sciatica, and the like, but we have not heard of any
later monarch testing its efficiency. The sapphire
is now set in the centre of cross pate on top of the
King's State Crown.
In the band at the back of the King's State Crown
may be seen a very large sapphire, known as the
Stuart sapphire, which has seen many adventures.
What its early history was is not known, but at
one end is drilled a longitudinal hole evidently
made for some attachment so that, the stone might
be worn as a pendant. It first came into recogni-
tion in the reign of Charles II, who wore it in his
crown, but whether he received it from Charles I or
acquired it in his wanderings is not quite clear.
At his death the sapphire passed to James II, who
when he was dethroned and fled to France took it
with him. James II left the sapphire to his son,
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 161
Charles Edward, the Old Pretender, who in his
turn left it to his son, Henry Bentinck, known as
Cardinal Yorke, by whom it was bequeathed, with
other Stuart relics, to George III. George IV and
William IV in turn owned it, and then it came to
Queen Victoria, who very greatly prized it and had
it set in the band of her State Crown, in the front
and just below the Black Prince's ruby. This
pride of place the Stuart sapphire resigned in favour
of the Star of Africa, a portion of which Edward VII
placed in the crown, symbolising the entry of the
Union of South Africa into the brotherhood of the
British Empire.
The Stuart sapphire is of great size, being about
ij inches in length by I in. in breadth, and is oval
in shape. It is without serious flaw and of good
colour, though paler than some of the best sapphires
to be found in other portions of the regalia. The
stone is set in a gold brooch, and can be removed
and worn as a personal ornament.
As gems the two greater portions of the Star
of Africa eclipse in size and brilliancy all others
in the Jewel House. Though the stone may
have taken a million years to form in the womb
of mother earth, it only saw the light of day
in 1904. In the rough when found it measured
4 in. in length, 2j in. in width, and 2j in. in depth,
and weighed roughly ij Ib. But even this huge
162 THE JEWEL HOUSE
block, as large as half a Roman brick, it was con-
cluded was only a part of some even more gigantic
diamond, for its base was clean cut as with a knife,
showing that a portion perhaps as large, perhaps
even larger, in some remote age, by a great con-
vulsion of nature, had been split off. For fourteen
years diligent search was made for the missing
portion, for any block or spadeful of blue rock
might contain it. Yet strangely enough, when by
chance it was found, it came to an untimely end.
A telegram from Johannesburg, dated October i8th,
1919, made this brief announcement : "A large
diamond has been found on the Premier Mine. It
is estimated to have weighed 1500 carats, but un-
fortunately had been crushed by the crusher. It is
believed to be part of the other half of the Cullinan
diamond."
The diamond was first known as the " Cullinan
Diamond," Mr. T. M. Cullinan being at the time
manager of the Premier Mine, near Pretoria, where
it was found, and it is still very generally known
by its first name. It was insured for the sum of
£1,500,000. The Union Government of South
Africa eventually became the purchasers, inspired
with the happy sentiment that this magnificent
diamond would be a graceful emblem of the entry
of South Africa into the British Empire.
When this monster stone was presented to
Edward VII it looked like a block of rock salt, as
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 163
may be judged from the exact model of it now to
be seen in the Jewel House. When the experts were
called in they declared that it was impossible to cut
a stone of this size and shape into one brilliant ;
they therefore recommended that following the
natural cleavages it should be broken up into four
parts, two of which would be very great brilliants,
and two of lesser size. King Edward following this
advice, and with the full consent of the donors,
called in the celebrated diamond-cutters of Amster-
dam, the Messrs. Coster, and put the work in hand.
One can imagine the enormous anxiety and the
extraordinary coolness, steadiness of hand, and skill
of the man who with one tremor of the mallet or
chisel might mar the greatest stone of all ages.
The chisel and the steel mallet with which this
delicate operation was performed are preserved at
the Tower, and it is noticeable that there are only
two or three dents in the chisel, showing how true
and clean the strokes must have been.
Thus split up, the largest portion was cut into a
pear-shaped brilliant, and set at the head of the
King's Sceptre. The next largest portion was cut
into a cushion-shaped brilliant, and placed in the
band of the King's State Crown, just below the
Black Prince's ruby. Both of these brilliants are
larger and finer stones than any others, including
the Koh-i-Nur. The two remaining large portions
are set, one in the band, and the other in the cross
164 THE JEWEL HOUSE
pate of Queen Mary's Crown. It may be of interest
to record the exact weight and sizes of these four
great brilliants which collectively are called the
Stars of South Africa. The largest portion, that in
the King's Sceptre, weighs 516^ carats, and measures
2£ in. in length and i}$ in. at its broadest part.
The next largest portion, that in the band of the
King's State Crown, weighs 309^ carats, and
measures iH in. in length, and lij inches in breadth.
The third portion, that in the band of Queen Mary's
Crown, weighs 96 carats, and the fourth portion,
which is drop shaped and is hi the cross pate on the
top of Queen Mary's Crown, weighs 64 carats.
Thus it will be noticed that a rough stone weighing
3025 carats cuts down into four brilliants weighing
hi the aggregate under 986 carats.
The question is often asked: " What is the value
of the Stars of South Africa ? " And it is a very
difficult one to answer, for curiously enough stones
above a certain size lose their commercial value,
for few have the money or inclination to buy gems
of enormous size, and fewer still would be bold
enough to wear them. Nobody but a King or a
Queen, for instance, could wear a diamond which on
an ordinary person would look and certainly be taken
for the lustre from a candelabra. Thus the market
becomes strictly limited, as was definitely brought
home to the owners of the Premier Mine. It was
thus that the Union Government were enabled to
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 165
buy a stone valued at £1,500,000 for £150,000, a
stone which even when split into four is still of an
aggregate value difficult to compute. Let us elude
the difficulty and say they are worth a million and
a half, and leave it at that.
It is interesting to compare the Cullinan with
other well-known diamonds of size and historic
value, though curiously enough even the present
existence of these stones is not in all cases certain.
Those, for instance, which formed part of the regalia
of the late Tsar of Russia are for very obvious
reasons at present in hiding. The largest of these
is the Orloff, which weighs 194 carats. This great
stone came from India, and was reputed to be a
cleavage from the still greater stone, the Koh-i-Nur.
It was stolen by a French grenadier from the eye-
socket of an idol in a Hindu temple. He deserted
the army and sold the stone to the captain of an
English merchant ship for £2000. By him it was
conveyed to Holland, where a Jew named Khojeh
Raphael gave £12,000 for it ; and at once resold
it to Orloff for Catherine the Great for £90,000
and an annuity of £4000 ! Since that time this
great stone has remained one of the Russian Crown
Jewels, and when last seen was set at the head of
the sceptre of the late Tsar. Where it is now or
what its fate the future may perhaps reveal.
Another large diamond, named the Shah, of very
curious shape, also was amongst the Russian
166 THE JEWEL HOUSE
Crown Jewels. It is flat and rectangular in shape,
with a Persian inscription engraved upon it and a
groove cut round. It weighs 86 carats and was
given by the Shah of Persia to the Emperor
Nicholas I. The stone is an exceptionally fine one,
but owing to its peculiar shape its value can only be
conjectured. The Polar Star is another very fine
diamond which formed part of the Russian regalia.
It was bought by the Russians in London about
seventy years ago, and is described as of remarkable
purity and brilliancy. It weighs 40 carats, but the
price paid for it and its present value is not known.
Nor its whereabouts.
The Sanci diamond has a very ancient and inter-
esting history, and has been through many adven-
tures. It is first heard of as belonging to Charles
the Bold of Burgundy on the day he was disastrously
defeated by the Swiss at the battle of Granson.
According to tradition a Swiss soldier picked it up,
and having no value for a piece of glass, sold it for a
florin or the price of a drink. Eventually it found
its way to Constantinople, and was there bought by
the French Ambassador in 1570, and became hence-
forth known as the Great Sanci diamond. Henry III
and Henry IV, both of France, were the next posses-
sors, and whilst owned by the latter King it had
a curious adventure. One of the King's followers,
who had charge of the diamond, was attacked by
robbers, and the faithful fellow, to save his master's
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 167
treasure, swallowed it. The robbers after a stiff
fight slew the servant, and not finding the stone
pulled the corpse into the thicket and left it. In
due course of nature, when decomposition had
done its work, the brilliant was found again and
was restored to the French King. The Sanci then,
by sale or gift, passed into the possession of Queen
Elizabeth, and remained one of the Crown Jewels of
England through several reigns, and escaped the
depredations of the Commonwealth. In 1669 it
was still in the possession of Henrietta Maria,
widow of Charles I, and was by her entrusted to the
Earl of Somerset, who handed it over to James II.
When that monarch fled to France he took the
Sanci with him and sold it to Lousi XIV for £25,000.
It long remained amongst the French Crown Jewels,
and in 1791 was valued at £40,000. In the year
1835 the diamond passed to Russia, being purchased
by Prince Demidoff for £75,000. Then in 1865 the
Sanci returned to India, whence it probably originally
came, being sold by the Demidoffs to Sir Jamsetjee
Jeejeebhoy, a rich Parsee of Bombay. From him
it was bought by the Maharajah of Patiala, at what
price is not known, and is still in that prince's
possession, and may be seen on the front of his
turban on State occasions.
The Great Moghul originally weighed 787 carats,
but when seen in the treasury of the Emperor
Aurungzebe in 1665 by Tavernier it had been cut
168 THE JEWEL HOUSE
down to an estimated weight of 280 carats. It
appears to have been given to the Emperor Shah
Jehan by the Amir Jumba. It is by some supposed
to be a portion cleaved off the Koh-i-Nur by some
great convulsion of nature in remote ages long
before either were discovered. The diamond is
believed to be at present in the possession of the
Shah of Persia.
The Regent or Pitt diamond was found either in
Borneo or India, and weighed then 410 carats. It
was bought by Mr. Pitt, Governor of Madras, for
£20,400, and was subsequently sold in 1717 to the
Due d'Orleans, Regent of France, for £80,000.
In the process of cutting the diamond was reduced
to 136}$ carats, and was amongst the French
Crown Jewels stolen during the Revolution. Later
it was recovered, and is still believed to be in
France.
The Hope diamond is a beautiful blue brilliant
weighing 44 J carats, and is one of those stones which
is reputed to bring bad luck to its owner. It formed
part of the collection of Mr. H. T. Hope, who
bought it for £18,000, and after whom it is named.
The stone was last heard of in the possession of an
American, and quite recently the newspapers gave
an account of a small child being killed in a street
accident, the child being the only son of the owner
of the Hope diamond.
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 169
Pearls are not like diamonds or other hard stones,
which, having gone through periods of thousands of
years under enormous pressure deep down in the
earth, can now last for thousands more with un-
diminished lustre set in a ring or a crown, exposed
to the free air of this terrestrial globe. The pearl is
really only a sort of disease, or perhaps to put it
more mildly a distemper, or milder still a pastime,
on the part of the pearl oyster. A large pearl
naturally takes many years to form inside the
oyster's shell, whilst small ones take so many
years less. Even in one or two years a foreign
substance, say a small shot, will, if placed in a pearl
oyster, become to all appearance a pearl of high
price. Even minute effigies of elephants and
Bhuddhas when introduced will, in the course of a
few months, be thinly but completely coated with
pearl lustre. The true and valuable pearl also had
a nucleus, probably a grain of sand, and this year
after year has been covered with thin coatings of
pearl lustre, so that small or large it is practically
solid, so solid that it cannot be broken if trodden
upon. But even so it is merely the product of
decades, and has not the lasting-power of diamonds,
or rubies, or sapphires, or emeralds.
A marked example of the comparatively short
life of pearls is furnished by a very celebrated one
known as the Pearl of Portugal. This pearl was as
large as a pigeon's egg and of that shape, and
170 THE JEWEL HOUSE
naturally at its zenith was of enormous value. Seen
a few years ago by an expert, he described it as having
deteriorated into nothing more valuable than a piece
of chalk of the same size and shape. Owners of
valuable pearls will immediately exclaim : " Oh !
but that is because it was not constantly worn
next the skin." There are hundreds, perhaps
thousands, of women who religiously wear their
pearls next their skins all day, and some even at
night, under the impression that they are so pre-
served. One of the highest experts in pearls and
precious stones, however, puts this custom on a
much lower plane. He says that the wearing of
pearls next the skin is no doubt good as a bumisher,
likening, from a purely commercial point of view, a
woman's skin to a finer form of chamois leather.
But as to any preservative quality in the contact
he will have none of it.
Queen Elizabeth's earrings, the four great pearls
which hang beneath the arch in the King's State
Crown, are, therefore, apart from their personal
connection, of considerable interest, as regards the
life of a pearl as a gem of value. These pearls have
probably never been worn next the skin, even of a
Queen. They are drop-shaped and manifestly only
suitable for earrings or pendants. Yet though
Queen Elizabeth died more than three hundred
years ago they are still in good preservation. Thus
they may remain for several centuries more if, as at
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 171
present, they are kept in a perfectly air-tight com-
partment at an even temperature. But at best they
can never outlive a diamond.
The exact history of these pearls is difficult to
follow, and it is more by tradition and indirect
evidence that it is assumed that they came from
Queen Elizabeth. That great lady was, as all her
pictures show, fond of pearls. She was a great
Sea Queen, and we may be assured that her captains
who quartered the globe brought home any great
pearl they came across from distant seas or lands,
knowing it would find a Royal purchaser. James I
probably had not much use for pearls, except to
horde them, but they seem not to have been amongst
the Crown Jewels which he succeeded to, for they
are not mentioned in the careful list that monarch
made out in his own handwriting, and signed both
at head and foot. This is understandable, for the
pearls were Queen Elizabeth's private property to
bequeath to whom she pleased. It is not clear
whether Charles I ever had these pearls, but the
suggestion is that he had, and that he disposed of
them to meet his necessities in his wars against
Cromwell. Into whose hands they fell is a matter
for conjecture as well as how they passed
through the next century, for the next portrayal
that we come across of them is in the State
Crown of another great Queen, Victoria.
They hung as pendants beneath the cross of the
172 THE JEWEL HOUSE
arches of the crown, one at each corner. Here they
were retained by Edward VII, and still occupy the
same position in the State Crown of George V.
What wonderful stories those pearls could tell !
Of the Great Armada and the pride of that great
victory ; of the bloody days of Charles I, and of
his tragic death outside the window at Whitehall ;
of the gay days of Charles II, and the long and
prosperous reign of Queen Victoria. But in all those
centuries they probably had no greater adventures
or dangers than they experienced together with the
other Crown Jewels during the Great War of
1914-19.
The safe place in the Tower chosen for them by
Edward VII is burglar-proof, fireproof, and proof
against alarms and excursions ; but when William
the Conqueror built the Tower, he had undoubtedly
never expected that it might be subject to an
attack from the air. Even so he had made his roofs
so thick and strong that a dropping cannon-ball
might well be rebuffed. The pearls and their com-
rades the gems therefore looked on with calm
toleration whilst the Germans waged and raged for
four years over them. Indeed, they had got quite
accustomed to this aerial bombardment, for though
bombs fell close around them, still a miss is as good
as a mile. It was only just towards the end of the
war that news came which made the soldiers think
that larger and heavier and more destructive bombs
THE ROMANCE OF THE GREAT GEMS 173
were likely to be used by the Germans. Then William
the Conqueror, walking in the pleasant fields of
heaven, said to Queen Elizabeth : "I am sorry, but I
am afraid my walls and roofs cannot keep these out.
You had better send your pearls away to one of the
other palaces of the King, out in the open country."
So the pearls and their consorts one day without any
fuss just slipped off and went to stay at Windsor
till the war was over. That William the Conqueror
and Queen Elizabeth were wise in their decision
was obvious, for leaning over the ramparts of
heaven they saw one great bomb fall into the Tower
moat on the west, another they saw hit the railings
on the edge of the moat to the north, whilst a third
hit the Mint across the road to the east, and a fourth
dropped within a few yards of the Jewel House into
the river to the south. The next might have sent
several million pounds' worth of jewels to God
knows where.
CHAPTER XI
THE CRIME OF COLONEL BLOOD
The Merry England of Charles II — An old man the sole custodian
of the Crown Jewels — The Jewels in the Martin Tower — Colonel
Blood's plans — His disguise as a parson — Mrs. Blood is seized
with " a qualme upon her stomack " — Parson Blood's gratitude
and present of gloves — A match arranged with old Edward's
daughter — The pious parson at dinner — Blood removes the
pistols — An early call — The lovers to meet — Mr. Edwards
stunned, gagged, and bound — The Crown bashed in and placed
in a bag — The Orb and Sceptre — A surprise arrival from Flan-
ders— In hot pursuit — The Captain of the Guard nearly killed
in error — The burglars fight their way out — Reach the Iron
Gate where horses awaited them — Captured — The Crown saved
— King Charles rewards Colonel Blood.
I
Crown Jewels have been through many
vicissitudes, and have chanced across many
adventures. They have been in the midst
of the fiercest and most historic battles,
and they have lain inglorious in the shop of the
pawnbroker. But only once have they been
burglariously removed, and that in the open day,
and from the midst of the strongest fortress in
England.
This happened in the jovial reign of Charles II
when, led by a prince who drank the wine of life
to the full, the people of England were out to live
174
COLONEL BLOOD WHO ATTK.MI'TED TO STEAL THE CROWN AND ORB
IN THE REIGN OK CHARLES II
(f>i»n the National Portrait Gallery)
THE CRIME OF COLONEL BLOOD 175
the free and joyous life, after the horrors of civil
war and the equally distasteful restraints of the
Cromwellian era. England was Merry England again,
and black shadows were put right behind the eastern
horizon. Officials, even those the most responsible,
caught the happy vein, and drowned the dismal
past hi flowing bowls of rich red wine. Amidst all
this joyful living, who cared to be reminded of the
chains on body and soul and conscience of the prim
pernicious Puritans ? That anybody would dream
of attempting to steal the Crown of the beloved
sovereign never occurred to the most imaginative
visionary. It might be left all day and all night
unguarded on the steps of St. Paul's, and no one
would touch it. In the Tower of London it was
surely safe enough, without throwing extra guard
duties on the garrison to supply even a single sentry.
Such was the spirit and the general feeling in the
air, which left the Crown Jewels in sole custody of
one old man, whose age was well past the allotted
span.
In former reigns, as we have seen, the Jewels were
stored in some strong building closely guarded,
but they were now placed only in a kind of recess
in the wall with a wired front opening on hinges,
situated in the basement floor of the Martin Tower.
The chamber where the Jewels were had only one
door, but no sentry was placed on this door. In
the storeys above lived Talbot Edwards, the
176 THE JEWEL HOUSE
Assistant-Keeper of the Regalia, with his family. Tal-
bot Edwards was then in his seventy-seventh year,
as is testified by his tombstone, now let into the
south wall of the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula,
within the Tower, which records that he died
three years later on September 30th, 1674, aged
80 years.
To a professional burglar, who after all only uses
common sense, it would have appeared that the
Crown Jewels lay in the Martin Tower simply
asking to be taken by the first person enterprising
enough to make the attempt. True, though the inner
casket was weak, the outer safeguards were by
tradition and superstition inviolable. Massive walls,
a deep moat, and a battalion of the King's Guards
seemed to offer an impenetrable barrier to the escape
of a prisoner, or of a burglar laden with spoil. Colonel
Blood was no professional burglar, but he had learnt
as a soldier of fortune to be resourceful, quick to
seize an opportunity, and bold in the execution of a
project, however seemingly impossible. His previous
experiences, and also his observations in the Tower
showed him that, besides the garrison numerous
civilians, men and women, lived in the fortress, and
came and went when known by sight to the guards
with little hindrance ; whilst known friends of those
residing within might pass with almost equal
freedom.
Amongst those who might expect perhaps easier
THE CRIME OF COLONEL BLOOD 177
passage in and out than others would be a parson,
especially if he was on visiting terms with one of the
officials quartered in the Tower. This plain fact
commended itself to Colonel Blood, and he made his
plans accordingly. With the aid of the Mr. Clarkson
and Mr. Nathan of those days the soldier of fortune
became an everyday-looking parson, and as such
struck up a family friendship with old Talbot
Edwards.
Talbot Edwards, though Assistant-Keeper on a
fixed salary, had failed for years to draw this salary
from an impoverished Exchequer. When this was
represented to King Charles by Sir Gilbert Talbot,
that happy-go-lucky monarch remarked that if
there was no money in the Exchequer naturally
Talbot Edwards could get nothing out of it, but, he
added, the old man might exhibit the Crown Jewels
to the public, charging them such fees as he thought
that each visitor might be inclined to pay. Amongst
this paying public came Parson Blood, accompanied
by a respectable-looking female who passed as Mrs.
Blood. But just going in and looking at the Jewels,
and paying a fee, would not further Blood's designs.
He would be on no more intimate terms with the
Assistant-Keeper than hundreds of others ; moreover,
there would be no reasonable excuse for coming a
second time to see the Crown Jewels. This being so,
the temporary Mrs. Blood whilst viewing the Jewels
had the misfortune to be suddenly seized with
M
178 THE JEWEL HOUSE
" a qualme upon her stomack," and in faint tones
called upon the distressed Mr. Edwards for some
spirits. This the old man hastily procured, and the
invalid found herself so far recovered as to be able
to go upstairs and lie down for further recuperation
on Mrs. Edward's bed.
Having recovered both from the qualme and the
potency of the spirits, the loving couple departed,
profusely thanking their kind hosts. Having thus
paved the way, Parson Blood came again three
or four days later bringing four pair of white
gloves — a very handsome present in those days,
and indeed in these — from the temporary Mrs. Blood
to the permanent Mrs. Edwards. With the gloves
came overflowing messages of gratitude which
Blood delivered. Indeed, so grateful was he that
he made repeated visits to renew his protestations.
Blood thus became a familiar figure in the Tower,
and a well-known and honoured visitor of the
Assistant-Keeper.
When, however, this theme of eternal gratitude
was in danger of becoming tiresome, Blood con-
ceived a new device for continuing and accentuating
the friendship. Apparently the temporary Mrs.
Blood had spent her nights and days in trying to
devise some means for requiting Mr. and Mrs.
Edwards for the potent and healing draught supplied
by them, as well as for the heavenly slumber as
a result enjoyed on their connubial couch. After
THE CRIME OF COLONEL BLOOD 179
severe and constant wrestling with the spirit, this
worthy lady had now come to the conclusion that as
Mr. Edwards had " a pretty gentlewoman to his
daughter," whilst she herself had (an entirely
imaginary) nephew with a fortune of two or three
hundred a year, a match might well be arranged
between the two.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Edwards thought this an
exceedingly good plan, and Miss Edwards like a good
girl had not the least doubt about it. Parson Blood
was therefore asked to dinner so that the project
might be more fully discussed. At this meal he
impressed his hosts by the piety and devotion with
which he said grace, though to more critical souls
it may have seemed strange that in addition to the
usual benedictions he wandered off into long prayers
for the King, the Queen, and all the Royal Family.
But with all this by-play Blood did not lose
sight of the main object in view, which was to purloin
the Crown Jewels. Therefore in the room upstairs,
noticing a handsome pair of pistols on the wall, he
concluded that it would be just as well if these were
out of the way on the auspicious day. Thereupon
promptly inventing a young Lord to whom he was
most anxious to present exactly such a handsome
case of pistols as these, he purchased them off Mr.
Edwards and carried them away. On leaving he
blessed the company in the best canonical manner,
and fixed a day and hour on which he was to bring
i8o THE JEWEL HOUSE
the opulent but fictitous nephew to be introduced to
his future wife.
The day fixed was May gth, 1671, and the hour
7 a.m. This was a very suitable hour for Blood's
real purpose, but why Mr. Edwards and still less
his daughter should consent to so untimely an hour
for the first meeting of two lovers is not quite clear.
On the destined day, therefore, and at the time
arranged, a clerical gentleman accompanied by three
friends made their way into the Tower, and passing
under the Bloody Tower left the White Tower on
their right, and crossing the parade ground knocked
at the door of the Martin Tower. Had the guard
suspected and searched these early visitors they
would have found a rapier blade in each walking-
stick, a dagger in each belt, and a couple of pistols
in the pockets of each.
Old Mr. Edwards was up and ready to receive
his guests and met them at the door, but Miss
Edwards esteemed it more modest to remain in the
upper regions till the impatient lover demanded
her descent. She, however, sent down her maid
to take stock of the gallant and to bring her up
news of his general appearance and bearing. Blood
with two of his companions entered with Mr.
Edwards, leaving the third on some excuse or other
as a look-out at the door. The look-out man, being
the youngest and comeliest of the band, was at once
conceived by the maid to be the suitor, and having
COLONEL BLOOD STEALING THE CROWN AND ORB
THE CRIME OF COLONEL BLOOD 181
cast a brief but critical eye on him she dashed up-
stairs to tell her mistress what a fine fellow he was.
Whilst awaiting the appearance of the ladies
Blood suggested to Edwards that he might fill the
interval by showing his friends the Crown Jewels.
The old man readily consented, and unlocking
the door of the treasure chamber ushered in his
guests, and then in accordance with his standing
orders locked the door behind him. This was
exactly the situation which Blood had so care-
fully worked up to. A locked isolated chamber,
with three able-bodied men fully armed on one
side, a feeble unarmed man nearly eighty years
old on the other, and the Crown Jewels of England
the spoil of the victor in this unequal contest.
Without wasting further time they knocked Mr.
Edwards on the head with a wooden mallet brought
for that purpose amongst others, gagged him, and
left him lying on the floor for dead. Though only
stunned Edwards pretended to be dead, but heard
or saw most of what followed.
The Jewels were in a recess in the solid
walls, having a strongly caged door in two parts
opening outwards. Inside were the two crowns,
the Crown of England and the King's State
Crown, the Sceptre and Orb, as well as several
pieces of valuable plate, including the State salt
cellar lately presented to Charles II by the City of
Exeter. Blood, who knew from his previous visits
i82 THE JEWEL HOUSE
exactly what was there, naturally had made his
plans to carry off the portions of the Regalia which
were at the same time the most portable and the
most valuable. The Crown of England was large and
heavy, and was set with stones of considerable value,
but the King's State Crown was lighter and more
easily compressed, and had set in its front the great
and priceless ruby of the Black Prince, and was also
rich with diamonds and lesser gems. Both crowns
had been made for Charles II by Sir Robert Vyner,
and both, it may be mentioned in passing, survive
to this day, though in curiously different surround-
ings. The Crown of England is in the Tower of
London, and the shell of Charles II's State Crown,
bereft of all its precious stones, came into the pos-
session of the late Lord Amherst of Hackney. Blood,
therefore, selected the King's State Crown for his
prey.
Besides the Crown there were two other regal
emblems portable and set with precious stones.
These were the King's Sceptre and Orb. Both are
now in the Tower of London, the Orb much as it
was in those days, and the Sceptre the same except
that the great Star of Africa has been since intro-
duced into its head. These three then, the State
Crown, the Sceptre, and the Orb, were the settled
project of the raid. Mr. Edwards having been
satisfactorily disposed of, Blood seized the Crown,
and using the same wooden mallet as had been
THE CRIME OF COLONEL BLOOD 183
used on the custodian's head, battered in the arches
of the Crown and flattened in the band, that it
might thus fit into a bag made for the purpose which
he wore under his parson's gown. This rough
treatment naturally disturbed the setting of the
stones, and some of these, including the Black
Prince's ruby, fell out, but were hastily gathered up
and put into their pockets by the worthy trio. To
the second marauder, Parrett by name, was assigned
the custody of the Orb. This was quite a simple
matter; he just thrust it as it was into the slack of
his breeches, and dropped the folds of his cloak so
as to hide the protuberance.
The third accomplice was to carry off the Sceptre,
but as this could not conveniently be concealed
about his person, he was provided with a file where-
with to file the Sceptre in two so that it might fit
into a bag which he carried for the purpose under
his cloak. He was busily engaged on this job when a
most dramatic event occurred.
Old Mr. Edwards had a son who had served as
a soldier in Flanders with Sir Tohn Talbot, and
having landed in England, obtained leave to visit
his father at the Tower. By an extraordinary
coincidence he happened to arrive at this very
moment, and strode at once to the Martin Tower.
Outside the door of his father's residence he found
a young man standing, who asked him his business,
and who he wished to see. As this was an unusual
184 THE JEWEL HOUSE
greeting to receive at the front door of one's own
home, young Edwards concluded that the stranger
himself was seeking an interview, and passing
through said he would see if he could be received.
The young man at the door, who was in fact Colonel
Blood's sentry, as young Edwards went upstairs,
immediately warned his confederates in the treasure
chamber below, and they made haste to depart,
taking the Crown and Orb, but leaving the Sceptre
as it had not yet been filed in two.
Old Mr. Edwards was not bound, so that directly
Colonel Blood and his accomplices fled he pulled
the gag out of his mouth, and yelled with good heart
and lungs, " TREASON ! MURDER ! " Miss Edwards
hearing these alarming shouts ran downstairs, and
seeing her father wounded and the disorder in the
Jewel House, rushed out on to the parade ground by
the White Tower and shrieked, " TREASON ! The
CROWN is stolen ! " This gave the alarm to all
and sundry, and amongst others to young Edwards
and Captain Beckham who were still upstairs.
Captain Beckham was married to one of old Mr.
Edwards' daughters, and was one of the party
invited to be present at the betrothal. Blood and
Parrett, followed by the other two, had pushed along
without suspicious haste, but on hearing the alarm
raised were seen to nudge each other. However, they
passed unchallenged under the Bloody Tower where
the main guard, guarding the only gate
THE CRIME OF COLONEL BLOOD 185
giving egress from the inner fortress, and thence
were making their way along Water Lane towards
the Byward Tower.
Beyond the Byward Tower was a drawbridge,
now replaced by a permanent structure, at which a
yeoman stood on duty, and to him the pursuers
shouted to stop the clerical party ahead. The yeoman,
who was armed only with a halbert, came to the ready
and ordered the fugitives to halt. Blood, however,
drew a pistol, and firing at close range knocked the
man over.
Thus gaining free access to the drawbridge the
party hastened over. On the far side, where stands
the Middle Tower, was the Spur guard with its
sentry posted. The man on duty at this moment
was named Sill, a Cromwellian soldier now enlisted
in the Royal Army. Cromwellian or no, he was not
for being shot in cold blood, and seeing the warder fall,
tactfully stepped aside and allowed the marauders
to pass unhindered. Sir Gilbert Talbot thought
he had been previously bribed by Blood, and this
is not an unlikely explanation. Anyway, the chief
obstacles had been overcome and the Crown and
Orb were outside the main fortress. From the Middle
Tower, Blood and his companions instead of going
out of the Bulwark Gate a few yards off, doubled
on their tracks, so to speak, and hastened along the
wharf in an easterly direction towards the Iron Gate.
This was a tactical error which proved fatal, for the
186 THE JEWEL HOUSE
wharf is some three hundred yards long and in full
view throughout of the sentries standing on the
battlements of the outer ballium wall.
By this time there seem to have been a considerable
number of people on the wharf, some pursuing from
behind, and some just entered through the Iron
Gate on their ordinary business. These latter,
seeing a commotion and hearing cries of treason
and murder, with great zeal and promptitude,
incited and directed by Blood, fell on the pursuers,
and nearly murdered Captain Beckman, whom the
worthy parson pointed out as the arch culprit.
Having disentangled himself from this awkward
misconception, the gallant captain raced on along
the wharf and came up with Blood just as he was
getting to horse. Blood turned short and point
blank fired his second pistol at Beckman's head.
But a pistol in those days took some time to go off,
which gave the captain time to duck his head and,
charging low, to seize the reverend gentleman. A
severe struggle then took place . The captain thinking
more of the Crown itself than of the man who held it,
instead of overpowering him tried to snatch the
Crown from him. Blood resisted lustily but Beck-
man prevailed, and thus roughly handled he secured
it. But naturally the stones being much loosened
by the previous hammering, several here also fell
out, though eventually all with a few comparatively
insignificant exceptions were recovered.
THE CRIME OF COLONEL BLOOD 187
Blood and Parrett were now overpowered and
captured, whilst Hunt, who was Blood's son-in-law,
though he got to horse, in galloping off hit his head
against a pole sticking out from a laden wagon,
and being dismounted was also captured. The
three were immediately placed in the securest
dungeons in the Tower, and word was sent to Sir
Gilbert Talbot, the Keeper of the Jewel House,
who at once informed the King. Those looking for
a lurid and sanguinary end to this story will be
disappointed. Considering the time and the penal-
ties which were exacted on such comparatively
venal offences as the stealing of sheep, one is natur-
ally prepared to hear that Colonel Blood and his
accomplices were at the shortest notice drawn on
hurdles to Tyburn and there hanged, drawn, and
quartered. But Fate plays curious tricks with the
lives of men. The Merry Monarch, instead of being
in the least annoyed with this audacious attempt
which so nearly lost him his regal emblems, roared
with laughter and ordered that the chief culprit
should be sent for judgment to the highest court
in the realm, the King himself.
What the King said to Blood, or what Blood said
to the King, as variously chronicled, may be passed
over, but the net result was that Blood instead of
being executed was given a post amongst the body-
guard of His Majesty, and also granted a salary of
£500 a year for life. As money was then five times
i88 THE JEWEL HOUSE
the value it was in 1914 and ten times the value it
is in 1920, we may estimate this as a very handsome
income. Several reasons have been given for
Charles II's liberality, and each may be accepted
with equal caution. The wits and scandal-mongers
of the time declared that the explanation of the
King's leniency was due to one of two causes. The
first was that being as usual short of cash, His
Majesty conceived the novel expedient of stealing
his own Crown, and in a roundabout way put up
Blood to execute the project. The second was more
sporting than venal, and averred that the King
in one of his genial after-dinner moments had
declared that no one would, after the horrors of the
past, deprive him of his Crown, and had backed
his opinion by a bet. This, so the story went,
having come to Blood's ears, he determined to
take up the bet literally and steal the actual emblems
of royalty. These, though interesting explanations,
may in the absence of proof be relegated to uncon-
firmed gossip. However, the most charitable version
is little less astonishing. We are invited to believe
that the King believed Blood's fairy tale, which was
that he had laid out in the reeds close to the place
where the King was wont to bathe intending to
shoot him, when he had assumed the primitive garb
of his ancestor Adam, but that when the moment
came to pull the trigger, this hardened old soldier
was so overcome with the glory of the King's royal
THE CRIME OF COLONEL BLOOD 189
body in statu natura that his finger absolutely refused
to work.
Charles II, though jovial, was by no means an
idiot ; indeed he was one of the astutest monarchs
who has sat on the throne of England. We may
therefore perhaps brush aside all these interesting
stories and arrive at the plain conclusion that the
King, knowing from recent experience how precarious
in those days was the life of a King, decided that his
best policy was to take into his service a quondam
and potential enemy, thereby turning a spear that
threatened him into a defensive javelin. That
shrewd lesson in statescraft has been followed,
perhaps unwittingly, by the British Empire in its
expansion. Times out of number hi Asia, Africa,
and America, the foes of one day have been on the
next enrolled under the standards of the King of
England, and alongside men of his own blood have
fought the battles of the Empire.
Blood, contrary to the report that he was a mere
burglar, the son of a blacksmith, and so forth, was
in fact a man of good family residing at Sarney, Co.
Meath, and was himself at the early age of twenty-
two made a Justice of the Peace, itself a proof of
his social standing. His grandfather was Edmund
Blood of Kilnaboy Castle, Co. Clare, who was at
one time M.P. for Ennis.
Perhaps the best estimate of Colonel Blood is that
he was a hot-headed and fearless Irishman, who
THE JEWEL HOUSE
found it difficult to live quietly, and must ever work
off his boundless energy on some new and often
desperate enterprise. He was the Charles O'Malley
of an earlier century, and demonstrated his Irish
exuberance with rapier and pistol rather than in the
hunting field.
Note. — The account of Colonel Blood's attempt on the Crown is
taken from an ancient MS., written in 1680 at the dictation of
Sir Gilbert Talbot, the Keeper of the Jewel House at the time,
which is now in possession of Mrs. Lowndes, of Chesham, Bucks.
A copy of the same document is also owned by General Sir Bindon
Blood, G.C.B., together with other interesting records of Colonel
Blood, which he has kindly placed at the writer's disposal.
CHAPTER XII
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY
The Order of the Garter — Its date and origin — Gentlemen of the
Blood — The three Reproaches — St. George's Chapel — The
Garter of blue and gold — The Robes and Star — The Order of the
Thistle — Its ancient origin — TheMantle and Riband — An expen-
sive Order — The Order of St. Patrick — " Quis separabit " —
The Mantle, Collar, and Star — The Order of Merit — Its origin —
Very select — Confers no precedence — The Order of the Bath —
The Most Honorable Order — Its great age and origin — To
every knight a bath — Originally one, now three grades — Civil
Knights — The Star of India — Cause of its creation — The three
grades — The insignia — St. Michael and St. George — Curious
origin of the Order — Its growth and expansion — " Auspicium
Melioris " — The Badge — Order of the Indian Empire — Date
and reason for its institution — The Mantle, Collar, Star, and
Badge — The Royal Victorian Order — Five grades and grand
chain — The Order of the British Empire — Had its origin in the
Great War — Open to Ladies as well as Gentlemen — Five
grades — The Badge and ribbon — The Crown of India — The
Ladies' Order — Very select indeed — The Badge of diamonds,
pearls, and turquoises — The Victoria Cross — " For Valour " —
Costs threepence — The most highly prized decoration — Its prece-
dence— The Distinguished Service Order — Its chequered career
— The good effect of the Great War — The Military Cross and
Distinguished Service Cross — A product of the Great War —
The D.F.C. and A.F.C.— The D.C.M. and C.G.M.— The M.M.
and D.S.M. — The increase of Orders and decorations during the
past century.
"TOGETHER with the King's Treasure in
the Jewel House are kept the insignia
of the Orders of Chivalry as well as
decorations for bravery in battle.
The oldest of these is the Order of the Garter,
191
I
192 THE JEWEL HOUSE
which was created by Edward III as far back as the
year 1348. It is rather English that so ancient and
highly esteemed an honour should owe its origin
to quite a trivial incident. A lady, the Countess of
Salisbury, who was dancing with the King at a
Court Ball, dropped her garter. In this less emotional
age nobody would be greatly amused if a lady
dropped her garter ; probably few would even notice
it, unless perchance it happened to be set with
diamonds. But in 1348 very small jokes apparently
went a long way, and the dropping of this particular
lady's garter caused vast amusement amongst the
gallants. A garter is a garter, and there is evidently
nothing either indecent or improper or even amusing
about it ; it is merely an article used by a few
people now, and most people of both sexes in those
days, to keep their stockings from slipping down.
However, there was the garter on the floor, and
the fine gentlemen sniggering at it, whilst the poor
lady who owned this harmless article was covered
with confusion. In this tremendous crisis the King
with a courtesy lacking amongst his courtiers stepped
forward, picked up the garter, tied it round his own
knee, and uttered the well-known rebuke, " Honi soit
qui mal y pense." For English Kings spoke French
in those days.
Edward III. was a gentleman, and it is not a little
interesting to find that the oldest Order, not only in
England but in the world, owes its origin to a little
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 193
act of courtesy. In ancient days the Order was
termed a Fraternity of Knights, and these were
chosen by the King from amongst the most noble
of those about the Royal person. They were not
necessarily warriors of the sword, but must be
Gentlemen of the Blood, such as the King thought
fit to wear the same emblem as himself. A Gentle-
man of the Blood, it is explained, was one who could
claim three descents in the noblesse, both on his
father's and also his mother's side.
In bestowing the Garter the exhortation used was :
" Sir, the loving Company of the Order of the Garter
hath received you their Brother, Lover, and Fellow,
and in token and knowledge of this, they give you
and present you with this present Garter, the which
God will that you receive and wear henceforth to his
praise and pleasure and to the exaltation and honour
of the said Most Noble Order and of yourself."
No person who had been convicted of error
against the Christian faith, or of high treason, or
of cowardice in face of the enemy could become a
Knight of the Garter. And if being already a Knight
he was guilty of either of these three " Reproaches,"
his spurs were cut off, his banner removed, and he
was summarily expelled from the Order. The only
other grave offence mentioned is for appearing with-
out his Garter, the penalty for which was a fine of
one mark ! Evidently, however, it was found that
the Garter could not conveniently be worn with
194 THE JEWEL HOUSE
long boots, so by special enactment a Knight so
booted might wear a blue silk riband instead.
Later on the Order somewhat changed its charac-
ter, for it came to be bestowed not only on persons of
high lineage as such, but also on those who had
reached places of eminence in the public service,
like Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, whose father
was a shearer. As we come still further down in
the ages we find it established, as at present, that
though a number of vacancies in the Order are
reserved for peers of the realm, yet it is also con-
ferred as the very highest distinction attainable on
soldiers, sailors, and statesmen who have done very
conspicuous service to the State, whatever their
lineage.
Exclusive of Royal personages, there are only
twenty-five Knights of the Garter. The King is
Sovereign of the Order, and some fourteen foreign
Kings, English and foreign Princes, are amongst the
Royal Knights. These include the Prince of Wales,
the Duke of York, the Duke of Connaught, Prince
Arthur of Connaught, the King of Spain, the King of
Norway, the King of Italy, and the King of Denmark.
Until recently the German Emperor figured
amongst the Knights, but his banner was taken down
and his name removed from the Order in knightly
disapproval of the unknightly manner hi which the
Germans were held to have waged war on land and
sea. The name of the Emperor of Russia has also
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 195
disappeared from the roll, through his tragic death.
Amongst the great soldiers who won their spurs in the
field were the Duke of Marlborough, the Duke of
Wellington, Earl Roberts, and Earl Kitchener. The
only two Ladies of the Order are Queen Mary and
Queen Alexandra.
The Chapel of the Knights of the Garter is St.
George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, and there may
be seen the stalls of the Knights with their banners
suspended over them. When a Knight dies or is
degraded, his banner is removed and that of his
successor is hoisted in its place, whilst a small
brass plate is left as a lasting record of each succeed-
ing Knight in each of the stalls.
The Garter itself is of blue ribbon edged with
gold, and has a buckle and pendent of gold richly
chased. Round the Garter in gold is the motto of
the Order, " Honi soit qui mal y pense." The
Garter is worn below the left knee by a Knight, and
round the left arm above the elbow by a Lady.
The Mantle or Robe is of blue velvet, of a shade
which has come to be known as garter blue, on the
left breast of which the Star is embroidered. It is
lined with white taffeta, and has a crimson velvet
hood. The surcoat is also of crimson velvet, lined
with white taffeta.
The Hat is a very imposing affair made of black
velvet and of a curious shape. The plume is of
white ostrich feathers with a tuft of black heron's
196 THE JEWEL HOUSE
feathers in the centre. It is fastened to the hat by a
band of diamonds.
The Collar consists of a string of gold and enamelled
red roses, from which hangs a presentment of St.
George attacking the dragon. Across his breast the
Knight wears the broad riband of the Order, from
which is pendent a lesser presentiment of the same
incident, which is known as the Badge.
The Star is eight-pointed and made of silver, though
it is not unusual for a Knight, or his generous friends,
to substitute a diamond star. Such a diamond Star
was presented by his friends to Lord Roberts, and
the Mary's of the Empire gave a similar token of
their regard to Queen Mary.
A Knight of the Garter is the only Knight who
wears his Star in evening dress at a private dinner
party. All other Knights only wear their stars on
such special occasions as are laid down, but always
when asked to meet royalties. In this connection
it may be interesting to mention that though a
Knight may belong to many Orders, he only wears
the Star of the senior one at these parties. If he
were in uniform he would, of course, wear all he
possessed, as may be gathered from the photographs
of celebrated admirals and field-marshals which are
to be seen in the illustrated papers.
The Order of the Thistle claims a very ancient
origin, for though it was only organised as a knightly
fraternity by James II in 1687, the Royal Warrant
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 197
issued by that monarch mentions that " His
Majesty's royal predecessor, Achaius King of Scots,
did institute the most ancient and the most noble
Order of the Thistle, under the protection of
St. Andrew, Patron of Scotland : in commemoration
of a signal Victory obtained by the said Achaius
over Athelstan, King of the Saxons, after a bloody
battle, in the time of which there appeared in the
heavens a White Cross in the form of that upon
which the Apostle Saint Andrew suffered martyr-
dom." vWhen James II abdicated, the Order fell
into desuetude, but was again revived by Queen
Anne in 1703.
The Mantle is of green velvet, with the Badge
of the Order embroidered on the left side. The
Riband of the Order is green. The Star of this
Order consists of a St. Andrew's Cross laid on a
silver star. In the centre of this combination is
a Thistle of green and gold upon a field of gold,
surrounded by a circle of green, bearing the motto
of the Order, " Nemo me impure lacessit." The
Collar is formed of thistles intermingled with
sprigs of rue, and from it pendent is the Badge
or Jewel, representing St. Andrew wearing a green
gown and purple surcoat, and bearing before him a
white enamelled cross.
The Order consists of the Sovereign and sixteen
Knights, one of the most recent of whom, it may be
remembered, is Field-Marshal Earl Haig.
198 THE JEWEL HOUSE
The Thistle was a most expensive Order in
ancient days, the fees on admission amounting to
£347, a very considerable sum at that time.
Edward VII reduced this to £50, which is the sum
now paid by a Knight to the Treasury on admission
to the Order.
The Order of St. Patrick is of more recent origin,
and owes its inception to George III in 1783. It
is an Irish Order modelled on the Fraternity of the
Knights of the Garter, and was intended to empha-
sise the unity of the United Kingdom. To further
which idea the new Order was given the motto,
" Quis separabit ? " A pertinent inquiry to which
Sinn Feiners and other extraordinary persons have
since made constant endeavours to return a disloyal
reply.
The Mantle is of Irish tabbinet of a very beautiful
shade of light blue, and is lined with white silk.
On the right shoulder is a blue hood of the same
material lined also with white silk. On the left
side is embroidered the Star of the Order. The
Collar is of gold composed of roses and harps
alternately, and at the bottom is a harp surmounted
by an Imperial Crown. The Badge is of gold of an
oval form, in the centre of which is a trefoil with
three crowns, standing on the cross of St. Patrick
and surrounded with a wreath of shamrock. Round
the wreath is the motto of the Order.
The Star consists of the Cross of St. Patrick gules,
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 199
on a field argent, surmounted by a trefoil vert,
charged with three Imperial Crowns with a circle
of azure containing the motto, " Quis separabit ? "
and the date " MDCCLXXXIII " in letters of gold.
The whole is encircled by four greater and four
lesser rays of silver. This Star also can at the ex-
pense of the Knight or his friends be fashioned in
diamonds. The Riband is light blue and is worn
across the breast from left to right, the Badge being
worn at the tie over the left thigh.
The Order of Merit has a somewhat curious
origin. There were, and are, certain Englishmen
of the very highest eminence who are averse to
being other than plain " Mr." to the end of their
days. Peerages, baronetcies, and knighthoods have
no attraction for them. Such men were Mr. Joseph
Chamberlain and Mr. Gladstone, and such to-day is
Mr. Arthur Balfour. The feeling is a noble one
and quite in accordance with the best traditions of
the English character. King Edward VII, in the
hope of finding an acceptable road, therefore in-
stituted the Order of Merit, which carries no title
with it and no precedence. To make the Order
exceedingly select and highly prized the number of
members may not exceed twenty-four, and it is
open only to those who have performed exceptional
meritorious services in the navy, army, art, litera-
ture, and science. The King may also bestow the
honour as extra members on foreigners of distinction.
200 THE JEWEL HOUSE
The Badge of the Order consists of a Cross of red
and blue enamel of eight points, with the addition
of cross swords in the case of a naval or military
officer. On it is a laurel wreath upon a centre of
blue enamel, and the motto of the Order " For
Merit," in letters of gold. On the reverse, within
laurel leaves on blue enamel, is the cipher of King
Edward in gold. Above is the Imperial Crown
enamelled in proper colours. The riband of the
Order is parti-coloured, garter blue and crimson.
One of the latest recipients of the Order is Mr.
Lloyd George, and other distinguished members are
Field-Marshal Viscount French, Viscount Morley,
Sir William Crookes, Thomas Hardy, Sir Archibald
Geikie, Mr. Arthur Balfour, and Field-Marshal Earl
Haig.
The Order confers no precedence, but the initials
O.M. are authorised to be placed after the G.C.B.
and before all other initials. What happens when
the wife of an O.M. meets at a dinner party the
wife of a G. C.S.I, opens up a vista of precedental
problems which the Lord Chamberlain's office
could alone solve.
Next to the Garter the Order of the Bath is the
most ancient and most honourable. Indeed, the
Bath is entitled "The Most Honourable Order,"
and though it has precedence below the Garter,
Thistle, and St. Patrick, it is in some respects
superior to these, for it can only be earned in
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 201
reward for services rendered. It is also older
than any other Order in the world except the
Garter, being some fifty years older than the Order
of the Golden Fleece. It was said by a foreigner,
that any English title or decoration could be bought
except the Order of the Bath. That is a somewhat
sweeping assertion, though we ourselves allow that
one of the blots on English public life is that peerages,
baronetcies, and knighthoods can be, and are,
bought from the political party in power. Happily
it is still, as from the beginning, impossible to buy
the Order of the Bath. Probably this fact, as well
as its ancient and knightly origin, gives the Order
its high standing, and we may venture to hope that
it will never be otherwise.
It is not perhaps generally known that the
Order of the Bath literally came from the common
or domestic hip-bath. Long before this Order
was instituted it was customary for warriors, who
led in those times very strenuous days and nights,
fighting, eating and drinking, and making love, to
take a warm bath the night before they were
knighted. This ablution had partly a temporal
and partly a spiritual significance. It was not,
however, till 1399 that Henry IV determined to
make a permanent institution of an Order for
Knights of the Sword, and named it the Order of
the Bath.
Space does not allow of giving the full ritual,
202
which may be read elsewhere,1 but the actual taking
of a warm bath was one of the leading features.
This bath was taken in the large hall adjoining
St. John's Chapel in the White Tower, Tower of
London. Whilst the Knight was in his bath the
King came in accompanied by prelates and noble-
men, and dipping his finger in the water made a
cross on the Knight's back.
A curious complication arose in this connection
when a Queen, in the person of Mary I, came to the
throne, for naturally she could not go about making
crosses on the backs of naked young Knights. But
both in Queen Mary's reign and in that of Queen
Elizabeth the difficulty was tided over by delegating
a nobleman of high rank to act for the Queen.
On the King's departure the Knight was put into
a bed to dry and warm, bath towels apparently
being little known in those days. Having thus
become dry and warm the Knight put on a monk's
frock and then proceeded into St. John's Chapel,
where he watched his arms all night. On the morrow
he rode in procession with other .Knights of the
Bath before the King to Westminster. This custom
has long been discontinued ; the Knight takes his
bath at home as usual, and then proceeds to Bucking-
ham Palace and is there Knighted by the King.
Originally there was one grade in the Order, that
of Knight, but now there are three grades : Grand
1 See The Tower from Within, Chapter VIII.
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 203
Cross, Knight Commander, and Companion. Up
to 1847 only soldiers and sailors distinguished in
war could be appointed, thus keeping up the
knightly heritage; moreover they must have been
mentioned in despatches, and must be field officers
or of corresponding rank in the navy. In 1847
the Order was made more elastic so as to include
civilians who had done eminent service to the
State, and also it was opened to distinguished
foreigners. The insignia, however, for a civilian
member is different from that of a military member,
though the ribands are the same. Here has resulted
a very curious anomaly. After the Waterloo cam-
paign the Order of the Bath was swept and garnished,
so to speak, and amongst other innovations the
insignia was remade in the shape of an eight-pointed
cross, much on the lines of the Legion of Honour,
inaugurated by Napoleon I. When the civil division
was introduced in 1847 the insignia assigned was
an oval gold medallion, having a trefoil in open
work in the centre. This insignia, thus revived,
must have been the old and original emblem worn
by Knights of the Bath from very ancient days.
An old engraving for instance of the Black Prince
shows this very form of medallion round his neck.
A Grand Cross of the Bath wears a robe of red
silk with the badge of the Order embroidered on
the left side, and the collar of the Order. He also
alone wears the broad riband across his chest with
204 THE JEWEL HOUSE
the badge at the tie, and a special Star. A Knight
Commander wears a smaller star on the left side of
his coat, and the insignia of the Order round his
neck. A Companion wears only the insignia, of a
smaller size, round his neck. Members of the three
grades carry after their names the initials G.C.B.,
K.C.B., and C.B.
Next in precedence to the Bath comes the Star of
India, though it dates only from 1861, an interval of
nearly 500 years. The precedence thus given was
probably a matter of policy after the Indian Mutiny,
the Order having, it is expressly stated, been in-
augurated for the purpose of rendering high honour
to conspicuous loyalty and merit amongst the
princes, chiefs, and people of the Indian Empire.
The Order is, however, open not only to Indians,
but to Englishmen who have performed distin-
guished service in, or connected with, India.
As in the case of the Bath, this Order is divided
into three grades : Grand Commander, Knight
Commander, and Companion. It will be noticed that
the word " Commander " is used instead of " Cross "
in the highest grade. This was out of deference to
the Mahomedan subjects of the sovereign, for to a
Mahomedan the cross is a Christian symbol, and as
such, like ham and bacon, a thing to be avoided.
The Robe of the Grand Commander is of light blue
silk with the Badge of the Order embroidered on
the left side. The riband, stars, and insignia are
205
worn by the three grades as described for the
Order of the Bath.
The insignia is a very beautiful and valuable
jewel. It consists of an onyx cameo, having in the
centre the effigy of Queen Victoria. This is set in an
oval gold band which contains the motto, " Heaven's
Light our Guide," in diamonds. The three grades
are distinguished by the initials G.C.S.I., K.C.S.I.,
and C.S.I. On the death of a member of the Order,
his insignia have to be returned, unless his heirs
consent to purchase them.
After the Napoleonic wars, for some reason which
seems now somewhat obscure, the King, or the
Government, or both, appear to have been at their
wits' end to discover an appropriate medium by
which marks of the royal favour might be suitably
conferred upon the natives of Malta and the Ionian
Islands. Out of the travail thus begotten emerged
the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and
St. George. Indeed, so pronouncedly foreign was it
intended to be that instead of Companions the
members were termed Cavalieri of the Order. After
struggling along for fifty years in Malta and the
Ionian Islands, an Order of little repute or standing,
Queen Victoria decided to give it a wider scope and
to throw it open to the whole Empire. After this
happy inspiration the Order grew and prospered,
first as a purely civil and colonial decoration, but
latterly chiefly as a military Order, second only in
206 THE JEWEL HOUSE
value and public estimation to the Order of the
Bath.
The mantle or robe of a Grand Cross is of Saxon
blue satin, lined with scarlet, having on the left side
embroidered the Star of the Order. The Collar is
suitably formed of a chain of Lions of England and
Maltese Crosses, alternately. The Star has seven
rays of silver, between each of which is a small ray
of gold ; over all the Cross of St. George, gules.
In the centre of the said star is a circle azure where-
on is inscribed in letters of gold the motto of the
Order, " Auspicium Melioris," and the figure of St.
Michael with flaming sword trampling on Satan.
" Auspicium Melioris " may freely be translated,
' There is a good time coming," or perhaps more
sedately, " The promise of a better age."
On one side of the Badge may be seen St. George
slaying the Dragon, and on the other St. Michael
trampling on Satan. The members of the three
grades wear their insignia as laid down for the Bath,
and are styled G.C.M.G., K.C.M.G., and C.M.G.
The Order of the Indian Empire was instituted
by Queen Victoria on January ist, 1878, to com-
memorate the proclamation of Her Majesty as
Empress of India, a title then first added to the
British Crown. It was to be bestowed as a reward
to those who from time to time were held to have
rendered important services to the Indian Empire.
At first it was bestowed mostly on civilians, but
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 207
latterly its scope has been broadened, and it is now
given for military services as well.
It may be noticed that whereas the Order of the
Bath, which was a purely military Order, was after
nearly five hundred years opened to civilians,
Orders like the Star of India, St. Michael and St.
George, and the Indian Empire, started on exactly
opposite lines ; they were intended for civilians
only. But happily now all these Orders are open
alike to soldiers, sailors, and civilians who have done
in their own lines good service to then: King and
Empire, and that is really all that matters.
The robe or mantle of a Grand Cross is of purple
satin lined with white silk, having on the left side
embroidered the Star of the Order. The Collar is
Oriental in treatment forming a chain of elephants,
lotus flowers, peacocks in their pride, and Indian
roses, all in gold. The elephants nearly caused an
upheaval in a later reign, and the story shows how
easily insurrections are caused amongst so seemingly
a docile people as the Indians. When the design
for the coinage of George V was being decided
upon it seemed not inappropriate that the King
should be shown crowned, and wearing the mantle
of the Order of the Indian Empire with the Collar
round his neck. Rupees to the number of many
hundred thousands were consequently struck with
this presentiment of the King on them. Hardly
were these in circulation when some lynx-eyed
208 THE JEWEL HOUSE
political agitator discovered that the King was
wearing the effigy of a pig round his neck, and as
a pig, even in silver, is anathema to a Mahomedan
it was put about by pernicious persons that a
calculated insult had thus been thrust in the most
blatant and enduring form on the whole Mahomedan
population. It was quite useless for the Govern-
ment to assert and vow that the animal portrayed
was not a pig but an elephant, and that if they
looked at the original chain there could be no
possible doubt about it. The Mahomedan agitators
were impervious to persuasion, nothing in the wide
world would persuade them that it was not a pig,
probably secretly inserted by some subtle Bengali
employed at the mint. Their co-religionists refused
to accept or use this rupee in trade, and so the
Government had to recall the whole issue from cir-
culation and had it melted down and recoined with
the obnoxious chain eliminated.
The Star is of silver, ten pointed, and has in the
centre a medallion of Queen Victoria, around which
is a dark blue garter surmounted by an imperial
crown. In gold on the garter is the motto of the
Order, " Imperatricis Auspicus," which being broadly
interpreted is " Honored by the Empress."
The Badge is heraldically described as a Rose
enamelled gules barbed vert, having in the centre
the effigy of Queen Victoria. The subaltern who
knows nothing of heraldry, and describes things
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 209
bluntly as they strike him, wavers between likening
it to a jam tart or a squashed tomato, when suddenly
faced with this emblem on the broad chest of his
general. Many, however, think this a very effective
decoration emblematic of the Victorian era.
There are, as in the case of the Bath, three grades
of this Order, the hall marks of which are G.C.I.E.,
K.C.I.E., and C.I.E., and each of these in their
degree wear stars and insignia in diminishing degree
as with other Orders.
The Royal Victorian Order was created by Queen
Victoria in 1896 for bestowal by the sovereign upon
those whose personal services it might be desired to
recognise. There are five classes in this Order
ranging from Knights Grand Cross to Members of
the Fifth Class, so that all social grades can receive
a suitable decoration. The Prince of Wales may
be at one end and a Highland gillie at the other.
King Edward added a Royal Victorian Chain to
the Order which is only bestowed on very special
occasions. There is no mantle or robe to this Order.
The Badge is in the form of a cross of white enamel,
in the centre of which is a medallion having Queen
Victoria's cipher in the middle, and the word
Victoria on a blue enamel garter round the cipher.
Above is an imperial crown in enamel proper.
The Stars of the Grand Cross and Knight Com-
mander of the Order are of silver and of different
patterns and sizes.
2io THE JEWEL HOUSE
The Order of the British Empire was instituted
by George V during the Great War, for the purpose
of rewarding those engaged in war work away from
the fighting line. Men and women are equally
eligible for all the five classes of this Order. It is
understood that after the services rendered in the
late war have received recognition the Order may
fall into abeyance and no further addition made to
its members. The Star is of silver with a medallion
in the centre in red enamel on which is the figure in
gold of Britannia seated. Around is the motto of the
Order, " For God and the Empire." The Badge is in
the form of a cross of grey enamel and in the centre
is the same medallion as on the Star. The ribbon
of civil members is purple, and that for military
members the same, but with a red line down the
centre.
The only Order reserved entirely for Ladies is the
Crown of India. It was inaugurated at the same
time as the Order of the Indian Empire, and to com-
memorate the same event, the assumption of the title
of Empress of India by Queen Victoria. The Ladies
eligible for this Order are princesses of the Royal
House, the wives or female relatives of Indian Princes,
and other Indian ladies of high degree. Amongst
Englishwomen eligibility is restricted to the wives,
or in the case of a bachelor the sister, of the Viceroy
of India, the Governors of Bengal, Madras and
Bombay, and the Secretary of State for India. The
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 211
Order is therefore very select indeed, and one may
make a long night's march through the ballrooms
and dining-rooms of the world without seeing one.
The decoration itself is a beautiful one and worthy
to be worn by any lady, however great. The Badge
consists of an oval buckle set round with pearls
closely touching. In the centre is the cipher of
Queen Victoria, the " V " being set with diamonds,
the " R " with pearls, and the " I " with turquoises.
Above the oval buckle is an Imperial Crown enam-
elled proper. The Badge hangs pendant from a
light blue silk bow. The Order is worn on the left
breast.
A quiet-looking and quietly dressed lady was
one day looking at the Crown Jewels, and especially
the Orders. When she came to the Crown of India
the official showing her round made the time-
honoured joke that to obtain this beautiful jewel
she had only to marry a Viceroy. " I have already
done so," remarked the quiet lady, and passed on.
She was the wife of a late Viceroy.
The most highly prized decoration in the Army
or Navy is the Victoria Cross. This was instituted
by Queen Victoria after the Crimean War for the
purpose of rewarding individual cases of conspicuous
gallantry in presence of the enemy. Hitherto the
only war decoration that could be won by an
individual solider or sailor was the Order of the Bath,
and by the rules of that order no officer below the
212 THE JEWEL HOUSE
rank of major, or of equivalent rank in the Navy,
could be recommended for it. Queen Victoria's
intention was that the Victoria Cross should be open
to all from admiral or general to bugler boy or sailor
boy. " Neither rank, nor long service, nor wounds,
nor any other circumstance or condition whatsoever
save the merit of conspicuous bravery (in the
presence of the enemy) shall be held to establish a
sufficient claim to the honour." 1
The Victoria Cross, like all decorations, has had
its ups and downs, but there is not the least doubt
that during the Great War it has upheld its highest
traditions. During its middle history the decoration
was perhaps more popular with the public than
with the military, for soldiers in action saw how
often it was a pure matter of luck that one should get
the Cross and another not. The interpretation of
the Warrant also varied, for whereas some generals
in the field were very chary about recommending
anyone, others were most liberal. In the South
African War a sumptuary law was passed that no
one above the rank of captain should be recom-
mended, and thus several well-known officers of
higher rank were ruled out and given the Bath
instead. This probably came from reading the first
part of the Warrant which emphasises the eligibility
of the junior ranks for the Bath, without reading
the context above quoted.
1 Victoria Cross Warrant, 1856.
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 213
Again at one period nobody could hope to get
the Victoria Cross unless he had assisted a wounded
man under fire ; it came for a time at any rate
to take the position of a life-saving medal on land,
as is the Humane Society's medal for saving life
from the water. Indeed so obsessed did some
become with this strange doctrine that Lord Roberts
himself had the greatest difficulty in obtaining the
Victoria Cross for two very gallant officers at
Kabul hi 1879, because their gallantry had no con-
nection with carrying wounded men out of action.
With these vagaries before them it is not to be
wondered at that the Victoria Cross for some years
lost its value amongst officers, indeed it was openly
discussed whether it would not be wiser to reserve
the Cross for the N.C.O.'s and men in the ranks
only, and to make all officers ineligible. This on
the grounds that all, or anyway the majority of
British officers, are brave and that it was a pity to
draw invidious distinctions. The Great War has,
however, as we have seen, thoroughly rehabilitated
the Victoria Cross, for though there certainly are
hundreds who with better luck would have received
it, yet those who have obtained it have set a very
high standard of gallantry in face of the enemy.
The Cross itself is familiar to all. It is a plain
bronze Maltese Cross, with a Lion standing on a
Crown in the centre, and the words " For Valour "
inscribed beneath. The actual cost of the Cross is
214 THE JEWEL HOUSE
threepence. The ribbon is red for all branches of
His Majesty's Service whether on sea, or land, or the
air. When the ribbon is worn in undress a miniature
V.C. is placed on it, and should there be clasps to
the V.C. for each one a miniature is added. Until
recently the Navy had a blue ribbon, but when the
Air Force came into being the King thought it
better to have one and the same ribbon for all.
In precedence the Victoria Cross ranks before all
decorations and medals and is worn on the right of
all. Thus in addressing a letter to one who has the
Victoria Cross the letters V.C. precede all others,
even if the addressee is a Knight of the Garter or a
Grand Cross of the Bath. All those not of com-
missioned rank who are decorated with the Victoria
Cross are given a special pension of £10 a year,
and for each bar £5 extra per annum.1
The Distinguished Service Order was inaugurated
in 1886 by Queen Victoria, and at the time the
general impression in the services was that it was
intended to be in the nature of a second grade of
the Victoria Cross. This was a mistake, for the
Order was really instituted as a second grade to
the Bath. Experience in our numberless small wars
had shown that many junior officers performed dis-
tinguished service, but being ineligible for the Bath
got nothing. The new Order was to be granted to
officers irrespective of rank for " meritorious and
distinguished service in war."
1 These have been lately considerably increased.
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 215
From the very beginning, in the Burmah War
of 1886-87, a verY wide interpretation of these
words was used, and though the D.S.O. was
given for deeds of gallantry and devotion in
action it was also given to those who had done
meritorious service far far away from the sound of
guns. With this precedent the Order ran downhill
at a great pace till it got to be known as the " Doing
Something-or-Other Order." All sorts and condi-
tions of people got it, sometimes with but the
faintest glimmer of merit or distinction. The
Great War has, however, to a great extent improved
the status of the Order, and if only the present high
standard is maintained it will undoubtedly rise to
the position it was originally intended to occupy.
The decoration is in the form of an eight-pointed
gold cross the wings of which are covered with
white enamel. In the centre is the Imperial Crown
in gold on a red enamel background round which
is a wreath of green enamel laurels. The ribbon is
crimson with narrow borders of blue. If an officer
gets a clasp to his D.S.O. a small silver rose is
placed on the ribbon when worn in undress uniform
and an additional rose is added for each subsequent
clasp. The decoration is open to officers of all
ranks both in the Army and the Navy.
A decoration which came into being during the
Great War is that of Companions of Honour. This
decoration, like the Order of Merit, is bestowed on
216 THE JEWEL HOUSE
those who for various reasons are averse to receiving
any reward from the Sovereign which carries a title.
The Military Cross and its naval equivalent, the
Distinguished Service Cross, were products of the
Great War. In former wars we had engaged a few
tens of thousands of fighting men, but in the Great
War we had seven million soldiers and sailors en-
gaged all over the world.1 In the great battles that
took place during four and a half years of this
gigantic conflict thousands of officers distinguished
themselves, yet all could not be given the Vic-
toria Cross or the Distinguished Service Order.
A third decoration for gallantry thus became im-
perative. The Military Cross for the Army and
the Distinguished Service Cross for the Navy
were the outcome of this demand, and all officers
and warrant officers are elegible for them ; they
are both of silver, but differ somewhat in design.
The ribbons are somewhat similar, but in the case
of the Military Cross the centre stripe is purple
and the two outside ones white ; whilst with the
Distinguished Service Cross, the white stripe is in
the middle and the two outer ones are purple. When
an officer or warrant officer earns one or more clasps,
a small silver rose is placed on the ribbon for each
clasp.
During the Great War the gallantry and achieve-
ments of the Air Force called imperatively for
> Eighteen million medals are in course of being struck.
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 217
special recognition. This was met by instituting
two decorations open only to the Air Force. These
are the Distinguished Flying Cross, for bestowal
upon officers in the Royal Air Force for acts of
gallantry when flying in active operations against the
enemy; and the Air Force Cross, for bestowal on
officers of the Royal Air Force for acts of courage
or devotion to duty when flying, although not in
active operations, against the enemy.
We now come to those decorations which are
reserved for warrant and non-commissioned officers
and the rank and file, and for which no officer as such
is eligible. Naturally any soldier or sailor who had
won one of these decorations when in the ranks or
the lower deck would cany it on with him and
wear it on all occasions if he subsequently received
a commission. The first of these is for the Army,
the Distinguished Conduct Medal, familiar to all as
the D.C.M. ; and for the Navy the Conspicuous
Gallantry Medal, generally known as the C.G.M.
The second pair under the category are the Military
Medal for the soldiers, and the Distinguished Service
Medal for the sailors. These are known as the M.M.
and D.S.M.
All these four medals are round silver insignia
of the familiar size and shape of a war medal. On
one side they have the King's head and shoulders, in
a Field-Marshal's uniform, for the Army, and in
that of an Admiral of the Fleet for the Navy. On the
2i8 THE JEWEL HOUSE
other side is the designation of the medal. Should
a soldier or a sailor be granted one of these medals a
second time the fact would be marked by the addi-
tion of a silver clasp.
The ribbons of these decorations are : For the
D.C.M. red and blue. The D.S.M. (Naval) has blue
and white. The ribbon for the Military Medal is
red white and blue, and that of the C.G.M. (Naval)
blue and white.
It will be noticed that since 1856 the number
of British Orders and decorations has very greatly
increased. At that date there were only the
Garter, the Thistle, St. Patrick, the Bath, and
the Michael and George, and only the last two of
these was open to ordinary persons. Now there
are upwards of twenty Orders and decorations
open to those who do good and valiant service for
the Empire in peace and war. As is only natural,
opinions are divided on the subject. Several
millions of His Majesty's subjects who have not
received one of these insignia of honour decry the
whole system, and say it is debasing to wear decora-
tions for doing one's duty. Several millions more
hope, given the opportunity, to earn one of them ;
whilst the few thousands who have received them
feel, hi a greater or less degree, a certain warm
sense of gratification in that their King and country
have discovered what fine fellows they are.
The increase in the number of Orders and deco-
THE ORDERS OF CHIVALRY 219
rations is mainly due to the great extension of
the Empire, the wars both great and small that
have been waged during the past seventy years, and
the impossibility of rewarding the greatly increased
numbers of those whom the King delighteth to
honour with practically only one Order open for
a restricted distribution, the Order of the Bath.
After so great a war as the Great War, wherein many
millions of men of British blood were engaged,
naturally all the now existing Orders are full to over-
flowing with members and supernumerary members,
but as the river runs low after the heavy rains are
over, so will the flow of honours decrease to the
small stream which in peace time can alone keep up
their value.
APPENDIX A
KEEPERS OF THE JEWEL HOUSE1
Abbot and Monks of Westminster, 1042-66, in
the reign of Edward the Confessor.
First official Keeper of the Regalia, 1216, in the
reign of Henry III.
Bishop of Carlisle, 1230, in the reign of Henry III.
John de Flete, 1337, in the reign of Edward III.
Robert de Mildenhall, 1347, m *ne reign of Edward
III.
Thomas Chitterne, 1418, in the reign of Henry VI.
" The two Gary's," both Privy Councillors.
Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, 1531-34, in the
reign of Henry VIII.
John Williams, Lord Williams, 1539-44, in the
reign of Henry VIII.
Richard Wilbraham of Woodhey, Cheshire, 1547 (?)
to 1553, in the reign of Edward VI.
Marquis of Winchester, 1553, in the reign of
Edward VI. Handed over the Crown Jewels to
Lady Jane Grey.
1 Named at various periods, Master and Treasurer of the Jewel
House, Keeper of the Regalia, Keeper of the Crown Jewels, and as
now Keeper of the Jewel House.
221
222 THE JEWEL HOUSE
John Astley, 1558-95, in the reign of Queen Eliza-
beth.
Sir Henry Mildmay, 1622 (?)-i66o, in the reigns of
James I, Charles I, and interregnum.
Sir Gilbert Talbot, 1661-91, in the reign of Charles II,
James II, and William and Mary.
Sir Francis Lawley, 1691-97, in the reign of William
and Mary.
Heneage Mountague, 1697-98, in the reign of
William and Mary.
Charles Godfrey, 1698-1716, in the reigns of William
and Mary, Queen Anne, and George I.
Hon. James Brudenell, 1716-30, in the reigns of
George I and George II.
Charles Townshend, Lord Lynn, 1730-39, in the
reign of George II.
William Neville, Lord Abergavenny, 1739-45, in
the reign of George II.
John Campbell, Lord Glenorchie, 1745-56, in the
reign of George II.
Sir Richard Lyttleton, 1756-63, in the reigns of
George II and George III.
Henry Vane, Earl of Darlington, 1763-82, in the
reign of George III.
In 1782 the Office was suppressed and Us duties trans-
ferred to the Lord Chamberlain (Stat. 22, Geo. Ill,
c. 82). The Office was again revived early in the
nineteenth century. A t the Coronation of George IV,
Thomas Baucutt Mash acted as " Officer of the
Jewel House."
THE KEEPERS OF THE REGALIA 223
Lieut. -Colonel Charles Wyndham (late Scots Greys),
1852-72, in the reign of Queen Victoria.
Colonel John Cox Gawler (late 73rd Foot), 1872-82,
in the reign of Queen Victoria.
Lieut. -General George Dean-Pitt, C.B., 1882-83, in
the reign of Queen Victoria.
Captain Arthur John Loftus (late loth Hussars)
1883-91, in the reign of Queen Victoria.
Lieut.-General Sir Michael Biddulph, G.C.B., 1891-
96, in the reign of Queen Victoria.
Lieut.-General Sir Frederick Middleton, K.C.M.G.,
C.B., 1896-98, in the reign of Queen Victoria.
General Sir Hugh Gough, V.C., G.C.B., 1898-1909,
in the reigns of Queen Victoria and Edward VII.
General Sir Robert Low, G.C.B., 1909-11, in the
reign of Edward VII.
General Sir Arthur Wynne, G.C.B., 1911-17, in the
reign of George V.
Major-General Sir George Younghusband, K.C.M.G.,
K.C.I.E., C.B., 1917 (present holder), in the reign
of George V.
APPENDIX B
A letter written by Queen Anne Boleyn, when a
prisoner in the Tower in the early part of May, 1536,
to Henry VIII asking for mercy. This letter was
apparently intercepted by Thomas Cromwell, Earl
of Essex, and never reached the King. After Essex
in his turn had been executed, some years later,
Queen Anne Boleyn's letter was found in his port-
folio amongst other papers.
From Queen Anne Boleyn to Henry VIII :
" SIR, — Your Grace's displeasure and my im-
prisonment are things so strange unto me as what to
write or what to excuse I am altogether ignorant.
' Whereas you send unto me (willing me to
confess a truth, and so to obtain your favour) by
such an one whom you know to be mine antient
professed enemy. I no sooner conceived this mes-
sage by him than I rightly conceived your meaning :
and if, as you say, confessing a truth indeed may
procure my safety, I shall with all willingness and
duty perform your command.
" But let not your Grace ever imagine that your
poor wife will ever be brought to acknowledge a
fault where not so much as a thought thereof pro-
224
ceeded. And to speak a truth, never prince had a
wife more loyal in all duty and in all true affection,
than you have ever found in Anne Boleyn ; with
which name and place I could willingly have con-
tented myself, if God and your Grace's pleasure had
been so pleased. Neither did I at any time so far
forget myself in my exaltation or received queenship,
but that I always looked for such an alteration as
now I find : for the ground of my preferment being
on no surer foundation than your Grace's fancy, the
least alteration, I knew, was fit and sufficient to
draw that fancy to some other subject. You have
chosen me from low estate to be your queen and
companion, far beyond my desert or desire. If then
you found me worthy of such honour, good your
Grace, let not any light fancy or bad counsel of mine
enemies, withdraw your princely favour from me ;
neither let that stain, that unworthy stain, of a dis-
loyal heart towards your good Grace, ever cast so
foul a blot on your most dutiful wife and the infant
princess your daughter.
' Try me good King, but let me have a lawful
trial ; and let not my sworn enemies sit as my
accusers and my judges ; yea, let me receive an open
trial, for my truth shall fear no open shame. Then
shall you see either my innocency cleared, your
suspicions and conscience satisfied, the ignominy
and slander of the world stopped, or my guilt
lawfully declared ; so that whatsoever God or you
226 THE JEWEL HOUSE
may determine of me, as your Grace may be freed
from an open censure ; and mine offence being so
openly proved, you Grace is at liberty, both before
God and man, not only to execute your worthy
punishment on me, as an unlawful wife, but to follow
your affection already settled on that party for whose
sake I am now as I am, whose name I could some
good while since have pointed unto ; your Grace
not being ignorant of my suspicion therein.
" But if you have already determined of me ;
and that not only my death, but an infamous slander,
must bring you the joying of your desired happiness ;
then I desire of God that He will pardon your great
sin therein, and likewise mine enemies, the instru-
ments thereof ; and that He will not call you to a
straight account for your unprincely and cruel usage
of me, at His general judgment seat, where both you
and myself must shortly appear ; and in whose
judgment I doubt not, whatever the world may
think of me, mine innocence shall be openly known
and sufficiently cleared.
" My last and only request shall be, that myself
may only bear the burden of your Grace's dis-
pleasure, and that it may not touch the innocent
souls of those poor gentlemen, who, as I understand,
are likewise in straight imprisonment for my sake.
If ever I have found favour in your sight, if ever the
name of Anne Boleyn hath been pleasing in your
ears, then let me obtain this request ; and I will so
LETTER FROM QUEEN ANNE BOLEYN 227
leave to trouble your Grace any further ; with mine
earnest prayers to the Trinity to have your Grace in
His good keeping, and to direct you in all your actions.
From my doleful prison in the Tower, this 6th of
May. Your most loyal and ever faithful wife.
" ANNE BOLEYN."
APPENDIX C
Complete list of the Regalia in the Jewel House in
A.D. 1920.
I. Crowns and Diadem —
1. King Edward the Confessor's Crown.
2. The Imperial State Crown.
3. The Imperial Indian Crown.
4. Crown of Queen Mary of Modena.
5. Crown of Queen Mary, Consort of King
. George V.
6. Diadem of Queen Mary of Modena.
7. Crown of the Prince of Wales (as eldest son
of the King).
II. Sceptres and Rods —
1. The King's Royal Sceptre.
2. The King's Sceptre with the Dove, or Rod
of Equity.
3. The Queen's Sceptre with the Cross.
4. The Queen's Sceptre with the Ivory Dove.
5. James Fs Sceptre with the Dove.
6. St. Edward's Staff.
228
COMPLETE LIST OF THE REGALIA 229
III. Orbs—
1. The King's Orb.
2. The Queen's Orb.
IV. Rings —
1. The King's Coronation Ring.
2. The Queen's Coronation Ring.
3. Queen Victoria's Coronation Ring.
V. Swords —
1. The King's Jewelled State Sword.
2. The Sword of State.
3. The Sword Spiritual.
4. The Sword Temporal.
5. Curtana, or the Sword of Mercy.
VI. Spurs and Bracelets —
1. St. George's Gold Spurs.
2. Gold Bracelets.
VII. Maces —
1. Charles II.
2. Do.
3. James II.
4. Do.
5. William and Mary.
6. Do.
7. Do.
8. George I.
230 THE JEWEL HOUSE
VIII. Ecclesiastical Plate —
1. The Ampulla, or Golden Eagle.
2. The Anointing Spoon.
3. The Royal Baptismal Font of Charles II.
4. Alms Dish of William and Mary.
5. Chalice Do.
IX. State Trumpets and Banners —
1. Fifteen Silver State Trumpets.
2. Twenty Bannerets.
X. Royal Gold Plate —
1. Queen Elizabeth's Salt Cellar.
2. King Charles IFs Salt Cellar (State Cellar),
3- Do.
4. Do.
5. Do.
6. Do.
7. Do.
8. Do.
9. Do.
10. Do.
11. Do.
12. Do.
13. Do.
14. King Charles IFs Wine Fountain.
15. Twelve Salt Spoons.
16. Two Tankards (George IV).
COMPLETE LIST OF THE REGALIA 231
XI. Other Plate and Valuables —
1. The Maundy Dish of Charles II.
2. King James II's Monde.
3. Model of Koh-i-Nur Diamond with original
setting.
4. Model of Cullinan Diamond as found.
5. Steel hammer and chisel, used in cutting the
Cullinan Diamond.
APPENDIX D
" OF THE JEWELL HOUSE "
Copy of MSS. written or dictated by Sir Gilbert
Talbot, Kt., appointed Keeper of the Jewel House,
A.D. 1660-61, by Charles II. The original is in the
possession of Mrs. Ethel M. Lowndes, The Bury,
Chesham, Bucks.
Of the Jewell
House
With the ancient
rights
belonging
to the Maister &
Treasurer
thereof.
The Maister of y6 Jewell H. holdeth his place by
Patent, for life under the Broad Seale of England
to enjoy all the perquisites and privileges wch any
of his predecessors at any time enjoyed
which are as follows :
232
under the fyrodd State
to entcy oil the perquisites, and /?n
• c
if
y
et oj fc. per an: cut oj t fie
^
e
money .
: onto] y.Tfe
oj^esemts
'jviueasff z
tr
p..
ck
FACSIMILE OF A PAGE FROM SIR GILBERT TALBOT's MSS., l68o
.
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FACSIMILE OF A PACK FROM SIR GILBERT TALBO'l's MSS. , l68o
I
SIR GILBERT TALBOT'S MSS. 233
1 . A Fee of 50^ per. an. out of the Exchequer.
2. A Table of 14 double dishes per diem.
3. 300 £ per. an. out of ye New years guift money.
4. The carrying of Presents to Embassadours.
5. The small presents at New yeare's Tide.
6. Anciently Treasurers of ye Chamber wch office
was a branch of ye Jewell H.
7. Frequently Privy Counsaillers as Cromwell & ye
two Caryes.
8. Right to buy, keep & present all his Matys
Jewells (when given).
9. Choice of his under Officers.
10. Choice of the King's and Queene's Goldsmiths
& Jewellers.
11. 2o£ in gold, upon signing of the Goldsmiths
Bill.
12. Lodgings in all y6 King's Houses.
13. A close waggon (when ye Court removeth) for
his owne goodes ; and two carts for his
officers.
14. Precedence in Courts & Kingdome.
15. Priviledg of the drawing roome.
16. Robes at the Coronation.
17. In Procession place before all the Judges.
18. He putteth on, and taketh off the King's Crowne,
234 THE JEWEL HOUSE
19. He keepeth all the Regalia.
20. He hath lodgings etc. in ye Tower.
21. A servant there to keep ye Regalia.
22. He hath noe superior officer.
23. He fournisheth plate to Embassadrs and all the
great e officers.
24. He remandeth it when Embassadrs returne ; &
officers remove or dye.
25. He provideth a Garter & plaine George for Knts
of y6 Garter.
26. The total of his Retrenchmts wch will serve to
justify ye following preambe from vanity.
Note. — The above rights and perquisites were handed
over by Sir H. Mildmay to Sir Gilbert Talbot in
A.D. 1660.
Note. — These were the rights, privileges and emolu-
ments of his predecessors, and Sir Gilbert Talbot
goes on to relate how they had been curtailed
and withdrawn.
Sr Gilbert Talbot entered into the service of
K. Charles y6 jst at Venice an : 1637, an(^ served
his Maty XI yeares first as Resident at 40s. p.
diem till the yeare 44, then as Envoye at 5£ per
diem ; besides extraordinairies in both qualityes.
But by reason of the war, his Maty was not able to
send him any supply in soe much that he was
SIR GILBERT TALBOT'S MSS. 235
forced to spend of his owne, and borrow of ye
English and Dutch merchants to the value of
13000^ which his then Maty promised to repay
with ye interest w^ hath since trebled ye princi-
pall.
But ye war still growing more obstinate and Sr G.
Talbot not able to continue the expence begged
leave of his Mty to returne into England to
represent his condition w^ was graunted him
for 6 moneths ; in Augst 44, he found the Kg at
Bucannon and followed his Maty in the Army ;
till in 45 he was sent back to Venice, upon an
extraordinary occasion ; with leave to returne
when he should think fitt, because his Maty was
not yet able to maintain him abroad.
At his returne into England, in 46 his Maty was
pleased (a little before he went to the Scottish
Army thus to recommend him to the Prince
(now Kg).
Son here is a gentleman who hath served me fayth-
fully many yeares ; and I have never bin able,
hitherto, to doe anything for him. I therefore
charge you to take notice of him & to see him
well rewarded if I should not live to doe it
myself.
The Kg going away to the Scotts ; the Prince into
ye West, and Oxford surrendered Sr G. Talbot
had his liberty upon those Articles. But the
Pr : being forced to fly : the Kg sold into the
236 THE JEWEL HOUSE
hands of the English : and afterwards barbar-
ously murdered ; Sir G. Talbot offered to goe
over to ye present King in Paris ; but was com-
manded to stay in London to corrispond with
Sr Rob* Long then Secretary, and to act for his
Matyes service on this side of ye water. For
w011 being afterwards discovered by Tom Cooke,
he was made close prisoner in Glocester ; and
there examined by Comifsrs upon 6 articles of
high Treason (as they were pleased to terme
them). But they having noe proof es to make
good any one article agst him he had his liberty
upon bayle ; went over into France to his Maty and
followed him in all his exile, till his restauration.
When every man (upon the prospect of his Matys
recall) was putting in for employment, Sr G.
T. ; by the assistance of the D. of Ormond,
obtained the graunt of Maister of the Jewell-
house forfeited by the treason of Sr Hen :
Mildmay and the reversion graunted by the
Martyr King to Sr Rob1 Howard (brother of the
old E. of Berkshire) vacated by his death.
Upon his Matys returne Sr G. Talbot sent to Sr Hen :
Mildmay (at the time prisoner in Dover Castle)
to lett him understand that the Kg had bestowed
the Jewell-house upon him ; and to know if he
would peaceably surrender his Patent ? he
returned answere That he could not give in the
patent because it lay buryed amongst many con-
SIR GILBERT TALBOT'S MSS. 237
fused papers But he was ready before a Maistr
of Chancery to make a formall resignation of the
place which he accordingly performed
And promised moreover that if Sr G. T. would
obteine from his Maty a pardon of his life he
would give him half his estate. Whereunto Sr
G. T. reply'd that since he had soe freely resigned
his office, he would endeavour to serve him,
without any other condition : but desired him
to send him a note of all the perquisites belonging
to the place, wch he did and they are those w011
are specif yed in ye jst page and shall hereafter
be enlarged upon as they lye in order.
Sr G. Talbot's patent being passed (not wthout
strong opposition from the Ld Chancellr Hyde,
who had shewed himself his enemy upon other
occasions ; and had designed the Jewell-house
for a Presbyterian friend) he took possession of
his lodgings ; and entered upon the execution of
his office.
When the Chancellr found that he could not obstruct
the patent, his next endeavour was to clip the
profitts of the place, and therein his malice pre-
vailed as will appeare when y6 perquisites are
treated of.
The perquisites belonging to ye Mr are as follows :
I . A Fee of 50^ per an payable half yearely out of the
Exchequer : which y6 Maistr used to call for but
238 THE JEWEL HOUSE
once in two yeares, that he might ioo£ together :
but when Sr George Downing became Secretary,
to the Lds Commissrs of the Treasury, he (be-
cause there is a small fee due to the Secretary
for drawing up the order to the Exchequer)
enioned x all fees to take out separate orders for
every half yeare : wch exacting invention is still
kept on foote : although the fee for every order
is exorbitant.
2. A Table of 14 double dishes per diem with bread
beer wine etc., or 35s- per diem board wages, if
not served in kind. But y6 Ld Chancr who
sought all occasions to preiudice the Maistr of
the Jewell H. put the Kg upon retrenchm* of
some of the tables : and went in person to the
Greenecloth (although altogether unqualifyed as
being noe Officer there) and cutt off the Maistre
table, and ye Groome-porters, for company,
that it might not look like personall malice ; in
lieu whereof they allowed each of them i2o£
p. an : board wages : and for this they plended
noe other ground, or shadow of reason, but
because it appeared in theyre books, that once
when the treasury was exhausted Sr H. Mildmay
proposed to the Kg the retrenchment of the
tables & desired his Maty to begin with his.
This the Ld Chancellrs Law, & Sr H. Woods
philosophy made an argument to cutt off the
dyet from the Jewell H.
1 Enjoined.
SIR GILBERT TALBOT'S MSS. 239
And although Sr G. Talbot's patent gave him all the
rights that any of his Predecessors at any time
enioyed, there was noe releife to be had in theyre
Chancery.
Sr G. Talbot this theyre proceeding to his Maty, but
the Chancellor yet swayed all things absolutely ;
and there lay noe appeale from him.
For one yeare after they allowed him his dyet, at
the greate Festivalls (Christmass, Easter, and
Whitsontide) : but that was thought too much
and retrenched likewise.
3. 300 £ p. an : out of the money presented by the
Nobility, to the King, at new-yeare's-tyde ;
which usually amounted to 3000^. And the
profitt ariss to the Maister by I2d in the £, and
the advantage of the gold ; for it was ever given
away and payd in silver, till Mr. May came to
the privy Purse, who gott it annexed to his office :
by wch meanes that branch was cutt off from ye
Maistr of the Jewell H. because the Kg was
neither to pay poundage, nor allowance for gold,
and y6 Maistr had noe consideration for it, till
upon the tender of severall petitions, his Maty in
an. 77 gave him, by Privy Scale 400^ p. an : out
of the new-yeare's-guift money, during pleasure.
4. The Maistr of the Jewell H. received the value
of 30o£ p. an. (cofhunibg annis) by carrying
presents to Embassadours, till the jst D. of
240 THE JEWEL HOUSE
Buckingham (who was an enemy to Sr H.
Mildmay) prevailed w^1 the Kg first, to make all
his presents in iewells (and not in plate as had
ever, till then, bin accustomed) and next to send
them by the Maister of ye Ceremonyes (an office
erected but in Kg James his time) .
Thus Sr H. Mildmay (by his professed ignorance in
iewels, had the buying of the iewels taken from
the place, & usurped into the hands of the Ld
Chamberlan and the presenting of them, by his
provocation of the D. of Buck : transferred to
the Mr of ye Ceremonyes. Nay, and the keeping
of all the private Jewells, is now in the hands of
the page of his Matys closet : although the Ld
Chamberlaine in what he buyeth, nor the sayd
page in what he keepeth, hath any check upon
him to controll the account of the one, or the
guardianship of ye other, whereas the account of
the Jewell H. is under the inspection of the Ld
Treasurer, or a body of Comissrs when the K
pleaseth to appoint them.
Thus while Sr G. Talbot is Maister and Treasurer of
his Matyes iewells & plate, he is made a stranger
to all but ye Regalia, which alone is in his keeping.
v. The Maisf of the iewell H. hath 28 ounces of
gilt plate every new year : and the small presents
are sent to y6 Kg anciently valued at 30 or
together with the purses wherein the Lords
SIR GILBERT TALBOT'S MSS. 241
present theyre gold (w011 were wont to be worth
30 or 40s each. These the Ld Manchester (when
Ld Chamberlaine) claimed as due to him : but
Sr G. Talbot proved them to be his right : yet
told his Lp that if he liked any of them he should
have them, as a guift, not as a due.
The E. of St. Alban, who succeeded him, revived
ye same pretence, but was opposed by the
Maistr and desisted. Yet usually the Maistr
gives the Ld Chamberl : 5 or 6 at the Cupboard,
as he doth to other Officers & freinds yt ask.
The profitt of allowance upon the ounces (issued out
by guift from his Maty) Sr G. T. gave (for his
time) to his under Officers : and the carrying of
presents to Residte & Agents when made in plate,
chaines or medals.
vi. Anciently the Mr of ye iewell H. was Treasurer
of the Chamber, till that branch was taken over,
and made an office apart : and is now five times
more beneficiall than the iewell house : all the
regulation of expence being applyed to the
remaining parts of the perquisites of the iewell
house ; the fees of ye treasur1 of the Chamber
and Mr of y* ceremonyes being left entire.
vii. The Maisters of the iewell H. have bin
frequently privy Counsaillers, such was Crom-
well 1 in y6 time of H. 8. And appointed Ld
Deputyes of Ireld as the two Caryes.
viii. It belonged to the Mr of y6 iewell house to
1 Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, temp. Henry VIII.
Q
242 THE JEWEL HOUSE
buy, keep, & present all ye iewells and plate that
belonged to his Maty but now that right is
invaded, see number 4.
ix. The Maister hath the choice of all his inferior
Officers ; and ye power of suspending or dis-
placing them upon their misbehaviours.
When he first took possession of his Office, he called
to one of his Yeomen for the books which were in
y6 keeping of old Layton, who then attended in
his moneth ; the peevish old man who had lived
long in y6 office refused to deliver them where-
upon Sir G. Talbot shewed him the words of his
patent ; but he remained obstinate and insolent
& Sr Gilbert suspended him for waiting and
acquainted his Maty with it who very well
approved of what he had done : but y6 passionate
old man for very vexation of spirit dyed. His
sonne had the impudence to claime his father's
place ; and upon refusall to threaten an appeale
to the Kg wherewith Sr G. Talbot acquainted his
Maty who sayd, if he came, he should receive an
answere.
After this Serg1 Painter (without any application to
Sr Gilbert) went boldly to the Kg and begged the
reversion : and his Maty graciously graunted it.
Painter thus armed came to Sr Gilb* and de-
manded to be admitted. Sr Gilbert asked whence
he derived his claime ? he sayd : the Kg given
it to him.
Sr Gilbert reply 'd, he would receive ye Kgs pleasure
SIR GILBERT TALBOT'S MSS. 243
from himself ; and going to his Maty asked him,
if he had appointed Painter to succeed Layton :
he sayd, yes. Sr, sayd Sr Gilb* it belongeth to
me, to choose my owne Officers, because ye trust
of all ye Matys plate is by me committed to them.
Well, sayd ye K. for this time let it pass, and I
will invade yr right noe more. Sr Gilbert desired
to know if his Maty would be security for all y*
plate intrusted in his hands ? Noe indeed will I
not said the Kg and if that be requisite I recom-
mend him not. Sr sayd Sr Gilbert this expostula-
tion is onely to show my right ; and ye danger
of admitting any without security : but since y*
Maty hath made choice of him, he shall stand,
and accordingly he admitted him.
x. The appointment of ye Goldsmiths and
Jewellers both to the Kg and Queene valued at
8oo£ each : (as the yeomens & Groomes places
are when vacant).
When his Maty x came first into England Coronell
Blage (a groome of ye bedchambr) begged the
nomination of the Goldsmith & contracted wtt
alderman Backwell for 8oo£ but the alderman,
when he understood y* it was the Maistrs right,
quitted his bargaine & Mr Blage deserted his
pretension.
xi. The Maister used to receive 2o£ in gold from
the goldsmith upon ye signing of his annuall bill :
(and this was transmitted in the list of perquisites
1 King Charles II.
244 THE JEWEL HOUSE
from Sr H. Mildmay to Sr G. Talbot ; yet would
he never require the same, least it might look like
a bribe to ye Maistr to cast a favourable eye over
the account).
xii. He hath right to lodgings for himself, officers
& servants in all ye Kgs houses. Those in White-
hall were, when the K. came in, rude, dark &
intermixed with the Queene's servants.
The present dining roome was a kind of wild barne,
without any covering beside rafters and tiles.
The Maisters lodgings were two ill chambers,
above stayres, and the passage to them dark at
noone day ; his dining room was below. Sir
G. T. being desirous to improve his lodgings
proposed to his Ma*7 an exchange betwixt that
wilde roome, and his dining-roome. The K.
comanded the Ld Chamberl : to view, and
report wch he accordingly did : and told his
Maty that Sr Gs proposall was fayre ; and much
to the advantage of the Queen's servants,
whereupon leave was given him to build ; and
when he had finished Sr Ed Wood came &
claimed his former lodging as being ye Qs serv1.
Sr Gilb1 told him he was ye Kgs servant, and had
built by his authority : and therefore presumed
he had good title to yl apartment, and that the
lower roome was his, if he pleased to like it, he
replyed had he would try his power ; and went
SIR GILBERT TALBOT'S MSS. 245
with a complaint agst Sr Gl to ye Kg who made
him answere that if he would not of the ground
roome, he should have none. The angry Kl
finding the power of which he had boasted
fayle him, sayd : he would then have none.
The Kg took him short at his word. And Sr
Willm Throgmorton ye K' Mareschall being by,
begged ye chamber, and enjoyed it for a yeare.
But ye nature of his place drawing greate con-
course of people thether, Sr G. thought it unsafe
for ye plate, represented ye danger to his Maty
who thereupon caused the Kl Mareschall to be
warned out. And least the chamber might draw
ill company againe he begged it for his Officers,
who have enjoyed it ever since.
xiii. Vpon all removalls of ye houshold the Maister
of the Jewell H. had ever a close waggon allowed
him : for the transport of his servants and
goods : and his officers had a waggon, and a cart
for the plate.
xiv. The Mr of ye Jewell H. was ever esteemed the
jst j£m Bachelour of England and took place
accordingly.
He hath precedence of ye establishm' of the house-
hold, before the Maistr of ye greate Wardrobe :
and before ye Judges in all publeck processions
being ever next to the privy Counsaillers.
xv. They had the privilege to goe into the drawing
roome to the privy chamber where none beside
246 THE JEWEL HOUSE
themselves, under the degree of Baron, were
permitted to come, when ye gallery was kept
private.
xvi. At the Coronation they weare scarlet robes
almost like ye Barons robes, and dine at the
Baron's table in Westminster Hall.
xvii. At the opening or concluding of a session of
Parliament and at the passing of bills, when the
K. appeareth in his robes the Mr of the Jewell
H. putteth the Crowne upon his Matyes head and
taketh it off. And if he be absent or indisposed
he deputeth a person of quality to doe it. And
ye Maister alone hath right to kneele at the steps
below the Kg>s feete (and ye black Rod at ye
corner of the woolsack) although of late all ye
officers of the privy chamber and Presence
(& by theyre example strangrs who have noe
relation to the Court) take up theyre places
there, and possess it all before the Maistr (who
attendeth upon ye Crowne) can come.
xviii. He keepeth all ye Regalia (& the plate that is
not used by the family) in the Tower and to that
end had always convenient lodging for himself
officers and servants therein.
In the new lodgings given in lieu of ye old (because it
was pretended yl ye chimneys might endanger
the Magazin of powder which is lodged in the
White Tower) there is not any appartement for
SIR GILBERT TALBOT'S MSS. 247
the Maister upon complaint thereof made by
Sr G. T. to the K. the matter was by his Ma-\y-
referred to ye consideration of ye Ordinance
board, how he might have his accommodation,
and ye officers of the board made Order that
there should be two new chambers built for him
upon the left hand of the open stayres by the
present Jewell house, which are of absolute
necessity to his Matyes service, because in case
insurrection in the nation or tumult in the city
it is fitt the Maistr should have his convenience
to watch over so considerable a charge.
xix. He hath a particular servant in the tower
intrusted with yl greate treasure to whom
(because Sir G. T. was retrenched in all the
perquisites and profitts of his place as is above
specified) and not able to allow him a competent
salary, his Maty doth tacitely allow that he shall
shew the Regalia to strangers, which furnisheth
him with soe plentifull a livelyhood, that Sir
G. T. upon the death of his servant there, had
an offer made him of 500 old broad pieces of
gold for the place.
Yet he first gave it freely to old Mr. Edwards (who
had bin his father's servant) whom Blud mur-
dered, when he attempted to steale the crowne,
globe & scepter (as shall be related at large
hereafter) .
248 THE JEWEL HOUSE
After the death of the father he continued it to
his sonne ; and after his death he gave it to
Majr Beckenham who maryed a daughter of old
Edwards upon condition that he should main-
taine old Mrs Edwards and ye children which he
hath well performed.
xx. The Maister of the Jewell H. hath noe superiour
Officer in Court over him. He receiveth noe
command but from ye Kg himself wch is usually
transmitted to him by warrant signed by the
Ld Chamberlaine or other Secretary of State
signifying the Kg's pleasure.
And many times he received it by word of mouth
from his Maty unless in case of greate importance
wherein he usually desireth to have a warrant to
be enterd for his iustification and indemnity.
Yet sometimes the Ld Treasurer or particular comiss
appointed for that end inspect the state of the
Jewell H. as they did an. 1673 and '79.
xxi. The Maister of ye Jewell house fournisheth all
the greate Officers of the household with plate ;
and all Embassad" that are sent abroad they
giving indentures to restore the same, when
called upon by him, and upon restauration he
giveth back the indentures.
xxii. It is incumbent upon ye Maistr to call upon all
Embassrs for theyre plate at theyre returne home ;
and upon the Executors of all greate officers who
SIR GILBERT TALBOT'S MSS. 249
dye wth plate in theyre possession : and to sue
in ye Excheqr any that are indebted to ye
Jewell house which debt cannot be privately
compounded for by the Maistr, but must be
satisfyed by award of Court : or cancelled by
ye Kg>s pardon signified by privy Scale.
xxiii. If a knight of ye Garter dye the Maister must
send to his heyre or execut1 for his Collar,
George & Garter wch his Maty gave him at his
installation :
and likewise to all Serjeants for theyre Maces
which are fournished out of the Jewell H.
xxiv. All the retrenchments of the perquisites be-
longing by Patent to Sr G. T. amount to 1300^
per an : which in 20 years since his Maty came
into England arise to 26ooo£.
Besides 13000^ original debt for his xi yeares
service under the last Kg at Venice. Soe that if
he had his right, there would be due to him
39000^ beside 26 or 27 yeares interest for the
last sume of 1300^ expended in the Venetian
service.
Sr G. Talbot Maister & Treasurer of the Jewell
house.
May ye 2Oth an : dom : 1680.
INDEX
Abbot Wcnlock, imprisonment of, 14
Agincourt, 146, 147, 148
Air Force, the, 216, 217
Air raids on London, 26-29
Alexandra de Pershore, monk who stole
Crown Jewels, 14
Alfred, King, crown of, 13
Ammonites, crown of King of the, 1 2
Ampulla, or Golden Eagle, 71-74, 82,
101, 106
Anne, Queen, 40, 197
Anne Boleyn, 113, 114, 115, 116
Ghost of, in Martin Tower, 21
Letter from, 224-227
Anointing Spoon, the, 73, 82, 106
Anointing the King, ancient origin of, 82
Armilla, or Stole, 84, 101
Armoury, the, 19, 22
Aurungzabe, Emperor, treasury of, 167
"Auspicium Melioris," motto of Order
of St. Michael, 206
Battle of Agincourt, 146-147
Battle of Najera, 145
Beckham, Captain, 184, 186
Biddulph, Lieut.-Gen. Sir Michael,
Keeper of the Jewel House, 125, 223
Bishop Fisher, 115
Bishop of Carlisle, 1 1 1
Black Prince, 143, 144, 145, 146
Black Prince's Ruby, 37, 38, 93, 105,
144-151, 182, 183
Blood, Colonel. See Colonel Blood
Bloody Tower, 20, 21, 22, 24, 180, 184
Boleyn, Anne. See Anne Boleyn
Boleyn, George, Viscount Rochefort, 17,21
" Bolleyn," inscribed on wall in Martin
Tower, 17
Bombs, dropped near Tower, 26-28
Boscobel. See Oak of Boscobel
Bracelets, ancient insignia of Royalty, 55
British Empire, expansion of, 189
Broad Seal of England, 131
Brudenell, Hon. James, Keeper of the
Jewel House, 123, 222
250
Bulwark Gate, 185
Burglars viewing the Crown Jewels, 25
Burmah War of 1886-1887, 215
By ward Tower, 185
Cage in Jewel House, 21
Campbell, John, Lord Glenorchie, Keeper
of the Jewel House, 123, 222
Cap of Maintenance, 36, 38, 39
Cardinal York, 57
Catherine the Great, 165
Cavalieri, 205
Chapel of the Pix, 1 3
Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, 78, 176
Charles I, 16, 62, 72, 118, 119, 120, 134,
160, 171, 234
Charles II, 17, 24, 37, 43, 48, 50, 54,
55, 57, 63, 65, 68, 69, 72, 73, 75,
76, 77, 93, 94, 95, I04, i°7, "8,
119, 121, 132, 135, 160, 161, 174^
177, 188, 189, 232
Charles the Bold of Burgundy, 166
Chitterne, Thomas, Keeper of the Jewel
House, in, 221
Chubb, Messrs., the mechanical safe-
guards of, 25
Colonel Blood, 19, 25, 103, 104, 105,
122, 174-190
Commonwealth, 13, 17, 35, 36, 47, 48,
53, 62, 74, 83
Commonwealth, tragedy of, 91-108
Companions of Honour, decoration, 215
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, 217
Coronation, ceremony of the, described,
80-90 [89-90
Coronation ceremony of Queen Consort,
Coronation Chair, 87
Coronation of King George IV^ Sir George
Naylor's book, referred to, 140
Coronation Proclamation, 67
Coronation Ring, 55-57, 85 [38
Coronation Ring of Edward the Confessor,
Coronation Service, extract from, 87
Coster, Messrs., and the Cullinan dia-»
mond, 59, 163
INDEX
251
Crime of Colonel Blood. See Colonel
Blood
Crimean War, 211
Cromwell, 171 [well
Cromwell, Thomas. See Thomas Crom-
Cross of St. George, 56
Crown of Alfred the Great, 94-98
Crown of Queen Edith, 94, 98
Crowns of England. See Royal Crowns
of England
Crown, ancient mark of sovereignty, n, 1 2
King of the Ammonites', 12
King Alfred's, 1 3, 94
Queen Mary of Modena's, 39, 42
Queen Mary's, 41
Prince of Wales', 42
Crown Jewels. See Regalia, the
Crown Jewels of England, The, alluded to,
97, 101 ».
Crown Jewels of England, The, quotation*
from, 97-100
Crown Jewels and the European War, 172
Cullinan diamond. See Star of Africa
Cullinan, Mr. T. M., 162
" Curtana," or the Sword of Mercy, 54
Daffodil of Wales, 43
David, King, 12, 55
Demidoff, Prince, 167
Distinguished Conduct Medal, 217
Distinguished Flying Cross, 217
Distinguished Service Cross, 216
Distinguished Service Medal, 217
Distinguished Service Order, 214-215
"Doing Something-or-other Order," 215
Don Pedro, King of Castille, 144, 145
Due d'Alenijon, 147
Due d'Orleans, Regent of France, 168
Duchess of Brunswick. See Princess
Augusta
Duke of Wellington, Constable of the
Tower, 124
Earl of Essex. See Thomas Cromwell
East India Company, 155, 156
Ecclesiastical Plate. See Plate, Eccle-
siastical
Eden, Hon. Emily, 155
Edward I, 14
Edward III, in, 144, 192
Edward VII, 19, 25, 35, 43, 86, 107,
125, 161, 162, 163, 172, 199, 209
Edward the Confessor, 13, 36, 57, no,
159, 160
Crown of, 228
Sapphire of, 159
Edward the Confessor's Staff and Corona-
tion Ring, 13
Edwards, Talbot. See Talbot Edwards
Egbert, King, 12, 13 [171, 173
Elizabeth, Queen, 16, 103, 167, 170,
Emperor of Russia, the late, 195
English monarchy, oldest in Europe, 13
English Royal Family, length of pedi-
gree of, 1 3
Enthronement. See Inthronisation
Exchequer, penurious, of Charles II, 177
Exeter, 103. See also Plate, Royal
Field-Marshal Earl Haig, 197
Fisher, Bishop, 115, 116
Flete, John de, Keeper of the Jewel
House, in, 221
"For God and Empire," motto of Order
of the British Empire, 210
" For Merit," motto of Order of Merit,
199-200 [213
"For Valour," motto on Victoria Cross,
Fouch6, 31
Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales, 76
French Crown Jewels, 168
Garrard, Messrs., Court Jewellers, 39,
41,43. 87, 137, 15°
Garter, composition of the, 195
Gawler, Colonel John Cox, Keeper of
the Jewel House, 125, 223
Gentlemen of the Blood, meaning of the
phrase, 193
George I, 68, 123
George II, 123
George III, 57, 76, 123, 161
George IV, 52, 76, 161
George V, 13, 37, 38, 81, 107, 172, 210
German Emperor, the, 26, 194
German lady, interesting story of, and
Crown Jewels, 25 [of, 19, 20
Ghost, Earl of Northumberland's, story
Story of Queen Anne Boleyn's, 21
Godfrey, Charles, Keeper of the Jewel
House, 123, 222
Golconda, King of, 151
Gold maces, 68, 69
Gough, General Sir Hugh, Keeper of the
Jewel House, 125, 223
Great Gems, romance of the. See
Romance of the Great Gems
Great Moghul diamond, the, 167
Great Mogul, the, 151
Great Tragedy, the, 91-108
Great War, the, 13, 26, 33, 67, 172, 210,
212, 213, 215, 216, 219
252
THE JEWEL HOUSE
Haig, Field-Marshal Earl, 197
Hampton Court, 113
Henrietta Maria, widow of Charles I, 167
Henry III, 14, no
Henry V, 146, 149
Henry VII, 148
Henry VIII, 54, 95, 112, 114, 116, 117,
120, 224
Henry IV of France, 166, 167
Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland,
1 8, 20
Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland,
father of above, 20
Heriot the Astronomer, 18
" Honi soit qui mal y pense," motto of
the Order of the Garter, 192, 195
Hope diamond, the, 1 68
" Hotspur." See Henry Percy, Earl of
Northumberland
House of Commons, 68, 92, 93
House of Lords, 42, 80, 92
Hyde, Lord Chancellor, 132, 237
" Imperatricis Auspicus," motto of Order
of Indian Empire, 208
Imperial Crown of India, 35, 38-39, 228
Imperial Mantle or Pall of Cloth of Gold,
84
Imperial State Crown, 35, 228
Imperial War Museum, 27
Income taken from visitors to Jewel
House, 90
Inthronisation, the, 88
Iron Gate, 185, 186
James I, 16, 118, 171
James II, 40, 57, 68, 73, 104, 105, 106,
141, 160, 167
Jewel House, the, 11-33 et seq
Jewelled State Sword, 51-53, 84, 229
Katherine, widow of Henry V, 148
Katherine of Aragon, 114, 115
Keeper of the Jewel House — [14
Appointment of the first by Henry III,
Christmas box of, 129
Office suppressed in 1782, 124
Office duties of, transferred to Lord
Chamberlain, 124
Office lays dormant for years, 124
Office revived by Queen Victoria, 124
Perquisites of, 127-135
Robei worn by, 139
Salaries of, 127-134
Sergeant Painter seeks post of, 135,
136
Keeper of the Jewel House (cant.) —
Sir Gilbert Talbot's account of the
ancient rights and privileges of office,
131-132
Tips of, 130
Keepers of the Jewel House, List of,
Appendix A, 221-223
Khojeh, Raphael, 165
King Harold, 94
King's Coronation Ring, presented by
William IV to Princess Victoria, 56,
229
King's Orb, 47, 48, 49, 229
King's Royal Sceptre, 43
King's Sceptre with the Dove, 44, 45, 87
King's State Crown, 36, 37, 38, 50, 57
Knight Commander, 203, 204
Knights of the Bath, 201, 202, 203
Knightt of the Garter, 194, 195, 196, 198
Koh-i-Nur diamond, the, 41, 151-159,
1 61
Model of, 58-59, 231
Lady Jane Grey, 117
Lawley, Sir Francis, Keeper of the Jewel
House, 122, 222
Lawrence, Sir John, and the Koh-i-Nur
diamond, 156-157
Lieutenants' Lodgings, 21
List of the Regalia. See Regalia, com-
plete list of the
Long, Sir Robert, 236
Lyttleton, Sir Richard, Keeper of the
Jewel House, 123, 222
Loftus, Captain Arthur John, Keeper of
the Jewel House, 125,223
Lord Auckland, 155
Lord Chamberlain, duties of, 124
Lord Gough, 155
Lord Manchester, 134
Lord Roberts, 213
Louis XIV, 167 •
Lowndes, Mrs., 131 n., 232
Low, General Sir Robert, Keeper of the
Jewel House, 125, 126, 223
Lucknow, 26
Mace-bearers, 69
Maces, 229
Macheson, Major, 157
Maharajah Punjeet Singh, the Lion of
the Punjab, 155
Maharajah of Patiala, 167
Mahomed Shah, 152, 153, 154
Martin Tower, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 33,
175, 176, 180, 183
INDEX
253
Mary of Modena, 39, 40, 42, 45, 46, 105,
Mary, Queen, 41, 107 [106
Master of King's Wardrobe, no
Maundy Dish, 74, 76, 107,' 231
Maundy Money, 75, 107
Maundy Thursday, 75, 107
Merry England, 175
Mezeray, 72
Middle Tower, 16, 17, 185. See also
Martin Tower
Middleton, Lieut. -Gen. Sir Frederick,
Keeper of the Jewel House, 125, 223
Mildenhall, Robert de, Keeper of the
Jewel House, in, 221
Mildmay, Sir Henry, Keeper of the Jewel
House, 118-121, 131, 134, 222,
234, 236, 238, 240, 244
Military Cross, 216
Military Medal, 217
Mint, bombs on, 173
Mitcham, archaeological discovery at, 96
Modern invention, a, 114
More, Sir Thomas, 115, 116
Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael,
205-206
Mountague, Heneage, Keeper of the
Jewel House, 122-123, 222
Mountain of Light. See Koh-i-Nur
diamond
Nadir Shah, King of Persia, 152, 153
Napoleon, 203
"Nemo me impure lacessit," motto of
Order of the Thistle, 197
Neville, William, Lord Abergavenny,
Keeper of the Jewel House, 123,222
Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia, 166
Northumberland's walk, 19. See also
Ghost, Earl of Northumberland's
Oak of Boscobel, 38
Old Pretender, the, 161
Orb, the, ancient Christian emblem, 4 7, 81
Its use in Coronation ceremony, 84
Orbs, description of, 47, 48
Order of the Bath, 200-201
Order of the British Empire, 210
Orders of Chivalry, 191-219
Order of the Crown of India, 210-211
Order of the Garter, 56, 191-194
Order of the Golden Fleece, 201 [210
Order of the Indian Empire, 206, 207,
Order of Merit, 199
Order of St. Patrick, 198-199
Order of the Star of India, 207
Order of the Thistle, 196, 197-198
Orloff diamond, the story of the, 165
Owen Tudor, husband of Katherine
Henry V's widow, 149
Pall of Cloth of Gold. See Imperial
Mantle ['83, 187
Parrett, confederate of Col. Blood, 150,
Patiala, Maharajah of, 167
Paulet, William, 116-118 [170
Pearl of Portugal, deterioration of, 1 69-
Pearls, description of, 169-170
Pitt, Mr., Governor of Madras, owner of
Regent diamond, 168
Plate, Ecclesiastical —
Ampulla or Golden Eagle, 71, 230
Anointing Spoon, the, 73—74,230
Flagons, 77, 78
Gold alms dish, 77, 78
Gold baptismal font, 76, 230
Maundy Dish, 74, 75, 76
William and Mary's alms dish, 74, 230
Charles II's font, 77
Plate, Royal —
Exeter's and Plymouth's contribution
to the, 63, 103
King Charles' wine fountain, 230
Queen Elizabeth's gold salt-cellar, 62,
Renewal of, by Charles II, 17 [66
St. George's Salts, 65-66
State salt-cellar, 63-65, 230
Twelve golden salt-spoons, 66, 230
Two golden tankards, 67, 230
Plymouth, 103, 104. See also Plate, Royal
Polar Star diamond, Russian, 166
Political agitation in India, 208
Postern Row, 29
Premier Mine, South Africa, 164
Prince of Wales' Coronet, 42
Prince of Wales' Crown, 42, 228
Princes* Augusta, 76
Princess Victoria, 85
Punjab, the, 155, 156
Puritan, description of a, 93
Queen Consorts, ceremony of the Corona-
tion of, 89
Queen Elizabeth's gold salt-cellar, 103
Queen Elizabeth's pearl ear-rings, 37,38,
170, 171, 172
Queen Mary's Crown, description of the,
41-48 [Modena
Queen Mary of Modena. See Mary of
Queen Victoria and the story of the
Coronation Ring, 56, 86
Queen Victoria's baptismal font, 76
Queen's Coronation Ring, 229
254
THE JEWEL HOUSE
Queen's Ivory Rod, deicription of, 46
Queen's Orb, 47, 48, 49, 229
Queen's Sceptre with the Cross, descrip-
tion of, 45, 46 [of, 46
Queen's Sceptre with the Dove, description
"Quis separabit?" motto of Order of
St. Patrick, 198, 199
[Raleigh
Raleigh, Sir Walter. See Sir Walter
Regalia, the —
Abbot and Monks of Westminster first
guardians of, 13
Abbot Wenlock's imprisonment for
stealing, 14 [Jewels, 14
Alexandre de Pershore steals Crown
Ampulla, or Golden Eagle, 72, 73
Anointing spoon, 73
Baptismal font of Charles II, 76, 77
Bargaining with Crown Jewels, 93 [151
Black Prince's Ruby, story of the, 144-
Bogus jewel, a, 57-58
Bracelets, 55
Cage constructed to contain, 19
Cap of Maintenance, 36, 38, 39
Catalogue of Coronation robes destroyed,
101
Chapel of the Pix, Westminster Abbey,
first Treasure House, 13
Chubb, Messrs., construct mechanical
safeguards for safety of, 25
Colonel Blood and Crown Jewels, story
of, 174-190
Colonel Blood's attempt to steal Jewels
draws attention to its insecurity, 19
Commonwealth and, 91-108
Complete list of Regalia, Appendix C,
228-231
Crown, Sceptre, and Orb re-made in
Charles I's reign, 17
Coronation rings, 55
Coronation ring bequeathed to George
III by Cardinal York, 57
Coronation ring of Edward the Con-
fessor, 57
Coronation robes, 101
Crown jewels destroyed by order of
Cromwell's Parliament, 92
Crown of Alfred the Great, melting
down of, 94
Cullinan diamond, model of, 59
Cullinan diamond, story of the, 161-
165
Damage to, by Colonel Blood, 104, 105
Ecclesiastical Plate, 71-79
Edward the Confetsor's Sapphire, story
of, 159-160
Regalia, the (cont.) —
Exeter presents Charles II with State
salt-cellar, 63
Fire imperils the, 22
Flagons, the, 77
Gold maces, description and uses ofk 68
Gold tankards, 67
Golden alms dish, 78
Golden Eagle. See Ampulla
Golden Spurs, 54 ; sale of, 96
Great Tragedy, the, 91-108
Great Gems, romance of the, 143-173
Ingenious stories re Crown Jewels dur-
ing Great War, 30-32
Inventory of portions of Regalia broken
up and sold by order of Parliament,
97,99
Jewelled State Sword, 51, 53 [223
Keepers of Regalia, Appendix A, 221-
King's Sceptre, great value of, 44
Koh-i-Nur, model of, 58-59
Koh-i-Nur, story of the, 151-159
Lodged in White Tower, 15
Martin Tower, Treasure House, 17
Maundy Dish, 74-76
Mitcham, excavation at, 96
" Mountain of Light, the," 59
Official Keeper first appointed, 14
Orbs, the, 47-49
Plate, public offers to supplement
destroyed emblems, 103-108
Plymouth presents Charles II with
wine fountain, 63
Queen's Sceptre with the Dove, 46
Queen's Orb originated by Mary of
Orange, 48 [66
Queen Elizabeth's gold salt-cellar, 62,
Queen Elizabeth's gold ear-rings,
stories of the, 167-173 [17
Renewal of Plate in Charles I's reign,
Renewal of destroyed emblems, 101-
103 [Jewels, 14
Richard de Podelicote buys Crown
Royal Plate, 61-70
Royal emblems taken to Westmintter
Abbey at Coronations, 80
Royal Crowns, 34-43
St. George's Salts, 65, 66
St. George's Spurs. See Golden Spurs
Sale of portions of the, 93, 95, 96
Sceptres, the, 43—47
Silver trumpets, 67
Star of Africa, 37, 41, 43, 44, 59,
161-16^
Story of Coronation Ring and Queen
Victoria, 85-88
INDEX
Regalia, the (cont.) —
Story of St. George's Salts, 65
Strong cage constructed to contain, 19
Stuart Sapphire, 160-161
Sword of State, the, 53 [Mercy, 54
Swords Spiritual, Temporal, and of
Talbot Edwards sole guardian of, 18
Transferred to Tower, 14
Twelve gold salt-spoons, 66
Wakefield Tower present abode of, 22
Regalia, complete list of the, 228-231
Regent, or Pitt diamond, 168
Relief of Chitral, 125
Restoration, 62, 63, 74
Richard III, 148
Richard of Gloucester, 24
Rod of Justice and Equity. See Sceptres
Romance of the Great Gems, 143-173
Rose of England, 43, 51
Royal Assent, the, 68 [buting, 75
Royal Bounty, ancient custom of distri-
Royal Crowns of England, 35, 81, 228
Royal Mint, bomb dropped on, 28
Royal Plate. See Plate, Royal
Royal Victorian Order, 209 [Ruby
Ruby, Black Prince's. See Black Prince's
St. Edward's Chair, 88
St. Edward's Crown, 35, 87, 101, 105
St. Edward's Staff, 47, 101, 105, 1 06
St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, 195
St. George's Salts, 65-66, 104
St. George's Spurs, 54, 96, 106, 229
St. John's Chapel, White Tower, 15, 24,
202
St. John the Evangelist, legend of, and
the Coronation Ring of Edward the
Confessor, 159
St. Patrick's Jewels, theft of, 19, 25
St. Paul's, 175
St. Peter ad Vincula, 70
St. Thomas' Tower, 29
Salt! of State. See Plate, Royal
Samuel, the propket, 12
Sanci diamond, the story of, 166
Saul, King, 12, 55
Sceptres —
James I's Sceptre with the Dove, 228
King's Royal Sceptre with the Cross,
43 [87, 228
King's Sceptre with the Dove, 44, 45,
Queen's Ivory Rod, 46 [228
Queen's Sceptre with the Cross, 45, 81,
Queen's Sceptre with the Dove, 46, 81,
Rod of Justice and Equity, 47 [228
St. Edward's Staff, 47, 228
" Scotland for Ever," painting by Lady
Butler, 125
Sergeant Painter, 135, 243
Sergeant, story of a courageous, 22
Sergeants- at-arms, 62, 68, 69, 89
Shah diamond, the, 165, 166
Shah of Persia, 168
Shamrock of Ireland, 51
Sherlock Holmes, 31 [67
Silver trumpets, used at Coronations, etc.,
Sinn Feiners, ic8
Sir Edward Walker quoted, 101-102
Sir Gilbert Talbot's MSS., 121-122,
Appendix D, 232-249. See also
Talbot, Sir Gilbert
Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, 167
Sir Robert Brackenbury, Constable of the
Tower, 24
Sir Thomas More. See More, Thomas
Sir Robert Vyner, Court Jeweller, 48,
54, 55, 72,.i°°, 106, 182
Sir Walter Raleigh, never imprisoned in
White Tower, 1 5 and ».
Solomon, throne of, 12
Somerset, the Lord Protector, 117
South African War, 212
Sporley, 94 [165
Star of Africa, 37, 41, 43, 44, 59, 161-
Stars of South Africa, 164-165
Story relating to St. George's Salts, 65
Strange appointment, a, 116
Stuart sapphire, 37, 160-161
Sword of Justice, 96
Sword of Mercy, 96. See also "Curtana"
Sword of State, 53, 82, 229
Sword Spiritual, 54, 96, 229
Sword Temporal, 54, 96, 229
Talbot Edwards, Assistant Keeper of the
Jewel House, 18, 175-184, 248
Talbot, Sir Gilbert, Keeper of the Jewel
House —
And James II, 106
Appeal to Charles on behalf of Talbot
Edwards, 177
Grievances and complaints of, 131-134
His MSS., Appendix D, 232-249
His suspicions of the sentry, 185
In impoverished circumstances, 121
Made Master and Treasurer of the
Jewel House by James, 122
Neglect of duty, 104
Our debt to, 130
Petitions Charles II, 132
Preamble of, 131-132
Resided chiefly at Whitehall, 18
256
THE JEWEL HOUSE
Talent, equivalent of, 1 2
Tavernier, French traveller, 151
Thistle of Scotland, 51
Thomas a Beckett, 1 1 1
Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, 1 12,
113, 114, 115, 194, 130,224
Three Reproaches, the, 193
Tower from JPithin, The, referred to,
202 «.
Tower of London —
Air raids and, 26-29
Anne Boleyn's imprisonment in, 1J
Armoury, the, 19, 22
Bloody Tower, 20, 21, 22, 24, 180, 184
Bombs dropped near, 26-29
Builder of, 159
Bulwark Gate, 185
By ward Tower, 185
Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, 176
Colonel Blood's crime, 174-190
Crown Jewels placed in Martin Tower
by Charles II, 17
Doubt about name of Martia in
Martin Tower, 16, 1 7
Executions at, 105, Il6
German air-raids and the, 26
German lady's visit to, during Great
War, 25-26
Ghosts in, 20, 21
Henry Percy murdered in, 20
Henry VI murdered in, 23, 24
Heriot's imprisonment in, 18
Hotspur's imprisonment in, 18, 2O
Iron Gate, 185, 1 86
Jewel Houses of, 15, 16
Lieutenants' Lodgings, 21
Martin Tower, 16, 17, 18, 19, 2O, 21,
33» 175. *76i 180
Middle Tower, 16, 17, 185
Murder of Princes in, 24.
Northumberland's Walk, 19
Once the reiidence of monarchs, 23
Queen Elizabeth's imprisonment in, 23
Special Jewel House built in 1597, 16
Sir Robert Brackenbury, Constable of
Tower, 24
St. John's Chapel, 15
St. Thomas' Tower, 29
Sir Walter Raleigh's confinement in, 15
Thomas Cromwell escorts Anne
Boleyn to, 115
Traitors' Gate, 22
Tower of London (cont). —
Visits to see Crown Jewels, 90
Viscount Rochefort's imprisonment
in, 17
Wakefield Tower, 22, 23, 24, 33
White Tower, 15, 24, 33, 63, 80
Townshend, Charles, Lord Lynn, Keeper
of the Jewel House, 123, 222
Tragedy, the Great. See Great Tragedy
Traitor's Gate, 22
Treasure House of the King, 12
Tsar of Russia, the late, 165
Two young Princes, murder and burial
of by Richard, 24
Union of South Africa, 161, 162, 164
Vane, Henry, Earl of Darlington,Keeper
of the Jewel House, 123, 222
Victoria, Queen, 56, 67, 76, 77, 85, 104,
124, 125, 157, 158, 161, 171, 205,
206, 209, 211, 214
Victoria Cross, 211-214
Victoria Cross Warrant, quoted, 212
Vyner, Sir Robert. See Sir Robert
Vyner
Wakefield, William de, 23
Wakefield Tower, 22, 23, 24, 33
Westminster Abbey, 13, 14, 33, 81, no,
159
Whitehall, 1 8, 244
White Tower, 15, 24, 33, 63, 180
St. John's Chapel in, 15, 24, 202
William and Mary, 48, 68, 74, 76, 78,
106, 107
William de Wakefield. See Wakefield
William III, 48 [Tower
William IV, 56, 85, 161
William the Conqueror, 159, 172, 173
Windsor Castle, 32, 33, 76
Wolsey, Cardinal, 112, 113
Wyndham, Lieut.-Col. Charles, Keeper
of the Jewel House, 124, 223
Wynne, Sir Arthur, Keeper of the Jewel
House, 31, 126, 223
Younghusband, family of, 18 «. See also
Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland
Younghusband, Major-Gen. Sir George,
126, 223
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1921
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