The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-21
THE QUEENS CHAMPION.
An Official Whose Duty Il Is to
Throw Down q Glove.
A Chivalric Title Which Has Been Held
by the Dymoke Family Ever since
the Days OF Richard II--Scott'a
Description of the Challenge.

The death of Francis Dymoke. the
queen OF England's champion. which
occurred at Horucastle recently, has
reminded the world that even in the
midst of the present prosaic and utili-
tartan age one knightly office, at least,
is in existence, to contradict the asSer-
ton of Edmund Burke that THE age
of chivalry is gone" The late holder
of the Office was Lincolnshire magis-
trate and an officer in the local militia;
the two previous ones were clergymen.
The Office is not, as it has often been
stated, hereditary to the Dymoke fam
lily, but is attached to the lord of the
manor of Scrivelsby, which is held by
the ancient tenure known as grand
sergeantry i. G., where one holds
lands of the sovereign by service which
he has to perform in person. The serv-
ice by which Scrivelsby is held is thus
quoted by the New York World: THAT
the lord thereof shall be the kings
champion
The championship has no salary at
tached to it, for, though the Dymobe
family hold Scrivelsby on the feudal
tenure of performing this duty, they
have been owners of that manor for
upward of five hundred years. and they
obtained it, not by royal grant or out
of the public purse. but by marriage
with an heiresS. the last of the proud
line of Marmion. granddaughter of
Philip de Marmion, a name which re-
calls memories of chivalry and of the
poetry of Shakespeare and Sir Walter
Scott. There Is no record of the Office
under the Saxon kings, but, according
to the late Sir Bernard Burke. its du-
ties were appended by William l. as an
honor to the old baronial house of
Marmyon, or Marmion, the ancient
owners Of the manor of Scrivelsbv.
This manor, together with the castle
soon after the Norman conquest. on |
one Robert de NarInyon, lord of Fon- I
tenoy, in Normandy, on condition of /
performing the Office OF champion at 1
the kings coronation.
The name Of Dynoke IS Welsh. The j
Dymobes. or DyInocks-for the name ,
is spelled both ways--claim a tradition
al descent from Tudor Trevor lord OF .
Hereford and Wilmington, and founder
of the tribe Of the Marches The
chief himself had three Sons. the sec
ond of whom marrying 3 daughter 81
the prince of North Wales, half cen
fury before the Norman conquest be-
came the ancestor of one David APP
Madoc, who, in the Welsh tongue, was
styled colloquially Dai Madoc. the
word Dai being the short form Of Da-
vid. His son and heir was David ap
Dai Madoc, or Daeid Dai Madoc, and
by the usual infringement Dai Madoc
came in the course Of time to be pro
nounced as Dsimoc or Damoc. the tran
sition from which TO Dimoe or Dymoc,
and again from that to Dimos or Dy-
uloke il easy andgobvious.
The first. then. Of the Dynoke fam
fly who fulfilled his Office as champion
was Sir John Dymolse, knight, who
married Margaret Ludlow ia the reign
OF Edward Ill, and was present at the
coronation Of Richard II. His claim
was disputed b. Baldwin dc Freville.
the lord of Tsmworth castle, but after
deliberation it vas found that the
right belonged to the manor Of scriy-
elsby, as the caput barouias or head
o. the barony of the Aarnion family;
and. as IL appeared that the late King
EDWARD III. and his son. Edward,
prince Of Wales, known IS the black
prince. had often been heard 70 SAY
that the Office was kelG By SIR John
DyEnokc. the question was settled in
his favor.
The Gentler1an's Magazine FOR 1891
contains a picture Of the royal
champion, Henry Dynoke. in the act
Of riding on his white charger into
" cstminsser hall ard throwing
loyva The glove or gauntlet Of defiance.
on either side By the duke
.. Wellington and the marquis q.
4 ngieseT. also on horseback. while
t&o heralds stand ~ On zoo. with
.abards ard plunses- The performance
IF The champion OF this occasion Is
,hus described By SIR Waiter Scott IL
etier 20 ore Of hiA friends.