Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-29
COSTLY JUDICIAL GOWNS
The Elaborate Wardrobes Which the
English Judges Require.
They Wear Wigs and Dress According
TO the Character of the Court
Where They Preside.

From the Westminster Budget.
Inc country, when it pays its Judges
so'ooo year, and perhaps grumbles a little
al the Dill, has no idea what a heavy tax
IN the shape of silk, ermine and horsehair
the unfortunate man has to pay at the out
set In order merely to cut presentable
figure in her majesty's courts. A few facts
CLEANED from that well-known law wig and
robe maker, Burton Raveliscroft, Of 8
searie street, Lircoln's Inn, cannot fail
therefore, to be of interest
Inc use OF the wig, SO far from showing
signs OF decay, has been steadily on the In
crease IT Is worn in most colonial courts
even IN the hottest climates; and though
Canada, infected possibly by the levelins
propensities of the United States, will have
none Of It, the wig has made its way into
British Columbia, and by all appearance
me ans to stay there.
Mr.. Ravenscroft's house of business was
rebuilt as lately as 1879, but it still mas an
oid-world air about it, In the snug lifting
foom hung round with autograph portraits
OF legal worthless. at the back of the shop,
most, If not all, of the present bench have
given Mr. Ravenscroft sitting, and have
had full-dress ''prink' in front of the
Large looking-glass on the wall before VEN
turing to make their first appearance in
court. In that chair says Mr.. Ravens
croft, 1.-The late Lord Selborne has sat many
and many time while 1 have cut his hair
for the judges allow no one else to touch
their learned locks What does it cost
newly appointed judge to rig himself out?"
you inquire. "Well, about 600, roughly
speaking" This leads to the question how
many robes judge requires, and at what
times and seasons he must wear them. 1t
seems that a judge of the queens bench
division of the high court needs in all some
half dozen changes of raiment. These are:
i. The full-dresS state robe.
2 The same for summer use, Sllte-col-
ored silk taking the place of the erInine.
y. n. I
the waist by sash or girdle of black silk.
which is worn by the judge in criminal
courts
4. The winter robe and hood OF black
cloth, trimmed with ermine worn by the
judges when sitting in banc in the queens
bench division of the high court during
Micha elmas and Hilary terms.
5. The summer robe of dark purple cloth,
lined with a peculiar shot-silll. known as
Judges silk" of delicate hue something
between salmon color and puce. With 1t
Is worn the tippet or gun case" of scarlet
cloth from the right shoulder to the left
side, held in by the sash or girdle. This Is
the regulation costume in banc for Easter
and Trinity terms. When sitting at NiS1
Prius on circuit the hood is discarded
6. A gown of plain black silk. worn 10y all
chancery judges, and by some of the queens
bench judges at Nisi Prius.
The Gorgeous Chief Justice.
The lord chief Justices outfit is even
more elaborate and costly. In addition to
the robes Worn by the puisne judges of his
court, his lordship wears with his state
robes the beautiful chased collar of s.
S. or "Esses,' which is of great antiquity,
dating back at the least to the reiga of Hen
r. VI. This is an heirloom. which, after
some not very creditable disputes. has been
decided to go with the office. The letters
IS. s." run through the design. Their
meaning has been much debated. The bet
ter opinion seems to he that they represent
the words "Sancti Spiritus,' a theory to
which the frequent adoption of this title
by orders of chivalry. such as the Saint
Esprit, founded by Henry III of France,
and the Papal Order of the Holy Ghost, ap-
pears to lend some color.
The lord chief justice, when he appears
at court, has, further, rich gown and
train of black satin dan:ask, trimmed with
silk, lace and tufts, worn over court dress.
Only the highest judges need to he pre-
scented at court. Lord Russell of killowen
was presented in this costume at her maj
esty's drawing room only a few weeks ago.
A judges fun dress for evening is court
suit of black velvet, with ruftes and tucker
Of lace, sword and gilt buckles. AT Man
sion House banquets or when dining with
a bishop other dignitary on circuit, he
wears a black silk gown with a bob-wig
over court dress, but no sword For mourn
ing. public and private both judges and
queens counsel wear bands and cuffs of
thin white crepe.
The lord chancellor. the speaker Of the
house Of commons. the chancellor of the
eNchequer, the master of the rolls, the
lords justices of appeal and the president
of the probate, divorce and admiralty d.
vision, wear on state occasions a masnifi-
cent robe and train of black satin damask
heavily embroidered with gold thread, the
cost of which is $50. The tucker and
ruffies of fine lace cost from two to five
guneas, according to quality. For ordinary
purposes the chancery and appeal judges
wear plain black silk.
The Black Cap.
1t remains to add few words about one
small but very important item of judges
outfit-the terrible sentence cap''-the
black cap of common rarlance. Its history
Is curious. In pre-reformaton times it was
the habitual head covering of a bishop. The
judges cap is supposed, according to this
picturesque theory, to have passed from
the heads Of the great churchmen-states-
men to their lay successors and SO to have
become an appendage of the judicial office.
Until wigs came into fashion the cap was
habtually worn by the judges. Chief JUS
tice Coke 0emp. JAG. u wears 1t over the |
sergeant's Golf IN his portrait in the Inner
Temple Hall. The cap is simply a folded
square of black cloth with a triangular flap
ana small opening for the head 1t Is q
part of every judges official costume; he
carries it, together with his white gloves.
folded in his hand when he goes into court,
and places it beside him on the bench.
wigs when the queen opens parliament in
person, and by the lord chief justice at the
swearing in of the lord mayor, who, by the
way, to maintain an ancient protest, in
variably puts on his hat in the court and is
peremptorily ordered by the usher to re-
move 1t. Exactly when 1t came to he the
symbol of the death sentence it is inpos-
sible to say. When sentence Of death is
about to be pronounced the judges clerk
steps forward. unfolds the cap and lays it
over his masters wig, the four corners
hanging down in way that would be gro
tesque If the occasion were not so solemn.
Besides the black cap, every judge has his
"three-decker,' the state three-cornered
hat of the last century, of corded silk or
beaver strained over cardboard and Topped
up at the sides. 1t is made large enough
to go on over the wig, but 1t Is never worn
except by the lord chancellor in the house
of lords when sitting as a lord commits
sioner, OF when welcoming a new peer.
He is Probably Counting Now.
From Tid-Bits.
Swansea is the proud possessor of one of
the largest dredgers to be found on our