The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-28
HE KINGS CHAMPION

ed in the approaching coronation OF the
King Of Great Britain. some account OF
this ancient office viii be welcome, If on
! " to show how some customs outlive
their usefulnes.
About three miles from the little town
I Of Horncastle. and twenty miles from
( Lincoln, stands an ancient baroniai man
sion known as Scrivelsby Court The
] particular interest attached 10 this noble
/ building is due 10 the fact that Il has
been held since the time of William the
( COnqueror BY the performance OF a Ger
( tain service AT the coronation Of q mon
arch. The house and lands were held by
/ barOny and grand sergeantry.-' the terms
Of the tenure being that at each corO-
nation OF a monarch CT England the lord
Of the manor, or some person In his
name, II be not able, shall come we'll
armed for war upon q good war-horse.
/ into the presence OF our Lord The King.
/ and shall then and there cause il 10 be
proclaimed that If anyone shall say that
/ our Lord the King has no right TO his
| crown or kingdom, he viii be ready and
/ prepare. to defend with his own body
the right OF the King and kingdom
( against him, and al others whatsoever"
! The Office originated through the scene
/ Of horror and carnage at the coronation
OF William. When the crown was being
placed on the Corqueror's head his imme-
date cOurtiers set up a shout. The sol
J
cry, instantly set fire to the houses
around, and began 10 massacre and plum
der, but one Of the captains rushed into
/ Westminster Abbey and challenged any
VINO disputed the right Of William 10 the
crown 10 tight This zeal. though unnec-
/ essary. pleased the King. and the Office
( of King Champion was estab lished in
/ England, and the people indirectly, have
paid tribute 10 the holder of the office
I for nearly nine hundred years
! The first holder Of the office was Lord
\ MarmiOn Of Normandy and Fontenoy. the
/ Marmions having been the champions OF
the Dukes Of Normandy before the Nor
man conquest Of England. In SCOTS
/ poem, -AIaru.iOn, we read:
/ They hailed Lord Marmion.
They hailed him LORD of Fontenaye,
OF Lutterward and Scribelbaye."
The MarmiOns held through successive
generations the Scrivelsby Manor, Tam
wOrth's Castle in WarWickshire and 9TH
] ers, until the time OF Philip Marmion IN
] Henry III reign; and then through the
failure OF heirs male the Championship
/ passed into the Luolow family by mar
riage of JOane, one Of the daughters Of
/ Philip, with Sir Thomas de Ludlowe.
knight. the only issue OF the marriage
being a daughter, who married Sir John
Dymoke, in whom was vested the right
and title Of Champion of the King. The
office had been a sinecure up 10 that
time, but Sir John Dymoke was officially
/ employed to execute his Office at the cor
onation of Richard ii. He was succeed
ed by his son and heir. who performed
/ the Office on the occasions of the corona
ton of Kings Henry ". and Henry V.
Sir Edward DyInoke was the Champion
at the coronatons Of Edward VI. and
Queens Mary and Elizabeth Charles Dy-
moke, the great grandson OF EDWARD
was a stanch supporter OF Charles l., and
when his royal master was beheaded
went into exile, dying in France, unmar-
ried, and without nearer heir than his
cousin, Sir Edward Dymoke, who entered
Westminster Hall on the occasion Of the
coronation of Charles II. and challenged
all who dared deny the right OF the king
TO his crown. AS one writer says. the
Champion must have been possessed OF
more than ordinary courage, for the Par
liamentarians had still many loyal and
brave adherents, but none accepted the
gauntlet which Sir Edward Dymoke had
thrown down.
Charles. the son Of Edward. performed
the duties of his office, as his fathers
successor, at the coronation OF William
and Mary and OF Anne.
When George II. was crowned, the
Office OF Champion was held by Lewis
- ymoke, who was member Of Parliament
for Lincolnshire. 1702-'05 and 17l0-i3 and
he faithfully fulfilled the duties of his
position, as he did on the coronation OF
George II. His son, John Dymoke. was
Champion al the GROWING OF George III,
and 81 Henry DymOke acted for his
father on the occasion of the coronation
Of George ~. He died in 1855. and the
baronetcy became extinct, the estate OF
Scrivelsby and the office Of Kings Cham
pion devolvlng on the Rev. John Dy-
mOl1e, brother OF Henry
The present holder OF the Office IS Mr..
Frank Seaman Dymoke. who succeeded
his father, cousin of the Rev. John Dy-
moke, in 1898.
The last occasion Of the Champion full
filing all the duties Of his office was at
the coronation Of George ~. These re-
quircd the Champion to present himself
at the door Of Westminster Han, mount
ed on a white horse and clad IN complete
armour, shortly after the serving Of the
second course Of the coronation banquet.
AS no banquet formed part of the c0ro-
nation ceremonies at the browning u
William ", the Champion was deprived
of his hereditary right. il has been main
tained by some, and custom seems 10
be with the contenders, that the Cham
pi0n was really present at Westminster
Han on the occasion Of the coronation Of
William and Of Victoria, ready 20 fght
any who might challenge the right Of the
monarch 70 the crown. No act OK Par
lament has been discovered relieving tho
Champion Of the office, and IL IS certain
that the estate. title and em0lumeuts
would be lost should he fail TO perform
the duties which constituted the terms
Of tenure.
Should Edward VII make q banquet
part Of his coronation ceremonial. then
Frank Seaman Dymoke viii have %
clothe himself in steel armor. mount
white horse. and ride uD 10 the door Of
Westminster Han 70 throw down his
s~ .afrs MI
might wish 70 maintain that Edward YVES
not the rightful monarch OF the realm
Should some Jac0bite. q firm believer la
hereditary right. care 10 ac-ert the
challenge and declare that Edward 81 not
monarch bv lineal right. then Uym0ke
must fight or forfeit the estate and title
II has been asserted hy some that
Frank seamon Dymoke could seI Scr.v-
elshy Court and with il the right 10 the
Kings Champion. But n has frequently
been held by the courts that no manor
held by peculiar tenure from -ha Grown
can be sold without the king consent
and that IL such consent te given ali /
rights. privileges. end ernoiumuts cone
tanned IN the original grant revert q !
the Crown. CezEfuE % exist as aruln- /
aEes ~ the manor. and c4ll1 ollF ~
restored br SPECIAL act ~ Parliament. /
% which BODY an such ancient pr-regs-
tives ~ the crown have been reieEat tel Z
Afr. UTTnoEe ancestors have 81 various 4
times rebuilt portions o. rhe MAJOR house 4
and 81 17s5 wheu large part H4s de-
strcvsz ~ Ere n was restored % some I
cf iss ancient rIorT- l1e paFt FraiI /
frgr8ert on TIE east sf2e E sta - - tf
remains az the FIRST aa1lslou- 1-Et yearly i
thousand vears ESQ aezea 70 enc
would dlspGte enc rlsas o- Ar ig1
% Sell the estate. should tte e-fati p
CIT or De was1lF tlTe ~ r1aer ~ sell
che rtfe ~ kings Champion, Lar t1aL