The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-10
THE KINGS CHAMPION.
IMPOSING TITLE OF A PLAIN ENG
LIsH GENTLEMAN.


What MIR. Frank Seaman Dymoke
Must Prepare to DO to Retain
Scrivelsby Court IL King Edward
Gives n Coronation Banquet--Of-
fee Established by William the
Conqueror - First Holder Lord
Marmion of Normandy and Fon-
tenoy.
From the New York Evening Post.
Among the curious relics of a bygone
age which still survive is that of the
Office of the Kings Champion. AT a time
when every one is more or less interested
in the approaching coronation of the
King OF Great Britain. some account
of this ancient office will be welcome,
if only to show how some customs out
live their usefulness.
About three miles from the little town
OF Horncastle, and twenty miles from
Lincoln, stands an ancient baronial man
sion known as Scrivelsby Court. The
particular interest attached to this noble
building is due to the fact that it has
been held since the time Of William the
Conqueror by the performance of a GER
tain service at the coronation of a mon
arch The house and lands were held
by barony and grand sergeantry," the
terms of the tenure being that at each
coronation of a monarch of England
the lord of the manor or some person
in his name, if he be not able shall come
well armed for war, upon a good war
he g 7 ~.
Kind, and shall then and there cause ii
to be proclaimed that if any one shall
say that our Lord the King has no right
TO mis- crown or kingdom, he will be ready
and prepared to defend with his own
body the right of the King and king
dom against him, and all others what
soever."
The office originated through the scene
OF horror and carnage at the coronation
OF William. When the crown was being
placed on the Conquerors head, his i'm
mediate courtiers set up a shout. The
soldiers without suspecting some treach-
cry, instantly set fire to the houses
around, and began to massacre and
plumber, but one of the captains rushed
into Westminster Abbey and challenged
any who disputed the right of William
to the crown to fight. This zeal, though
unnecessary, pleased the King, and the
office of Kings Champion was estab-
lished in England and the people, in
directly, have paid tribute to the holder
of the Office for nearly nine hundred
years.
The Line of Champions.
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
Norman conquest of England. In Scott's
poem. "Marmion." we read:
They hailed Lord Marmion,
They hailed him Lord of Fontenaye,
OF Lutterward and Scrivelbaye."
The Marmions held through successive
generations the Scrivelsby Manor Tam
worth Castle in Warwickshire, and others,
until the time of Philip Marmion in
Henry ILLS reign; and then through the
failure of heirs male the Championship
passed into the Ludlow family by mar
rage 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 slnecure up to that
time, but Sir John Dymoke was officially
employed to execute his Office at the coro-
nation of Richard II. He was succeeded
by his son and heir who performed the
office on the occasions of the. coronation
of Kings Henry ~. and Henry v.
Sir Edward Dymoke was the Champion
at the coronations 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, I'M
married and wit hnnt bafr
cousin Sir Edward Dlmoke, 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
Parliamentarians 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.
The Mantle Upon "a ParsOn.
When George I. was crowned, the Office
of Champion was held by Lewis Dymoke,
who was member of Pertinent for Lin
colnshire, 1702-'o5 and 1710-'13 and he
faithfully fulfilled the duties of his posi-
ton, as he did on the coronation of
George II. His son. John Dymoke, was
Champion at the browning of George
ILL.,, and Sir Henry Dymoke acted for
his father on the occasion of the corona
ton of George Nv. He died in 1865, and
the baronetcy became extinct, the estate
of Scrivelsby and the office Of Kings
Champion devolving on the Rev. John
Dymoke, brother Of Henry. -
The present holder of the Office is Mr.
Frank Seaman Dymoke, who succeeded
his father, a. cousin Of the Rev Jhon
Dymoke, in 1893.
The last occasion of the Champion full
filling all the duties of his office was at
the coronation of George Nv. These re-
quired the Champion to present himself
at the door of Westminster Hall, mount
ed on a white horse and clad I'm complete
armor, shortly after the serving of the
second course of the coronation banquet"
AS no banquet formed part OF the coro-
nation ceremonies at the browning of
William ", the Champion was deprived
of his hereditary right 1t has been main
tanned by some and custom seems to be
with the contenders, that the Champion
was really present at Westminster Hall
on the occasion of the coronation OF
William and of Victoria, ready to fight
any who might challenge the right of the
monarch to the crown. No act Of Parli-
ment has been discovered relieving the
Champion of the office, and It is certain
that the estate title. and emoluments
would be lost should he fail to perform