The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1904-06-22
JUNE2a 1904.
BRITISH GREAT SEAL
STRANGE ADVENTURES OF THIS EN-
BLEM OF SOVEREIGNTY.

STRANGE ADVENTURES OF THIS EN-
BLEM OF SOVEREIGNTY
Eishcd From the bottom of the River
Thames. buried In Garden, Used
~ IT Frying Pnn and Broken to
Pieces In the House of Lords.
1t seems almost ludicrously impos-
siblc that the great seal of England
should have ever been made to serve
the humble purpose Of Il frying pan;
and YET this Is only one of many equal
~ strange episodes in the romantic
story Of tie seal which is the specific
emblem Of British sovereignty"
Lord Chancellor Eldon was so fearful
that the acal would be lost or stolen
while in his custody thai he never
went 10 sleep without first satisfying
himself that il was safe in his bedroom.
one night II WAS in the year 1872 he
WIS reused from his slumbcrs by cries
of Fire jumping out of bed he
snatehcd up the great seal and, rush
ing into the garden, buried 1t deep in
the middle Of a flower bed. His house
might be burned TO the ground, but at
least he would not prove unworthy of
the great trust which had been reposed
in him
Next morning, however so exciting
had been the experiences of the night
he had completely forgotten in what
part of the garden the emblem of SOY
erciEnty had been hidden, and it was
only after his entire household had
hunted for hours that 1t WAS ut last
run 10 earth. You never saw anything
SO ridiculous" he wrote later, "as see
ine The whole family down the walks
dibbling with bits of sticks until we
found it
Once ut least the great seal has been
ut the bottom of the Thames and
would he there today but for lucky
accident II was in 1858, when the
second james was fleeing from Eng
land aud the Prince of Orange to
France, in company with Sir Edward
Hnles lie had intended To take the
great seal with him. but as he was
being roWci from Lambeth to NauX-
hall where horses We're awaiting him,
another and better idea occurred to
him He would Hing the seal into the
river. aud thai would place 1t once for
all ont of reach of his enemy. So over
board The seal went and for some
weeks II lay there until by Il curious
chance II was picked up in II fisher
nuns net aud restored to the proper
euatodians
The 1ulierous frying pm adventure
befell II hen In the custody of Lord
Brougham The chancellor had gone
10 Scotland for II short holiday seeing
fhnt lie could not take the seal on the
Rhine trip he longcd for without put
ling il IN commission at great cost Ia
himself and he WITS a guest of the
doWagcr Duchess of Bedford ai Rothie-
murchnS. where he kept his precious
charge in his bedroom One day the
Young ladies' of the house party took
the scnl from The bedroom and hid 1t.
1,ruugham was desperate when he dis
covered his loss and did not recover
his peace of mind until the pretty
thieves promised to lend him 10 it II he
would consent 10 hc hllndiolacd.
With his eyes handaged he WAS con
Quoted to the drawing room. and ther,
he discovered the seal hidden in ii tea
chest So oNrrioycd was he nj It's re
eovery thai hc consented 10 the young
ladies' suggestion that they should nd
ioulm 20 the Kitchen and celebrate the
joyous event 10y making pancakes II
I...t a, t..ss