New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-24
GARTER KING-AT-ARMS.
Features of English Life Recalled
By Death of Sir Albert Woods.

by Death of SIR Albert Woods.
England has just lost king. 1t IS not. how
ever. Edward VII the ruler of the British En-
pire, who has been gathered TO his fathers. bUt
Sir Albert Woods. who was crowned Garter Prin%
cipal King-at-Arms. just fve-and-thirty years
ago. with all the customary ceremonial. by thu
Duke Of Norfolk In his capacity as Earl Marshal
of England. Sir Albert's coronat ton took placa
at the College of HeraIds and after the admin
istrOtion Of the oath Of Office his head was
anointed with wine from a gilt cup with =
cover. his title was proclaimed. he was invested
with tabart OF the royal arms. richly
brOidered upon velvet, a collar OF SIS. with two
Portcullises OF silver gilt. sceptre tipped with
the rnolarCh's armoriaI bearings, and last but
not least. with a crown. solemniy placed on his
head by the Earl Marshal, and which resembles
a ducal corOnet with this difference that tfa
leaves are Of oak instead OF strawberry. and
that It bears the following inscription: '9Iisers
mel Deus secundun magnam miserecordiam
tuarn." Save at his own coronation. the only
occasion when a Garter King-at-Arms wears his
crown is when peers and peeresses OF the realm
don their CorOnets-that is TO say. at that par
ticular moment OF the coronation ceremony in
Westminster Abbey when the Archbishop OF
Canterbury places the royal crown the head
or the sovereign Whereas. however. the klagIy
dignity of Edward VII Will pass at his death. in
[
dom. to his son. the Prince OF Wales. the success
sion TO the crown OF Garter King-at-Arms -
not hereditary. but dependent upon the pleasure
of the sovereign. who is likely 10 nominate %
the post one OF the four minor kings arms.
These consist of Sir James Paul Lyon -Kfng-at-
Arms, who is at the head of the Office OF Arms
in Scotland; Sir Arthur Wears. who Ulster
King-at-Arns fulhls the same duties with re-
gard 10 the Kingdom CT Ireland; George
lam Weldon Norroy King-at-Arns who as
sisted the late Sir Albert Woods in his multi
farious duties. II is considered probable that
the crown Of Garter viii go TO William Weldon.
Who owing TO the illness Of Sir Albert Woods.
was obliged to take his place at the coronation
of Edward VII couple OF years ago.
While kings-at-arEns have existed since the
reign OF King Edward III the Office of Carter
King-at-Aruss was first instituted in the year
141T by Henry V. VINO decreed that its holder
should not OaIy be the principal dignitary OF tbs
order Of the Garter within the College OF Arms.
but likewise chief OF all the other kings-at-
arms. heralds and pursuivants. To Garter be-
longs the correction OF arms usurped or borne
unjustly. and the power OF granting armoriaI
bearings TO those who have become entitled
thereto by elevation in rank" He Is intrusted,
subject 10 the supervision OF the Earl Marshal.
with the organization and direction OF every
conspicuousIy. determining the bewildering in
tricacies Of the Table OF Precedence When any
newly created peer takes his seat IN the Houss
Of Lords for the first time II IS Garter King
alarms who assigns to him his place and SUI
pervises his initiation hereditary legislator.
besides which he Is charged with the notification
to new knights OF their appointment to the or
der. As officer OF the latter he wears on stats
occasions a mantle Of crimson satin lined with
taffeta. with an escutCheOn OF St Georges arms
embroidered on the left shoulder. but not encir-
cled with the garter. and gold chain. pendent
TO which is a gold medal enamelled with the
soveregn's arms. irnpaled with the cross OF ST.
George surrounded with the garter and sur
mounted by imperial crown.
The headquarters Of Garter and his two subOr-
dinate kings-at-arms in London are at the So
called College OF Heralds. fine old building OF
the seventeenth century in Queen victoria-st-
Although the charter OF the Incorporation Of the
chapter as now organized dates back only TO ths
reign of King Richard III. whose signature it
bears yet the college was already IN existence
in the reign OF King Edward III In addition TO
the kings-at-arEs. the chapter consists OF
dozen heralds. bearing the heraldie names OF
Somerset. Chester. Windsor. Richmond. Kan
caster. York. etc. and Of pursuivants- The lat
ter were originally employed to appTehend state
criminals. whence their name. Their police
duties have now ceased They assist the kings
alarms and the heralds in ar1rcrial wcrlz. as
we'll in the management OF state pageants.
and known Rouge Croix. Blue Mantle.
PortculIs and Rouge Dragon.
1t may occur TO some readers 70 ask what PES
sible modern benefit such an institution as this
can effect 10 justify the public outlay necessary
for its support. To this II may be answered
that the official salaries q the heralds. OF the
ESings-at-arms and CT the Pursuivants are more
than recouped every year by the taxes paid into
the national treasury for the use OF armoriaI
bearings, every one in England VINO displays the
latter being compelled TO pay an impost TO the
government. which varies in size according to
whether the arms figure on plates or on the pan
els OF carriages Moreover. the building CT she
college and the weilnigh priceless records pre-
served on the premises are the private property
OF the chapter. since the site and house were
siven p them by Queen Mary Tudor to enable
them TO assemble together and consult ana