New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-24

might be more safely ard conveniently &C.
posted" This original building granted by
"Bloody Mary" was destroyed in the great hre
OF 1866 But all the records were saved from
destruction. and the college was rebuilt from
designs OF Sir Christopher Wren at the expense
OF the heralds themselves, who gave up Ihe'F
private fees for the purpose.
The fees collected at the College Of Heralos
are twcfold in character. namely, official ana
private. the former being turned over TO tins
national treasury. while the latter are DIVIDED
up among tie members OF the chapter. Inc
official fees are large. and are graduated ac-
cording 10 the magnitude Of the requirements
Thus the fee for e new grant Of coat-ot-arms
COSTS about 500 Peers, on their creation or
promotion. bishops on their institution or trans
latior knights and baronets on receiving their
dignlties. have each to pay heavy official ices
10 the College OF Heralds, those Of a dukeoom
arnountin. 10 rs much as $4,000. a Knighthood
Of the Garter being even more expensive WINE
an ordinary knighthood entails merely the pay
Ineat Of a few hundreds. The private income OF
the College of Heralds-tnat is TO say the moneys
which its members receive and which they 90
not turn into the treasury but share among
thenselves-is made up Of the fees which are PAID
by individuals anxious TO prove their descent
from noble families of antiquity. and who wish
10 have searches made in the records at the COL
iege with that object IN view. Only those VINO
are cynical enough 10 realize the amazing ex-
tent OF human vanity and conceit can appre-
ciate why Il IS that the sums derived from thls
source far exceed all other sources Of revenue
that fall TO the share Of the college
When one considers this extraordinary eager
ness on the part OF the people to establish their
right 70 armorial bearings, which are consid-
cred to be indispensable TO the social status OF
gentleman. 1t IS amazing that the use of hatch
IN OF g.
adorned the facades Of so many London houses
sho,,I6 have gone out OF fashion. These hatch
,7,ents consisted OF large black frames, four OF
rye feet In each direction. inclosing pahel
entirely black, or else a black and white grouhu'
upon which were painted the arms ana Ihs
crest The hatchment was hung lozenge iash-
Son on the FACADE OF the house IN Whlch the
death Of either the master or the mistress OF Oh
IN. eldest son had taken place. It was gener-
ally affixed TO the wall midway between the
uecond and third stories, as near as possible III
she centre of the building and sometimes the
background was powdered with drops OF soIo
20 represent tears, and adorned with SKULLS anu
crossbones at the corners. II the deceaseu
,.rson was q bachelor the whole Of the field on
which the arrnorial bearings were placed was
black But with married people 1t was oh-
fersnt one-half OF the ground being white
sn5 IN. other black, the left remaining white
.hs husband who had been bereaved. Up 10 the
hs.snninr Of the reign OF Queen Victoria no
ore was entitled either by usage or by euquetIe
- funeral escutcheon on the front OF MS
bousa unless his ancestors for four generations
back at least had possessed armorlal Dearlnss'
T2ut this strictness soon disappeared, and thirty
years ago Indictments were very frequent Inc
only reason which can ascribe for their DIS
appearance is the tendency on the part OF So
ciety all over the world TO abbreViate as Iar as
possible periods Of mourning. Etiquette re-
CURED that the hatchment should remain on the
facade of the house for twelve months ano' as
q was obviously impossible to carry on any
pa1eties festivities or merriment within man
sion thus marked by the hand OF DEATH their
use was gradually abandoned
With the Indictments have disappeared TO a
great extent those door knockers which until
about thirty years ago were the only moaish
means OF summoning domestics to the house
door. door bells being relatively modern inven-
ton and having come into general use since the
introduction Of the electric button Knocking
went on all day long, and constituted so impor-
tant a feature Of metropolitan life in London
that il is difficult to realize how in the world 1t
can have been so easily dispensed with and ban
ished from the doors of all save some Of the old
aristocracy. Each caller at the house had his
own particular knock. There was the postmans
knock, and the doctors knock, and the tax and
rent collectors knock, and the knock OF the
master of the house. In fact, there was no end
TO the number Of characteristic signals Of this
kind, and in long streets the noise Of these
knockers was as uninterrupted as it was deafen-
ing. Then, too If person had died in the house
the knocker was adorned with bow OF crepe; If
q birth had taken place a white glove the
knocker announced the fact; if any one was sick
the knocker was swathed IN felt and a marriage
was proclaimed by bunch of flowers fastened
TO the knocker.
Knockers. too. constituted an important feat
ure Of sport and entertainment to the youth OF
the metropolis. Much OF the watchfulness on
the part OF tine police detailed for night duty was
devoted to the preservation Of the knockers from
being stolen. Knocller wrenching was a favorite
form OF diversion for rich and poor alike, and
the aristocrat as well the Office boy looked
upon the stolen knockers that constituted the
trophies OF his midnight prowess much in the
came way Indian brave was wont TO re-
gard his collection Of scalps. First and foremost
among these knocker wrenchers were Vice-Ad-
nliral Lord Charles Beresford, his brother, the
late Lord William Beresford, Lord Ribblesdale
and the late Lord Queensberry and It is on rec
ORD that when a knocker proved recalcitrant
they would tie one end Of a stout rope 10 the
knockeT. moor the other extremity TO a cab IN
which they had taken their place and then whip
up the horse. with the result that sometimes not
merely the knocker but likewise the entire pam
els OF the door came away
Nowadays knockers are only to be found on
the doors OF a few distinguished people, and their
presence there generally indicates preference
for art and archaeology. In fact one can almost
gauge the character of the master of the house
By the knocker on his door. Thus the knockers
nm na If he door ~ Sir Tydr,-o