Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1920-02-06

IN structures which the British
| "A cherish because in them, they
| feel, is viSibly Incorporated
! the prestige of England, not the least
| picturesque and interesting is Walmer
castle, on the coast of Kent, the Off
cial home of the lord warden of the
| Cirque ports.
| The lord wardenShip is an older and
more picturesque monument than Wal
J mer castle The office of lord war
| den is far more ancient than his
dwelling. About that office are gath
| cred the earliest activities out Of
which the British navy grew, writes
| Martin Conway in Country Life. The
present functions of the lord warden
may not be of any executive value as
| contributing to national defense, but,
as long as there is a lord warden liv
ing at Walmer, the small beginnings of
the navy in a remote past remain Wis
IDLY memorialiZed. Such memorial
is more efficient than any pile Of stone
that the ingenuity of man could raise.
Nothing more wildly brings the past
into the present or enfOrces on living
men the amount of their Indebtedness
to those from whom they descend than
living ceremonial recurrently per-
formed in accordance with an ancient
and unbroken tradition.
No one knows when the lord war
denship was founded or by what
earliest stages it came into being. Ne
ceSSity enforced the defense of the
southeastern coast of England. and to
that end the small maritime forces of
the little ports along it had to be CO.
ordinated The original five ports
were Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover
and Sandwich; to these others were
added. as well as inland localities
which had to contribute financial aid
Ultimately the jurisdiction extended
round the coast from Seaford in Sus-
sex to near Margate in Kent.
Importance of the Cnque Ports.
Throughout the Middle Ages down
to the time of Henry VII the Cirque |
ports thus enlarged and organized had /
to furnish the crown with nearly all |
purposes. The oldest existing charter
dates from Edward l, but it refers to
older documents as far back as the
time of Edward the COnfessor. Duties
and corresponding privileges went on
accommodating. Such an organization
could not exist without head, but his
office was of CORRESPONDENCE gradual
growth. At one time it was an office
of great power and Importance. 1t
was generally coupled with the COVER
norship of Dover castle. The lord
warden was admiral of the ports. He
had his court of chancery at Dover
He still retains the duty of appointing
the judge of the admiralty court of the
Cirque ports as well as the justices
of the peace in the same areas; but
his most important functions have be-
come decorative. monumental and pic
turesque not, however, as aforesaid,
unimpOrtant.
The maritime activity which led to
the discovery of America and the be-
ginnings of a world commerce neccs-
sarily made a great change in British
naval affairs. Local evies of ships
and sailors were bound to be replaced
sooner or later by something in the
nature of national navy. The change
ia already apparent in the days of
Henry VIII, and from that time the {
importance of the Cirque ports as the {
nations naval base declined and with I
it the power Of the lord warden. 1t is 2
that the erection of Wal /
mer castle dates from this period. 1t 1
was built in the reign of Henry VIII
along with other castles round the
coast. such as the f1eighboring Deal
and Sandovp. and the, remote Lindis- r
farne on - LIZ island in Northumber- q
lands Previously the coast bad been O
protected by a succession II earth !.
works, the Great and Little Bulwarke,
for instance. within the parish of Wal
mer. They had embrasures for guns,
and were connected by communication ii
Built by Henry VIII. "
The Kentish castles built by Henry Il
VIII were completed about 1910 and
placed under the control of the lordA
warden. The Icwing description Of
!. !, !, ,
them is COM from Elgin r -
the center is IA circular
ar containin proof magit
FOR ammunit kuTsG1 h;
bastions VI
low. COM |ngf