Magnæ Britanniæ notitia: or, the present state of Great Britain. With diverse reflections upon the ancient state thereof / By John Chamberlayne.

  • Edward Chamberlayne
Date:
1741
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Magnæ Britanniæ notitia: or, the present state of Great Britain. With diverse reflections upon the ancient state thereof / By John Chamberlayne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    397/818 (page 377)
    an Book Il. ofGreat-BRITAIN, 377 ~ Conftable.] The Lord High-Conftable took Place as an Off- cer of the Crown, but according to his Creation in the Degrees of Nobility. ‘This Office has been butin few Families : The Morvils enjoyed it under King David I, and his Grand-Chil- dren, King Malcolm and King William, From them it came ‘by Defcent to the Lords of Galloway ; and from them in the fame manner to John Baiiole By King Robert. Bruce it was beftowed upon Sir Gilbert Hay of Errol, whofe Hereditary Succeflor was Charles Earl of Errol, High-Conftable of Scor- land at the Time of the Union. Its Badge wasa naked Sword. Sir George Mackenzie thinks, that the Reafon why the Offices of Conflable and Marfhal have not rifen-in their Precedency with “other Officers, is becaufe of late the Scoti/h Armies have beea ~ commanded by other Officers, and there was little Ufe of the Conftable or Mar fhal. | ai QBarthal.] The Lord Marfhal took no Place by vertue of “his Office, but according to his Precedency in the Degrees of Nobility ; the Reafon whereof was, becaufe of old, Offices “did not prefer thofe who poffefs'd them, byt they took Place according to their Creation 3 whereas now the Privy-Seal pre- “cedes all Dukes, and the Secretary took Place before all of his own Rank; but the Confable and Marfhal being now the only “Two Officers of the Crown that were Heritablein Scoland, con- “tinue to poffefs them as they did formerly. The Office of ~ Lord-Marfhal was always in the Family of Keith, and the Ax “was the Badge of his Office. Thefe Two Jaft Officers before the Union exercifed their Jurifdidtion, and kept their Guards in Edinburgh and the Para diameni-Houfe, in the Time of the Meeting of the General States of Parliament ox Convention, and were attended by He ; 4 The Heritable Ufher, The Crown-Bearer, Before the King, or his The Sceptre-Bearer, Commiffioner, in Time a _ The Purfe-Bearer, of Parliament. 5 x The Sword-Bearer, | ' _ In our firft Edition of the State of Great-Britain, we treated Aargely of the Scotifh Parliament, Convention of States, Privy- ‘Council, &c. all which being extinguifhed by the Treaty of Union, or fubfequent Ads cf the Britifh Parliament, we fall take no further Notice of them, 0 mo BA BS