In the Reign of K. EDWARD THE SIXTH, Sir, we find frequent and familiar mention of the Band, even by the King himself, in his Journal. The first appearance of the PENSIONERS was, as it is natural to fuppofe, in proceffion from the Tower to Weftminster, on the day preceding the Coronation, when "The PENSIONERS and Men of Armes, with their Pole-Axes, "went on either fide the way on foote*." By this arrangement they were placed longitudinally, at proper diftances, fo that, as appears from the ceremonial, the King was as nearly as might be in the centre of his BAND of PENSIONERS. On the day of the Coronation, the King landed in the morning at the Privy Stairs, where again we find the PENSIONERS apparelled all "in red Damafke, with their Pole-Axes in their hands:" and in the Proceffion to the Abbey they followed the Peers in the rear, immediately before the Yeomen of the Guard +.

t

In this and the following Reign, though both of them were. fo fhort, we fhall find the BAND in an active line at home, and not immaterially concerned in times of inquietude, when the Sovereign was alarmed by impending danger. The next View we have of it is in a Grand Mufter of all the Bands retained in the King's fervice, which I fhall presently give at large, partly from the KING'S Journal, but principally from a more enlarged account, once in the Cottonian Library .

It was the custom of thofe times for most of the Great Officer's to have Bands of Men of Arms, horfed; and in Armour, who occafionally mustered before the King, together with the

Leland's Collectanca, Vol. IV. p. 312.

+ Idem, pp. 322. 324,

Vitellius, F. 5. printed in Strype's Memorials, Vol. II. p. 290. [The MS. was deftroyed by the fire, and therefore this prefervation is of more value.] The King's Journal is printed in Bishop Burnet's Hiftory of the Reformation, Vol 1. The Autograph may be feen in the Cottonian Library, Nero. C. X.

BAND

BAND of PENSIONERS. The KING'S Band mustered under the Royal Banner*, and the reft under the Banner of their refpective Commanders. These the King calls in his Journal Gendarmes, when he speaks of them separately; and collectively, the Gendarmerie. The general Mufter I have mentioned took place in the year 1551, of which the following account is given by Strype +.

66

"The KING was now minded to fee his ftanding Forces, Horfe and Foot, mufter before him; and the rather that he might be in a readiness in cafe any Rifing might happen, as "was apprehended by the difcontented Duke of Somerset and "his party. So there were letters written and directed to cer"tain of the Chief Officers of the Army to have the Gendar66 mory and Bands of Horfemen, which were appointed there in "a readiness to be seen by his Majefty. And a letter was dif "patched to the Marquis of Northampton, CAPTAIN of the "BAND of PENSIONERS, to have the Band appointed him in "a readinefs with ALL the PENSIONERS and Men of Arms "attending on the Court.

"In Hyde Park was then a great Mufter in the KING's Pre"fence after this manner. First came the KING's Trum"peters-Then,

* In a MS. account of the Payments made to fundry Officers of Houshold in the 6th year of K. Edw. VI. I meet with a Standard-Bearer with a Salary of 100%. per annum, and a Banner-Bearer, with 40l. per annum. The like Officers are found in the establishment of K. James I. in Off Arm.

+ Memorials, V. II. p. 284. It is mentioned in Stowe's Chronicle, as is another Muster in the year following; wherein, by the way, he gives the number of Penfioners at 150, meaning, no doubt, to include their Retinue, for he describes each Penfioner as having two Great Horfes and a Gelding.

"The LORD BRAY, in gilt Harness, CAPTAIN of the "PENSIONERS and a Great Banner of the KING's Arms*."Then,

66

"ALL the PENSIONERS in complete Harness, and great ar

ray in White and Black, five and five in a Rank; and after "them came their fervants, in number an Hundred, with "Great Horses and Harness, in White and Black, with Spears.

"The fecond Company was led by,

"The LORD TREASURER', being an Hundred Men of "Arms, with broidered Coats, Red and White, with Spears: "his Standard a Falcon of Gold.

"The third Company belonged to

"The DUKE of NORTHUMBERLAND, being an Hundred "Men of Arms, in Velvet Embroidery, with Trumpeters: "his Standard a Lion crowned and ragged [raguled] Staff.

"The fourth Captain was,

"The LORD MARQUIS of NORTHAMPTON 3, with an Hun"dred Men of Arms, in Yellow and Black; Spears, Penfils, and Trumpeters: his Standard the Maiden's Head.

"The

* He should rather be called Commander of the Penfioners, as being only LIEUTENANT of the Band: for it has appeared that the MARQUIS of NORTHAMPTON was the CAPTAIN, though, on this occafion, he inuftered as LORD HIGH CHAMBERLAIN with an Hundred Men of Arms in Yellow and Black (his armorial Colours) under his own ftandard. The Command of the Penfioners therefore devolved upon the Lieutenant Lord Bray.

1 William Pawlet, Marquis of Winchefter. [Dugd. Bar.]:

2

John Dudley, Lord High Admiral, Steward of the Houfhold,. &e. [Dugd Bar.]

3 William Parr, Lord High Chamberlain, &c. The fortunes of this Noble

man

"The fifth [was]

"The EARL of BEDFORD 4, with an Hundred Men of Arms "in Red and White; his Standard a Goat, White: a Trumpeter, Penfils, and Spears.

The fixth [was]

"The EARL of RUTLAND 5, with an Hundred Men of "Arms, in Yellow and Blue; his Standard a Peacock, and Pen"fils.

man were fingularly unequal. From a private gentleman he had arisen to uncommon honours, by virtue of his fifter's marriage with King Henry the Eighth. His firft Office was no greater than that of an Efquire of the Body to King Henry: he was afterwards created Baron Parr, and Earl of Effex, (as we have feen him at the fiege of Boulogne) and elected a Knight of the Garter. In the first year of King Edward, the Sixth, 'we find him Marquis of Northampton, Captain of the Band of Penfioners; and in the King's fourth year Lord Great Chamberlain (for life) on the furrender of the Earl of Warwick. [Dugdale's Baronage.] These accumulatad Honours and Offices did not laft long; for on the King's demife, his Lordfhip unfortunately efpoufing the claim of Lady Jane Grey, jointly with the Duke of Northumberland, in oppofition to Queen Mary, was attainted; deprived of all his Offices, and his Eftate; degraded from the Order of the Garter; and reduced to the humble rank of William Parr, Efq. Notwithstanding all thefe deprivations, he was restored in b'ood by Queen Mary, and by Queen Elizabeth re-created into his former Honours; re-elected a Knight of the Garter, and inftalled a fecond time. A. D. 1559. [Anftis's Register of the Garter.]

4 John Ruffel, Keeper of the Privy-Seal. [Godwin's Annals, and the King's Journal.]

5 Henry Manners, Warden of the Eaft and Middle Marches towards Scotland. [Dugd. Bar.]

The

"The Seventh [was]

"The EARL of HUNTINGDON, with Fifty Men of Armes, "in Blue Spears, Standard, and Penfils: his Standard a "Manche.

"The eighth [was]

The EARL of PEMBROKE 7, an Hundred Men of Armes : his Standard the Green Dragon.

"The ninth [was]

"The LORD COBHAM, with Fifty Men of Armes, in Black and White his Standard the Saracen's Head.

"The tenth [was]

"The LORD CHAMBERLAIN 9, with Fifty Men of Armes, "Coats of White and Red, and Spears: their Coats in Broi"dery, Penfils, his Standard the Maiden's Body.

"The eleventh [was]

"Mr. TREASURER CHEYNEY, with an Hundred Men of

6 Francis Haftings (fecond Earl of Huntingdon), a Privy Counsellor and Knight of the Garter. He was employed in a military character in the 4th of Edw. VI. against the French. [Dugdale's Bar.] I do not obferve that he had then any great poft at home.

7 William Herbert, Mafter of the Horfe. [Dugdale's Bar.]

George Brooke, Lord Cobham. [Dugdale's Bar.] He does not appear to have then had any Office of importance.

9 Thomas D'Arcy, Lord D'Arcy, of Chiche. [King Edward's Journal, fub anno 1550. Vid. alfo, Anftis's Reg. of the Garter.] Dugdale Joes not mention him as Lord Chamberlain.

Sir Thomas Cheyney, Knight of the Garter, Treafurer of the Houfhold. "[Dugdale's Bar.]

E

"Armes,