The master of this office is an officer of great antiquity and dignity. High privileges and immunities were conferred on him by Henry VI. which were confirmed by his successors, and King James I. not only enlarged them, but ordained that this office should be a corporation, or body politic, for ever.
This office provides robes for the coronations, marriages, and funerals of the Royal Family; furnishes the court with hangings, cloths of state, carpets, beds, and other necessaries; furnishes houses for Embassadors at their first arrival; cloths of state, and other furniture for the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and all his Majesty’s Embassadors abroad; provides all robes for foreign Knights of the garter, robes for the Knights of the garter at home, with robes and all other furniture for the officers of the garter; coats for kings, heralds, and pursuivants at arms; robes for the Lords of the Treasury, and Chancellor of the Exchequer, &c. livery for the Lord Chamberlain, Grooms of his Majesty’s privy-chamber, officers of his Majesty’s robes; for the two Chief Justices, for all the Barons of the Exchequer, and several officers in those courts; all liveries for his Majesty’s servants, as yeomen of the guard, and wardens of the Tower, trumpeters, kettle-drummers, drummers and fifes; the messengers, and all belonging to the stables, as coachmen, footmen, littermen, postillions and grooms, &c. all the King’s coaches, chariots, harnesses, saddles, bits, bridles, &c. the King’s watermen, game-keepers, &c. as also furniture for the royal yachts, and all rich embroidered tilts, and other furniture for the barges. Chamberlain’s present state.
Besides the master or keeper of the wardrobe, who has a salary of 800l. a year; and his deputy, who has 200l. there are a comptroller and a patent clerk, each of whom has 300l. a year, two under clerks and a clerk of the robes and wardrobes; besides many tradesmen and artificers, to the number of about sixty, who are all sworn servants to the King.
Besides the great wardrobe, there is a removing wardrobe, to which there belong a yeoman, who has 230l. per annum; two grooms, who have 130l. a year each, and two pages, each of whom has 100l. per annum.
There are likewise standing wardrobe-keepers at St. James’s, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, Kensington, and Somerset house.
Wardrobe court, Great Carter lane, so called from the above wardrobe formerly situated there. See the foregoing article.
Ward’s court, Goswell street.†
Ware, a town in Hertfordshire, situated on the river Lea, twenty-two miles from London. As this town lies low, and upon a level with the river, it was drowned in the year 1408, by floods from the neighbouring park and other uplands; and sluices and wears being made in its river to preserve it from the like inundations, Camden supposes, that it from thence acquired the name of Ware.
The plenty of water about this town gave rise to that admirable project of cutting a channel from hence, for conveying the New River to London. Here is a very considerable market for corn, and so great is the malt trade here, and in the neighbourhood, that 5000 quarters of malt and other corn are frequently sent in a week to London, by the barges, which return with coals. Here is a school for the younger children of Christ’s hospital in London, a charity school, and six or seven almshouses; and at the crown inn is a great bed much visited by travellers, it being twelve feet square, and is said to hold twenty people.
The heir of the late Thomas Byde, Esq; Lord of the manor, has a house pleasantly situated in the park, with an ascent on every side: and among other improvements, is a vineyard, and a canal cut from the Rib, which turns that stream along the south side of the park.