§. 5. The Alms Knights we shall treat of in a threefold Estate: 1. Under the Foundation; 2. When disjointed thence by Act of Parliament; and, 3. As established anew by Queen Elizabeth.
1. Then, King Edward III. out of the great Regard he had to military Honour, and those who had bravely behav’d themselves in his Wars, yet after chanced to fall in decay, made a Provision for their Relief and comfortable Subsistence in old Age, by providing for them in this his Foundation, and making a Coalition in one joint Body with the Custos and Canons; these he call’d Milites Pauperes, and we Poor or Alms-Knights. The stated Number at first were Twenty Four, equal to the Custos and Canons at the first Erection. But shortly after, upon his instituting the Order of the Garter, Two more were added (as there was to the first Canons) to make the compleat Number of the Knights-Companions of that Order, which were Twenty Six, as we find stated at the Ordination of the College by the Bishop of Winchester, the Pope’s Delegate.
The Intention of the Founder was for those that were real Objects of Charity, as he describes them, viz. poor Knights, infirm in Body, indigent and decay’d, or as the Statutes of the Garter qualifies them, such as thro’ adverse Turns of Fortune were reduced to that Extremity that they had not wherewithal to sustain themselves, to live so genteelly as was suitable for a Military Condition, which for greater Caution was reiterated in the Statutes of King Hen. V. King Hen. VIII. and in the Orders of Queen Elizabeth; for it was express’d, in case any Estate of 20 l. per Annum devolved on them, such Knights were to be discharged the College, and they were to proceed to a new Election.
At the first each Knight-Companion of the Order presented his Alms-Knight, but ever after their Election was to be at the Disposal of the Sovereign. Their Habit was a Red Mantle, with the Escutcheon of St. George, without any Garter to surround it. Their Exhibition, after their first Election was 12 d. a-piece every Day they were at Service in the Chapel, or resident in the College, besides 40 s. per Annum for other Contingencies, it being the stated Allowance appointed to each of the Canons Residents.
About the Beginning of King Hen. VI’s Reign, their quotidian Distributions and Annual 40 s. had been unpaid upon the Account of some Dissentions risen between them and the Dean and Canons; but upon Complaint of John Bishop of York, Lord Chancellor of England, and Visitor of the College, 10 Hen. VI. they were redressed, and their Arrears of both discharged, without any Deduction, and likewise obtained this Clause, That if the Treasurer of the College became negligent in future Payments, he should lose his own Quotidians, from the Time of his voluntary Omission, and the same to be divided among the Alms-Knights. Their Duty was to pray for the Sovereign and the Knights Companions, to be every Day present at High Mass, the Masses of the Virgin Mary, at Vespers and Compline, and in default to be mulcted their 12 d. toties quoties, which was to be converted to the Use of the other Alms-Knights, then residing in the Castle of Windsor; notwithstanding which Decree, the Dean did afterwards break in upon them, and disposed of these Forfeitures at his Pleasure, till 2 Rich. II. Adam, Bishop of St. David’s, then Chancellor of England, and Visitor of the College, redress’d it, and another Complaint of like Nature being made of the Deans disposing of Donations and other Liberalities of the Knights Companions in wrong of the Alms-Knights, this Chancellor decreed an equal Distribution between the Alms-Knights and Canons, till the King and Council should otherwise determine.
These and other Differences between the Dean and Canons and Alms Knights, grew up to that height, that they became irreconcileable, insomuch as in the Act of Parliament, 22 Edw. IV. for incorporating of the Custos and Canons, by the Name of Dean and Canons, the Alms-Knights were not only omitted; but this Clause inserted, That the Dean and Canons, and their Successors, should for ever more be utterly quit and discharged from all manner of Exhibition or Charge of or for any of the said Knights. And this under the Cover, That the King has greatly augmented the Number of the Ministers of the Chapel, that the Revenue was insufficient to maintain both them and the Alms-Knights; but in the Dean and Canons Answer to the Knights Petition to repeal this Act, the Cause is alledged, For that some of these Knights used their utmost Endeavours before this Act, to incorporate themselves, and to be exempt from the Obedience and Rule of the Dean and Canons.
After this Act, which struck off their Quotidian Portions and Fees assigned by King Edward’s Foundation, how the Alms Knights subsisted we find not; but so soon as King Hen. VII. came to the Crown, they petitioned the King and Parliament for Repeal of the Act, 22 Edw. IV. and alledged it was obtained without their Knowledge, or being called thereunto, which Plea availed not at all; but on the contrary, the Dean and Canons, some Years after, got an Exemplification thereof under the great Seal, dated Feb. 4. 18 Hen. VII.
And it is very evident from King Hen. VIII’s Letter to the College, that what they did in this Nature after this Act commenced, was merely upon Courtesie; for he returns them Thanks for a Pension of Twenty Marks conferred upon Peter Narbone, whom he had recommended to an Alms-Knights Place, and Promises to burthen them no more with Requests of this sort, but that he would settle Lands for their Maintenance. So great was their Caution, Narbone was by Covenants indented between him and the Dean and Canons, to relinquish his Pension upon that King’s settling Lands on the College, for the Provision of such Knights. In the Interval between the Disunion of the College and Alms-Knights, to their Establishment by Queen Elizabeth, their Habit and Badge continued the same, and was so confirmed by Hen. VIII’s Statutes. It may be collected by his last Will, there was an Intention to draw the Garter about the Escutcheon of St. George, which Projection came to nothing, and expired. In this Interval it is observ’d that several Persons of considerable Rank and Distinction became Alms-Knights; some of which were rendred great Objects of Charity; among which Number was Sir Robert Champlayne, a valiant Knight, an Honour to our Nation, for his renowned and martial Services abroad. He was of King Henry VI’s Party in the Civil Wars against King Edw. IV. Immediately after whose coming to the Crown he left England, and travelled into Hungary, (with an Equipage of Three Servants and Four Horses) where in the Assistance of Mathous Corvinius King of Hungary against the Turks, he behaved himself very gallantly; but prosperous Fortune not always attending him with Success, he receiv’d many Wounds; and at length was taken Prisoner, lost all, and forced to pay 1500 Ducats for his Ransom; for the Attestation of which he had the Great Seals of the King of Hungary, the Archbishop of Crete, Legate de Latere in Hungary, the Emperor of Germany, the King of Sicily, the Count Palatine of the Rhine, and the Duke of Burgundy; and lastly, a Declaration thereof under the Privy Seal of King Edw. IV. And being reduced to so low an Ebb of Fortune, he was, thro’ Hen. VII’s Favour, admitted an Alms-Knight.
But some obtained Admittance, probably out of Devotion, rather than Poverty, as Thomas Hulme, Clarenceux King of Arms, Temp. Edw. IV. Lodowick Carly, the King’s Physician, and John Mewtes, Secretary of the French Tongue, both Temp. Hen. VII. and Bartholomew Westby made second Baron of the Exchequer, 1 Hen. VIII.
It is evident King Hen. VIII. designed a Re-establishment of half the ancient Number of Alms-Knights, viz. Thirteen; for which purpose he appointed by his Will 600 l. per Annum, in Mannors, Lands, and Spiritual Promotions, settled upon the Dean and Canons, and their Successors for ever, upon the Proviso’s that they should find Two Priests to say Mass at his Tomb, to commemorate yearly Four Obits for him, and at every Obit distribute 12 l. in Alms, likewise to pay 12 d. a Week to those Thirteen Alms-Knights, who were to have once a Year a long Gown of White Cloth, and a Mantle of Red, besides Five Marks annually, to such one among them as should be constituted their Governor, and so much for a Sermon every Sunday throughout the Year. In Performance of which Will, King Edw. VI. in the first Year of his Reign, did confer several Lands upon the College; but 600 l. per Annum of these Rents were by the Dean and Canons paid back, to be employed on erecting of Houses for the Alms-Knights, intended to be settled by King Hen. VIII. This Work began not till the 3d and 4th of Philip and Mary, and was finished the 5th and 6th of their Reign, the Charge amounting to 2747 l. 7 s. 6 d. These Houses are situate on the South side of the Lower Ward of the Castle, and contain Thirteen Rooms, besides an Hall, a Kitchin, and a Pastry; the Stone was brought from Reading, the Timber from the Forest, and the Lead, and Apparels for the Chimnies, from Suffolk Place in Southwark. At a Chapter of the Garter, held the 1st of June, the 4th and 5th of Philip and Mary, the Houses being then near finished, a Debate arose about placing some Alms-Knights therein, if possible, by Michaelmas following, whereupon the Marquiss of Winton, Lord-Treasurer, had Orders to assign Lands for their Maintenance; and towards the compleating of this the Queen had nominated Nine of the Thirteen designed; but falling sick in August, a stop was put to the Affair, till Queen Elizabeth coming to the Crown confirmed her Sister’s Grants to the Nine nominated Knights, and made up the Number full Thirteen, ordained by King Henry VIII. under which Establishment they still remain; for afterwards, viz. Aug. 30. in the first Year of her Reign, minding the Continuance of King Edward’s Foundation, the Intent of her Progenitors, and Advancement of the Order of the Garter, and King Henry VIII’s Will, for the Support of Thirteen poor Men decayed in Wars, to be called Thirteen Knights of Windsor; and having erected certain Orders for their better Regulation, and declar’d how and in what manner the 600 l. given by her Father should be employ’d for the Maintenance of these Knights and their Successors, she lastly declared, That the Dean and Canons should for ever cause these Rules and Orders to be observed.