The Colour of this Vesture was anciently changed every Year, commonly into Blue, Scarlet, Sanguine in Grain, or White. But the Colour of the Mantles remained the same as at the Institution, until Queen Elizabeth’s Reign, and then it commenced Blue: And ’tis remarkable, that the Surcoats of the Knights-Companions, were always of the same Colour with the Sovereigns.
The Founder’s first Surcoat was of the same Cloth and Colour with the Mantle, viz. Blue, but in the 34th Year of his Reign he altered it to Black, and of the same Colour were those he conferred that Year upon these following Knights-Companions, viz. the Black Prince, the Earls of Ulster, Richmond and Salisbury, Edmund of Langly, Sir Richard la Vach, Sir Hugh Wrotesly, Sir Reginald Cobham, Sir Bartholomew Burghest, the Lord Mohun, Sir Walter Manney, Sir Nele Loring, Sir Walter Paveley, Sir William Fitz Warin, Sir Miles Stapleton, the Earls of Stafford, Warwick and Suffolk, and Sir Thomas Ughtred: The Motive that induced him to pitch upon this sable Colour, was conceived to be a kind of Humiliation, because the Pestilence began again to spread its Malevolence, which had furiously raged Eleven Years before. The Surcoats which the Sovereign gave the Dukes of Lancaster and Clarence, and Fourteen other Knights, Anno 37. Edward III. were of Cloth, Sanguine in Grain. Those Twenty four provided for the Feast of St. George, Anno 7 Richard II. were Violet in Grain, whereof one was for the Sovereign, the other Twenty three for the Knights-Companions, following John King of Castile, and Leonard Duke of Lancaster, the Earls of Cambridge, Buckingham, Derby, Kent, Warwick, Stafford, Salisbury, Northumberland and Nottingham, the Lords Nevil, Basset, and John Holland, Sir Guy Bryan, Sir William Beauchamp, Sir Thomas Percy, Sir Nele Loring, Sir John Sulby, Sir Lodowick Clifford, Sir Simon Burley, Sir Richard Burley, Sir Bryan Stapleton and Sir Soldan de la Trane.
Anno 11 Richard II. there were ordered against St. George’s Feast Twenty three Surcoats of white Cloth for the Sovereign, and Twenty two Knights-Companions; and the 12 and 19 Year of the same King, the Sovereign bestowed on the same Persons Surcoats of long blue Cloth, after the Original Model. The Twenty two Surcoats made up for the Feast of St. George, Anno 1 Henry V. were of white Cloth; Anno —— Henry VI. the Sovereigns Gown or Surcoat was of Scarlet, as was that sent to the King of Portugal in the 13th Year of the same King. Anno —— Henry VI. the Sovereign had white Cloth; and so were the Surcoats given to Twenty Knights-Companions more in the —— Year of his Reign. Afterwards the beforementioned Four Colours began to be disused, for the Surcoat presented to Julian de Medicis, temp. Edward IV. was purple Velvet, and towards the latter end of the Reign of King Henry VIII. and since, it is upon Record, the Surcoats of the Sovereign and all the Knights-Companions were Crimson Velvet, nor did the Colour suffer a Mutation in the Surcoat, tho’ King Charles I. restored the Mantle to its first primitive Colour, Anno 12 Regni sui.
There has been some disproportion in the Quantity of the Cloth allowed in the Provision against one and the same Feast, for Anno 34 Edward III. the Earls of Stafford, Warwick, and Suffolk, as also Sir Thomas Ughtred had then for each of their Surcoats six Ells of Cloth (perhaps the tallness of their Stature required it) when the other Fifteen Knights were allowed but five Ells, being the same Quantity the Sovereign’s Surcoat had contained in it at the same time.
The Dukes of Holland and Clarence, Anno 1 Henry V. with the Earls of Arundel, were allowed Eight Ells a-piece, the Dukes of Bedford, Gloucester and York, the Earls of Westmorland and Warwick, the Lords Grey, Fitz Hugh and Roos, six Ells apiece; the Earls of Dorset, with six Barons and five Knights Batchelors, but five Ells apiece. Afterwards, when the Number of Ells of Cloth, Garters and Furrs came to be ascertained for each Degree, all the Knights-Companions (even the Prince of Wales) were not to exceed five Ells: But since Velvet came in Plea, the Allowance for Surcoat and Hood hath been eighteen Yards, when the Surcoat reached down to the Feet; but now it being the Fashion to wear it shorter, the Allowance is stinted to Ten. The Length of King Charles II’s Surcoat was one Yard and an half, and of the Sleeve one Yard wanting a Nail.
The Ornamental Trimmings of these Garments are next worthy of Note, especially at the Time of Instituting this Order, for they were then, and a long time after, powdered all over with little Garters, embroidered with Silk and Gold-Plate, in each of which was neatly wrought the Motto, Honi soit, &c. Besides, the Buckles and Pendants to those small Garters, were Silver gilt; of these Garters there were no less than 160 upon the first Surcoat and Hood made for the Founder.
In King Richard II’s Reign, the little Garters that adorned the Surcoats of the Sovereign, and the other Knights were wrought in Embroidery upon blue Taffaty with Cyprus, and Soldat Gold and Silk of divers Colours, and the Letters Gold. And as the Sovereign was not limited in the Proportion of Cloth or Velvet for his Surcoat, no more was he confined to the Number of Garters, wherewith to adorn it; nor do I find that any of the Knights-Companions were, until the Precedent of the Livery of the Garter was settled, for Anno 1 Henry V. the Dukes of Holland and Clarence, the Earl of Arundel, the Dukes of Bedford and Gloucester had each of their Surcoats adorned with 120 Garters, but the Duke of York, and the rest wore but 100. The Settlement in the Precedent of the Livery was, in relation to Degrees of Honour, a greater or less Number of Garters: Thus,
| A Duke | 120 | Garters. | |
| A Marquis | 110 | ||
| An Earl | 100 | ||
| A Viscount | 90 | ||
| A Baron | 80 | ||
| A Baronet | 70 | ||
| A Knight-Batchelor | 60 |
About the Reign of King Henry VI. the Sovereigns Number of Garters did not much exceed those which the Founder allow’d to himself at the Institution; for the Surcoat and Hood of the said King consisted of 173; and the King of Portugal, Anno 13 Henry VI. 120 Garters. But this Drapery of their Robes became at length quite obsolete, perhaps when Cloth was altered to Velvet, and the plain Surcoat hath to this Day continued in Use.
While these Surcoats remained of Cloth, they were lined with Bellies of pure Minever Fur, only the Sovereigns was purfled with Ermin; and of these, it seems, a like Proportion was at first stated to all the Knights-Companions, viz. 200 Bellies. Yet in the Reign of King Richard II. some Difference began in the Allowance to the Knights-Companions, for a Baron, and all Degrees upward had 200 Bellies; but under a Baron 120 only. However, Anno 1. Henry V. the Barons were tantamount to the Knights-Batchelors, for all Degrees above a Baron were allow’d, a Fur of 200 Bellies. But the Barons and Knights-Batchelors Furs were only 120 Bellies.