BURIED HISTORY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 September 1938, Page 3

BURIED HISTORY

DEATH OF CHARLES 11. In addition to the records of births, deaths and marriages, said Mr F. Buckley Hargreaves in a broadcast talk on buried history at Somerset House, there are some interesting notes about contemporary events. One of these describes the death of Charles 11. as follows: “February 2nd, 1684-5 Candlemas Day being Monday. Bee it Remembred that his Maty was seisd with a most Violent fit of an Apoplexy wch termintd in an Intermittent feavor, of wch hee dyed about 12th friday following being Feb. 6th. In the afternoon of wch day his Rll Highness James Duke of York and Albany &c. was proclaymed at Whitehall-gate at Temple Bar and at the old Exchange in the City, King of England Scotland France and Ireland.” There is also an account of the funeral of Charles 11., but the note which is perhaps most interesting in the Coronation year is the one relating to the Coronation of James II.: “The Sergeant and Yeomen of the vestry of the Chapel Royal, Whitehall, had certain duties to perform in the Abbey and brought some of the plate and equipment for the ceremony from the Chapel, the Sergeant receiving as his fee the cloth of gold which covered the Altar. There are interesting particulars as to the procedure at the Coronation. But it appears to have concluded in a somewhat disorderly fashion, since the notes on this subject end as follows: “As Soon as their Matyes were gone out of the Abbey, the Rabble came up on the Theatre (thro ye negligence of the officers belonging to the Church) and tore up the red serge wth wch it was covered, with ye matting, and carryed it away, and the sergeant and officers of the vestry had much adoe to secure the Plate and their other goods brought from Whitehall.”