16th February 1624

MONDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 1624

I. JOURNAL OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, PA, HC/CL/JO/1/12

[CJ 670; f. 2]

Lunae, 16⁰ Februarii, 21⁰ Jacobi

This day, about 8 of the clock in the forenoon, Mr. Treasurer of the Household, Mr. Comptroller and the 2 Secretaries of State, with divers other of the deputies appointed for ministering the oaths of supremacy and allegiance unto the members of this House, assembled in the Commons House of Parliament, and there did administer the same oaths unto 100 and upwards of the said members; and as they had in effect sworn all that presented themselves to be sworn, word was brought that the Duke of Lennox, Lord High Steward of his Majesty's Household, was suddenly dead, whereby their power of deputation ceasing, they did then forbear to swear any more.

And presently order was given for drawing a new commission of adjournment of this Parliament until Thursday then next after, in respect of the great grief his Majesty conceived for so sudden and unexpected a loss of so great a peer, and to whom he bore so great affection. And therefore, though his Majesty were almost prepared for his coming that day to the House, yet was he pleased, by his commission under the Great Seal of England, directed to some Lords, as the former, to adjourn this Parliament until Thursday after: which was done by the Lords in the Upper House, in presence of a great number of the Commons, there also present, in like manner, as the former adjournment had been made.

[House adjourned]

II. JOURNAL OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, PA, BRY/73

[f. 426v]

[16 February 1624]

Upon Monday, the said 16th day of February, about 8 of the clock in the forenoon, Mr. Treasurer of the Household, Mr. Comptroller and both the Secretaries of State, with other of the foresaid deputies to the said Lord High Steward, assembled in the Commons House of Parliament and there administered the oaths of supremacy and allegiance unto 100 and upwards of the members of that House. And as all (in effect) which presented themselves to be sworn had taken the said oaths, word was brought that the said Lord High Steward was suddenly dead, whereby, their power of deputation ceasing, the said deputies did afterwards forebear to give the said oaths to any more.

Upon this sudden accident, his Majesty (though he were almost prepared for his coming that day to the Parliament) was pleased to defer the same until Thursday after, the 19th of February. And accordingly the same was adjourned about two of the clock that afternoon by his Majesty's commission under the Great Seal of England, directed to certain Lords, the adjournment being made by the said Lords, commissioners in the Upper House of Parliament, in presence of a great number of the Commons there also assembled.

[House adjourned]

III. DIARY OF JOHN HAWARDE, WILTSHIRE AND SWINDON ARCHIVES, 9/34/2

[p. 143]

Lune, 16 Februarii⁰ 1623

In regard del sodain mort del Duke de Richmond cest morninge, esteant Lord halt Steward, le Parliament fuit adjourne al Jovis promimus. Il morte en son lecte dun apoplexie in son braine; et plusors del Huise del Commons va al Westminster.

IV. DIARY OF JOHN HOLLES, BL, HARL. MS 6,383

[f. 80v]

[16 February 1624]

[Parliament had been prorogued to the 16th] ... and then with the Duke of Richmond's sudden death, being Lord Steward, [it was adjourned] unto Thursday the 19th ...

V. DIARY OF JOHN LOWTHER, CUMBRIA ARCHIVE CENTRE, CARLISLE, DLONS/L/2/1

[f. 1]

[16 February 1624]

On the Sunday we heard it should be adjourned further, and on the Monday the Duke of Lennox and Richmond, being as they say ready to put on his robes, died; and thereupon the King sent Sir George Goring to the House and for the sorrow of his death adjourned it until Thursday after, on which day it did begin ...

VI. DIARY OF SIR NATHANIEL RICH, BL, ADD. MS 46,191

[f. 32v]

[16 February 1624]

[Parliament had been prorogued to the 16th] ... upon which day, in regard that the Duke of Richmond died suddenly that morning, it was again adjourned (by his Majesty's commission read in the Upper House in the presence of both Houses) until Thursday following, being the 19th day of the said month of February anno Domini 1623.

VII. ANONYMOUS DIARY, KENNETH SPENCER RESEARCH LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, MS E237

[f. 93]

[16 February 1624]

On the 16th of February 1623, the Duke of Richmond died, who was Lord Steward. His death was thus. Not having any sickness before, in the morning about 5 or 6 of the clock he complained of a pain in the hinder part of his head and caused his man to rub it there. Then he complained that the pain was come into the fore part of his head, and then called for some aurum potabile and drank it. After his man had rubbed the fore part of his head awhile, he said he felt his pain go down, and willed his man to leave and draw the curtains and let him sleep, which he did, and was heard to snore; but about an hour after, hearing him not breathe or stir, the[y] drew the curtains. He was dead, lying close as his man left him, only the sheet wrapped in his hands very fast.

Whereupon by commission under the broad seal, the court [of Parliament] was adjourned to the 19th of February at 2 of the clock.

Upon the 16th of February 1623, there was a question made whether the commissioners to give the oath could swear any until on[e] of the clock, which was the hour of adjournment, and it was resolved the[y] might, which they did until the[y] heard of the Duke's death.

VIII. ANONYMOUS DIARY, BODL., MS RAWL. D. 723

[f. 84]

[16 February 1624]

[Parliament had been prorogued to the 16th] ... upon which day many repaired to the House, but in honour of the Duke of Richmond and Lennox's death, who that morning died suddenly of an apoplexy as was thought, it [was] put off again by a commission until Thursday the xixth of this month ...

IX. DIARY OF JOHN PYM, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE RECORD OFFICE, FH/N/C/0050

[f. 1]

[16 February 1624]

[The deputies appointed to minister the oath of allegiance to members of the Commons continued to do so] ... in which work and in the expectation of the King, two third parts of the day overspent ...

X. JOURNAL OF SIR SIMONDS D'EWES, BL, HARL. MS 159

[f. 56]

February 16, Monday

But now, Monday the 16th of February being come, all men prepared for the Parliament. Some thousands of people had taken their standings to see, divers of the Lower House had taken the oath of supremacy, which every of them is to do, many of the Lords were already come to Whitehall to attend his Majesty to the Parliament House and the King himself, with the illustrious Prince Charles, were well near ready for departure.

Ludovic Stuart, Duke of Richmond and Lennox, etc., Lord Steward of the King's Household, and uncle to his Majesty, lying then in his lodgings at Whitehall and finding himself not very well that morning, had commanded his servants to let him rest as long as was possible and to raise him before his Majesty's departure to be ready to go with him. His servants for this end, some three [f. 56v] of them, sat quietly at his bed's feet and conceiving he slept soundly (only they heard him fetch two or three deep groans) did not offer or presume to awake him until word was brought them that the King asked for the Duke and would be presently ready to depart. Then one of the gentlemen of his chamber to whom this word was brought stepped to his bed's side and made what noise he could by removing the curtains, which not awaking the Duke his Lord, he began to call and stir him; but now he found it too late, for he was both senseless and speechless, upon which crying out, divers came in and found him still warm. Then one of the King's doctors being called first laid his hand upon his breast to see if his heart yet stirred, for that is primum vivens et ultimum moriens, which finding not, he held a mirror or bright glass before his mouth and nose, which if he had any life in him would have soiled the glass; but at length finding by this plainly that no manner of life or possibility of recovery was left, further means were left unassayed.

Now the death of this noble prince, being made known to his Majesty a little before he was departing to the Parliament (for he died before 11 of the clock this Thursday [sic] morning), did so much astonish and perplex his Majesty, both in regard that it was sudden and unexpected, for he had not been so much as sick before, and also in regard that he was his near kinsman and had been his ancient servant and faithful counsellor, that being not able to conceal his sudden grief or fit to begin his Parliament, as likewise to honour his deceased kinsman, he deferred the Parliament until Thursday following, being the 19th of this present February. Nor was the Court alone troubled at the loss of so great and good a man, but generally all men; for though the reason and cause of his death was conceived to be an apoplexy to which he was subject, yet happening at that time and in that place it was conceived to be ominous, and some of the bolder Scots did not stick to compare it to the death of the Queen of Navarre in France a little before the solemnity of the marriage between H. 4, after of France, and Margaret, daughter of H. 2 of France, which was counted ominous and no marvel; upon it ensued that inhuman massacre with the death of the valiant Admiral Châtillon in anno Domini 1572. But God [f. 57] be praised, these doubts were vain as the sequel will show.