The Standard Library Cyclopaedia of Political, Constitutional, Statistical and Forensic Knowledge Volume N . 2; Forming a Work of Universal Reference (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1853 Excerpt: ...his head, and gave him the testimony, and they made him king, and anointed him. In England, after the kingdoms of the Heptarchy had become united, we find the ceremony of coronation alluded to in the Saxon Chronicle, under the term "gehalgod," by which is expressed that the king was hallowed or consecrated. Kingston-upon-Thames was the place where the Saxon kings were crowned during nearly the whole of the tenth century. (See Diceto and the other historians in the Decem Scriptorea.) Edgar, who succeeded tothe throne in 959, is said to have been crowned either at Kingston or at Bath. Edward the Confessor was crowned at Winchester in 1042. The copy of the Gospels upon which the Saxon kings were sworn at their coronations is believed to be still preserved amongst the Cottonian Manuscripts in the Britis Museum, in the volume Tib. A. ii. Harold and William the Conqueror were crowned at Westminster. It was customary with the Norman kings to be crowned more than once. Henry II. crowned his eldest son, and associated him with himself in the administration during his own life. In one or two instances, in the Norman times, we find the regnal years of our kings dated from their coronations only; the previous time, between the predecessor's death and the performance of the inaugural ceremony, was considered as an interregnum. This is a fact of no small importance to those who would accurately fix the dates of public instruments and transactions in the reigns of Richard I., John, and their successors. The first English coronation of which we have any detailed account is that of Richard 1., in the Histories of Diceto and Bromton. (Twysden, Script. x. coll. 647, 1157.) An account of all the formalities observed at that of Richard II., taken from the &#82...