I
guess that all societies have or had ceremonial occasions and that many of them
offer or offered ceremonially awarded personal distinctions marked by additions
or changes to one’s name and sometimes dress. In stratified societies,
ceremonies are rather obviously differentiated by the number of people
involved, the expense incurred, and the time they take – the last is, I
suspect, often overlooked but it is obvious that though it might take an hour
to bury a labourer it will take at least a day to bury a king.
In the United Kingdom’s
order of precedence, Knights of the Garter (KG) are limited in number and placed
third after holders of the Victoria Cross and George Cross, both awarded
exclusively for personal bravery. The Order of the Garter dates back to 1348.
In 1805, after a lapse of thirty-four years in conducting its ceremonies, King
George the Third decided to hold a formal Investiture of seven new Knights of
the Garter who really would have a garter put on their leg and who would then continue
to the second part of the ceremony, an Installation which assigned them Chapel
stalls .
The ceremonies took place
in Windsor Castle and the Chapel of St George but were not repeated until
revived in 1948. The 1805 event was badly organised as has been recently
documented by Kate McQuillian (see References) and clearly failed to impress
the foreign attendee who wrote this letter in occasionally dubious French and
transcribed below. Unlike Wikipedia, he spares us most diacritical marks but
that may be because quill pens tend to turn them into ink blots. He is writing
on paper with an English watermark (T BOTFIELD) which suggests he has been in
England for some time and is not simply passing through.
He compares the Installation
unfavourably with the ceremonies conducted -
chez nous he writes - in Sweden for the Order of the Seraphim.
The tone and content
suggests that he is familiar with the recipient who is Colonel Alexander
Campbell, currently living at the Gatcombe House in the Isle of Wight which
came to him from his wife when they married. But in his own Scottish terms he
is Colonel Alexander Campbell of Ardchattan (1776–1844) described online as an
army officer, excise (Customs) commissioner, and landowner. He is no older than
29 when he received this letter and the writer may be of similar age. I have
translated the letter less than literally with a view to preserving something
of what I take to be its informal style as well as its exasperated content.
But who was the sender
and how were the two men connected? The writer supplies his forenames “Charles
Frederic” very clearly but his surname is illegible. I think he is either a
Swedish consular official or merchant or both, perhaps based in London but
heading now to Edinburgh which at this period had close trading links with
Sweden. That he can write in French allows for the possibility that he had some
diplomatic role, but why he should write in French to Campbell I don’t know. Maybe his French ws better than his English. The “Charles Frederic” could be a rendering of a Carl or Karl and Frederick or
Friedrich.
Transcription
Addressed:
to Collonel A. Campbell at Gatcomb House Isle of Wight Hants.
Datelined:
York ce 2 de Mai [this second of May] 1805
Despatch
undated postmark of YORK 196 [ = 196 miles from London], weak London transit
mark, charged 11d on delivery.
*
Monsieur
Deja depuis 3 jours je suis ici et je ne crois point de
pouvoir partir avant après demain. J’ai
I’ve been here for three days and don’t think I’ll have any strength
to leave before the day after tomorrow. I
gagne un retraicisement terrible a la fête de Windsor. Je
peut Vous assurer Monsieur que je
suffered a terrible setback at the celebration at Windsor. I
assure you Sir that I
regrette
bien d’y avoir été premierment parce que cela m’a couté un argent immense et
que
thoroughly regret having been there first because it cost me a
great deal of money and that
cela n’a pas du tout surpassé l’idée que j’eu avois eu
auparavant et je co XXXXX que cette fête
that has not at all exceeded the idea which I could have had
previously and I coXXXXX that this celebration
m’oblige arester ici dans une ville qui estime des plus
ennuyeuse que j’aye jamais vu [ ?] ma
obliges me to remain in a town which I reckon among the most tiresome
I’ve ever seen [in] my
vie. J’ai reste hyer et avant hyer comme il faisait tres
mauvais tems dans ma chambre.
Life. I stayed yesterday and the day before in my room because the weather was very bad
Aujourd’hui
je suis sorti un moment pour prendre l’air.
Today I went out briefly to take some air.
Je ne Vous fais point de description de l’installation;
Les Gazettes en ont été pleines Je ne peut
I won’t give you any description of the Installation ; the
newspapers are full of them. I can’t
dire rien autre
chose que, Je trouve que la fete que nous avons chez nous en Suede tous les
anything other than that I find the celebration which we have at
home in Sweden every
deux ans de l’installation de l’ordre du Seraphim est
bien plus brillante et gulie [?]. J’a quitte londre
two years for the installation of the
order of the Seraphim is much more glittering and “gulie”. I left London
pour me rendre a Windsor le 23 a 4 heure du matin j’y fus arrivé a [ink blot] heures. Je
me suis
to get to Windsor the 23 [April] at 4 o’clock in the morning I
arrived at ? o’clock. I
toute de suite rendu au chateau dans les apartements ou
étaient rassemblé le Ministres étrangers.
went straight away to the castle apartments where the foreign
ministers were assembled
a neuf heure nous nous rendimes a ‘Eglise dans la Loge
des ministres étrangers qui est vis avis
at nine o’clock we made our way to the Church and into the
stalls for foreign ministers which faces
de la Loge de la Reine Le Roi et la cour comme ainsi chevailleurs ne sonts
arrivées que vers
the stalls for the Queen the King and the Court as also the
knights who didn’t arrive until around
les onze heures la ceremonie commenca et enfin elle
dura jusqu’à vers les 5 heures nous
fumes
eleven o’clock the ceremony began and eventually lasted until
just before 5pm. We were
alors dans la St
Georges Hall ou le Roi dinait en public cela dura jusqu’à vers les huit heures
then in the St George’s Hall where the King dined in public that
lasted until around 8 o’clock
alors enfin nous nous rendimes dans les autres sales a
manger ou nous eumes nos diners. a dix
and then at last we made our way into the other dining rooms
where we had our dinners. At ten
heures il y eut cour chez la Reine mais comme moi je
n’était point presenter a elle je ne pus y
o’clock the Queen held court but as I was in no way presented to
her I could not
assister je redescendie dans les appartements des
Ministres Etrangers et je fis chercher mon
attend I went back down into the apartments for the Foreign
Ministers and sent for my
carosse qui ne vient qu’a minuit. la fatigue de cette
journée et le froideur dans l’eglise comme
carriage which did not arrive until midnight the exhaustion of
this day and the chill in the chapel as
dans la nuit en retournant me rendit déjà a Londre tres
malaise et puis la nuit j’ai passe au chemin de Londre ici y a contribuee je
suis terriblement enrumés.
during the night coming back left me already feeling unwell in
London and after that the night I spent on the road from London to here has
contributed [to the fact that] I have a dreadful cold.
Je vous remercie infinitement pour le paquet de letre que
vous avez eu la bonté de m’envoyer
A thousand thanks for the packets of letters [of introduction?] you have had the kindness to send me
pour Edinburg. Je vous prie de presenter bien mes respects
a Madame Votre Epouse et bien mes compliments a Mons. Votre frere ayant
l’honneerur d’etre Monsieur Votre tres humble Serviteur et ami
for Edinburgh. Please offer my respects to your wife and also my
compliments to your brother. I have the honour to be Sir your very humble
Servant and friend
Charles
Frederic XXXXXXX
Kate McQuillian The 1805 Garter Installation (2023) https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/1805-garter-installation/
Wikipedia: Order of
the Seraphim
Wikipedia: Order of
the Garter
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