180 CHARLES II. IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS. 



facsimile of this very interesting document, which was preserved 

 amongst other royal relics by the descendants of the Hamptonne 

 family. Relics of his stay are still religiously preserved by the 

 chief representative of the family and the present owner of its 

 house. Here are still various articles of the monarch's clothing, 

 and a pair of his silver spurs ; the bed on which he slept, and the 

 embroidered quilt that covered him ; the carved oak table and 

 chair which he used ; and a seal on which are the Hamptonne 

 arms, which the King is said personally to have presented to his 

 entertainers. But by far the most important of these Loyalist 

 mementoes is the original draft of the document which 

 proclaimed Charles II. King of Great Britain on the reception 

 of the news of the execution of his father. It cannot be doubted 

 but that the enthusiasm engendered by his personal friendship 

 for the King led Lawrence Hamptonne to canvass the friends of 

 the Stuart dynasty and to obtain their signatures to this docu- 

 ment : a labour and a risk which he lost no time in consummating 

 by formally proclaiming Charles II. in his capacity as Vicomte 

 at the Cross in the Market Place of St. Heliers. 



On a subsequent page of the volume appears a well-executed 

 facsimile of this document, dated iyth February, 1648 (old style), 

 and, besides that of the Vicomte (or Sheriff), bearing the 

 signatures of the Lieut. -Governor and Baily (Sir George 

 Carteret), and some thirty others of the most influential residents 

 on the island.* 



Meanwhile, the King, recognised only as King of Scotland by 

 the Parliament, remained in Holland until 5th June, when he 

 left Holland, via Antwerp and Brussels, and returned to France. 



On i yth Sept., in the same year, Charles once more left for 

 Jersey, and reached Elizabeth Castle the same day, where he 

 was joyously received by the inhabitants of St. Heliers, and on 

 the 23rd Sept. (an anniversary which this Bridport and Lyme 



* Among the signatories is (as far as I can make out) a Lacloche, in connection 

 with which name the recent observations of Mr. Andrew Lang, referring to one 

 James Lacloche (a reputed son of the King), are interesting. 



