Lives in Cricket No 26 - HV Hesketh-Prichard

84 Chapter Seven Married Man At the beginning of 1908 Kate says they were working hard on writing ‘some of the stories of the “King of Spades” and later on “Don Q’s love story” ’. On 3 February 1908 Hex went off to Ireland to take up his appointment. The Viceregal Court reports in the Irish Times mention him several times during the month in escorting Lady Aberdeen at court functions. Most of these would seem to have been less than exciting, including a lecture by Dr Bowley on school hygiene and another by Mr George Fletcherton on air and ventilation, while on 11 February there was a visit to a Jacob’s biscuit factory. The job might have seemed dull, but the uniform was apparently something else again. L.E.Jones 43 was a friend of Archie Gordon, 44 son of Lord Aberdeen, who went off to be an aide-de-camp at the same time, and talks in his book, An Edwardian Youth , of ‘the gorgeous uniform of a Dublin Castle ADC.’ The Dublin Castle website tells us that ‘the most important period in Dublin’s social calendar was the six festive weeks of the Castle’s balls and dinners, which culminated on St Patrick’s Day, 17 March.’ During this ‘Castle Season’ the Viceroy resided in Dublin Castle ‘with his personal staff, chaplain, secretary, gentlemen-at-large and aides-de-camp in waiting.’ Apparently ‘Dublin hotel and boarding rooms were well booked in advance. Gentry, aspiring gentry and debutantes from the great houses of Ireland eagerly awaited the Viceroy’s gilt-edged invitation to attend.’ One of the first events which Hex may have been responsible for helping to organize as the Lord Lieutenant’s aide-de-camp was the investiture of Lord Castletown into the Order of St Patrick which was to take place on 29 February. This was an event which had been embarrassingly delayed because the insignia of the order, known as ‘the Irish Crown Jewels’ had been stolen in 1907. The Irish Times said that the ceremony would ‘doubtless be shorn of some of the brilliancy associated with it’, though after the event it rather gushed about ‘the brilliant ceremonial’. The Ulster King of Arms, the state heraldic and genealogical officer in charge of the Office of Arms, was made responsible for registering the Order’s membership and caring for its insignia. The postholder in 1907 had been Sir Arthur Vicars. 43 L.E.Jones, An Edwardian Youth, Macmillan, 1958 44 Archie Gordon, sadly, was killed in a motor accident at the age of 25.