Knights of the Royal Oak

The Knights of the Royal Oak was an intended order of chivalry in England. It was proposed in 1660 at the time of the restoration of Charles II of England to be a reward for those Englishmen who had faithfully and actively supported Charles during his nine years of exile in continental Europe. Members of the order were to be called "Knights of the Royal Oak", and bestowed with a silver medal, on a ribbon, depicting the king in the Royal oak tree.British History Online, Knights of the Royal Oak This was in reference to the oak tree at Boscobel House, then called the "Oak of Boscobel",Lord Mayor's pageants, p. 84 in which Charles II hid to escape the Roundheads after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Men were selected from all the counties of England and Wales, with the number from each county being in proportion to the population. William Dugdale in 1681 noted 687 names, each with a valuation of their estate in pounds per year. The estates of 18 men were valued at more than £3,000 per year. The names of the recipients are also listed in the baronetages, published in five volumes, 1741.Lord Mayor's pageants, p. 84 Henry Cromwell-Williams, a zealous royalist and first cousin once removed to Oliver Cromwell, was one of the men proposed to be one of these knights.Noble, Vol. i., p. 70

The order was never established, abandoned out of concerns at the time that it might perpetuate dissension and keep alive the differences between Parliament and the King, which were better left forgotten:

"...it being wisely judged," says Noble, in his 'Memoirs of the Cromwell family', "that the order was calculated only to keep awake animosities, which it was the part of wisdom to lull to sleep."

Instead of individual honours being made, 29 May, Charles' birthday, was set aside as Oak Apple Day (Restoration Day) to commemorate the Restoration. Celebration was made by the wearing of oak leaves in the hat; oak apples gilded, with a few leaves surrounding them, were sold in the streets of London. The statue of Charles I of England, at Charing Cross, was also decorated with branches of oak on this day. The day is still observed in parts of England today. The modern organisation styling itself "Knights of the Royal Oak Society" is not legally recognised as one of the chivalric orders of the United Kingdom.Knights of the Royal Oak SocietyLord Mayor's pageants, p. 85

Knights of the Royal Oak, intended recipients

Bedfordshire Sir William Beecher £1,600 William Boteler £1,000 Sir George Blundell, 2nd Baronet £1,200 Francis Crawley £1,000 Sir John Duncombe £1,000 Samuel Ironsides £600 William Spencer £1,000 Richard Taylor £1,000

Berkshire John Blagrave £2,000 Hungerford Dunch £2,000 John Elwayes £700 Edmund Fettiplace £700 John Freeman £800 Richard Garrard £1,000 Edward Keyte £1,000 Sir St. John Moore £1,500 Colonel Richard Nevil £1,500 George Purefoy £3,000 Sir Compton Reade, 1st Baronet £2000 John Whitwicke £800

Buckinghamshire Thomas Abraham, of Wingrave £600 Thomas Catesby £800 – Claver, of Woovinge £600 Captain Peter Dayrell £600 Charles Dormer £3,000 William Dormer £1,000 Francis Ingoldsby £1,000 – Wells, of Lillingston £600

Cambridgeshire Robert Balam of Beaufort Hall £600 Sir Thomas Bennet Wisbech £2,000 Thomas Chicheley £2,000 William Colvile of Newton £1000 Thomas Ducket £1,000 Sir Thomas Leventhorpe, 4th Baronet £2,000 Sir Thomas Marsh £1,500 Captain John Millicent of Bergham £700 Captain Thomas Storey £800 Sir Thomas Willys, 1st Baronet £1,000

Cheshire Thomas Baskerville £1,000 Thomas Cholmondeley £2,000 John Crew £1,000 Roger Grosvenor of Eaton £3,000 Henry Harpur £600 — Leigh of Lyme £4,000 Sir Thomas Mainwaring, 1st Baronet £1,000 James Poole £2,000 Darcie Savage £1,000 Edward Spencer £600 Peter Wilbraham £1,000 Roger Wilbraham £1,000 Sir Thomas Wilbraham £3,000

Cornwall – Boscowen £4,000 Francis Buller £3,000 Piers Edgecumbe £2,000 – Ellyott, of Port Eliot Colonel – Godolphin £1,000 Charles Grylls £700 – Hallett £800 Samuel Pendarvis £1,500 – Penrose £1,000 James Praed £600Oxford Historical Society, p. 505 Edmund Prideaux £900 Charles Roscarrocke £800 Oliver Sawle £1,000 William Scawen £800 Joseph Tredenham £900 John Vivyan £1,000

Cumberland Francis Howard £1,500 Colonel Lamplugh £1,000 William Layton £1,000 Christopher Musgrave £1,000 Thomas Curwen £1,000 William Penington £1,000 Edward Stanley £600 Wrightington Senhouse £600

Devon Sir Copplestone Bamfield of Poltimore £1,900 Col. Arthur Bassett of Umberleigh £1,000 Sir William Courtenay of Powderham £3,000 Sir John Davie, 1st Baronet £2,000 Sir John Drake, 1st Baronet £800 Richard Duke of Otterton £1,000 Francis Fulford of Fulford £1,000 Col. John Giffard (1602–1665) of Brightley £1,000 Arthur Northcott £800 Sir John Northcott, Bt £1,500 Sir Courtney Pole of Shute £1,000 Sir John Rolle (d.1706) of Stevenstone £1,000 John Tuckfield of Little Fulford £1,000 — Willoughby £1,700

Dorset – Baskervile £1,000 Col. Humphrey Bishop £800 Capt. Henry Boteler £600 Thomas Freake £4,000 Col. Robert Lawrence £700 Woolley Miller £1,000 John Still £1,000 Col. Strangwayes £5,000 William Thomas £600 John Tregonwell £1,100 Sir John Turbervile £1,500

Durham Col. William Blakeston £600 Anthony Byerley £600 Samuel Davison £600 Colonel Eden £1,000 Marke Milbanke £2,000 Ralph Millett £600 John Tempest £1,000

Essex Sir William Ayloffe, 3rd Baronet £1,000 Capt. Bramston £1,000 — Clifton of Woodford £800 Thomas Coates £1,000 William Knight £1,000 Thomas Lewther £1,000 Capt. Charles Maynard £1,000 Capt. Charles Mildmay £1,000 Major Scott £1,000 Henry Woolaston £1,000 John Wrothe £1,500

Gloucestershire John Browneinge Esq. £1000 Duncombe Colchester £800 William Cooke £1,000 John Delabere £1,000 Benedict Hall of High Meadow £4,000 Sir Humphrey Hanmore (qv Hanham) £1,000 Sir Humphrey Hooke £1,500 William Jones £800 Thomas Lloyd £800 Thomas Masters £1,000 Thomas Morgan £800 John Smythe £1,000 Richard Stevens £800

Hampshire Sir Humphrey Bennet knt £1,000 Major Edward Cooke £1,500 Henry Cooke esq the younger £1,000 Edward Knight esq of Chawton £1,000 John Norton esq £1,000 George Pitt esq of Strathfieldsay £4,000 Sir Henry Titchborne of Titchbourne £1,000 William Wall esq of Crundall £1,000 William Walle esq of Leushott £1,000

Herefordshire John Barnibee of Boothall £1,000 Humphrey Baskerville £1,000 Roger Bodenham, £2,000 Wallop Brobaston £1,200 Fitzwilliam Coningsby of Hampton Court £2,000 Humphrey Cornewall £6,000 Sir Edward Hopton £2,500 Henry Lingen £2,000 Sir Thomas Tomkins £2,000 Roger Vaughan £1,500 Thomas Whitney £2,000 Herbert Westfaling £800

Hertfordshire Edward Bashe £1,500 Edmund Field £600 John Gore £600 Ralph Gore £600 William Gore £800 — Harrison of Balls £600 John Jessen £600 Thomas Keytley £800 Capt. Thomas Morley £1,000 Francis Shalcrosse £800 Peter Soames £1,500 Edward Watts £600 Sir Henry Wrothe of Durante, in Enfield, Middlesex £2,000

Huntingdonshire – Apreece esq of Washingley £1,000 Robert Apreece esq £1,500 Richard Naylor esq £600 Thomas Rous esq £800 John Stone esq £1,000 Major Lionel Walden esq £600 Henry Cromwell-Williams esq of Bodsey £2,000

Kent Edward Badbye esq £1,000 John Clinckerd esq £600 William Delaune knt £2,500 William Dyke esq £1,000 Thomas Englishe esq £700 Humphrey Hide, jun esq £600 William Kenwricke esq £600 Thomas Leigh knt £1,500 Stephen Leonard esq £1,000 Edward Roper esq £2,000 William Roper esq £600 Sir Richard Sands knt £1,000 Roger Twisden esq £1,000

Lancashire Francis Anderton esq £1,000 Col James Anderton £1,500 Edmund Asheton esq £1,000 Christopher Banister esq £1,000 Richard Boteler esq £1,000 — Ffarrington esq of Worden £1,000 — Fleetwood esq of Penwortham £1,000 Thomas Greenhalgh esq £1,000 John Girlington esq £1,000 Thomas Holt esq £1,000 Robert Holte esq £1,000 John Ingleton senior esq £1,000 Colonel Kirby £1,500 Henry Norris esq £1,200 Roger Nowell esq £1,000 Thomas Preston esq £2,000 Thomas Stanley esq £1,000 William Stanley esq £1,000 Edward Tildesley esq £1,000 – Walmesley of Dunkenhalgh esq £2,000

Leicestershire Major Brudnell £1,000 Capt William Cole £600 George Dashwood esq £1,000 Sir George Faunt knt £2,000 William Lawford esq £1,000 Col Neville of Holt £2,000 – Pochin esq of Barkby £1,000 – Skevington esq of Skevington £1,000 Sir Edward Smythe knt £800 William Street esq £1,000 – Terringham esq £1,000 Richard Verney esq £1,000 – Whaley esq of Norton £1,000

Lincolnshire

William Blythe £1,000 Sir John Browne knt £1,000 William Broxholme esq £1,000 Sir Robert Carr, 3rd Baronet of Sleford £4,000 – Desyad esq of Harleston £1,000 Charles Dymoke esq of Scrivelsby £1,000 John Hanby esq £1,500 Jervas Nevill esq £1,200 Sir John Newton, 2nd Baronet of Hather £3,000 John South esq £2,000 Capt William Thorold £1,500 William Welby esq £600

London and Middlesex Major Matthew Bayley £600 Capt John Bagshawe £600 Capt Hercules Baron £600 Capt Richard Crane £600 Robert Blore esq £1,000 Capt Samuel Clarke £600 Charles Cheney esq £4,000 Capt Ralph Clarke £600 Capt Francis Crane £1,000 Col. William Carlos £800 Charles Carryll esq £1,000 Lt Cox £600 Alderman Francis Dashwood £2,000 Henry Englishe esq £2,000 Col Sir Ralph Freeman knt £1,000 Col Charles Gifford £600 William Goldsborough esq £1,500 Leonard Hamond esq £1,000 Thomas Hughes esq £1,500 Alderman Francis Knight £2,000 Capt Valentine Knight £1,500 Commissary General Sir Edward Knightley knt £5,000 Frances Maunsell esq £600 Alderman Lewis £2,000 Capt Edward Maunsell £800 Col Thomas Neville £1,500 Sir Roger Norwich, 2nd Baronet £2,000 Major Rob Peyton £1,000 Major Christ Pickeringe £600 Col Charles Progers £600 Col James Progers £600 Thomas Reynold esq £2,000 Sir William Roberts, 1st Baronet of Willesden £1,000 Colonel Sampson £600 George Skipp esq £600 Alderman Sterlinge £2,000 Col Standish £600 Robert Thomas esq £3,000 Morrice Tresham esq £600 George Tresham esq £600 Edward Turner esq son of Baron Turner £600 Col Arthur Trevor £1,000 Thomas Tunman esq £1,000 Sir Robert Viner knt £3,500 Peter Vandeput £800 Col Sir Thos Woodcocke knt £1,000 Edmund Warcup esq £800 Capt Joseph Ward £600 Charles Whitlaker esq £1,000 Capt Thomas Willowbie £600 Sir Thomas Allen knt £2,000 Sir Anthony Bateman knt £2,000 Sir Thomas Bateman knt £2,000 Sir William Bateman knt £2,000 Alderman Sir Thomas Bloodworth knt £3,000 Alderman Bonfoy £2,000 George Cary esq £600 Sir Richard Chiverton knt £3,000 Edward Dutton esq £1,000 Sir James Muddiford knt £1,500 Edward Palmer esq £800 Henry Progers esq £600 Sir Wm Peake knt £1,000 Thomas Padnall esq £1,000 Ald Richard Shelbury £1,000 Sir George Smyth knt £2,000 Sir William Turner knt £2,000 Ald Thorowgood £2,000 Samuel Foote esq £1,500 Alderman Clutterbucke £2,000 Sir John Lawrence knt £2,000 Sir John Fredericke knt £2,000 Alderman Wade £2,000 Ald Bathurst £2,000 Sir Francis Compton knt £2,000 Capt George Gage £600 Col John Russell £1,000 Col Thomas Baynton £600 Sir Thomas Danyell knt £600 M Gen Randall Elgerton £1,000 Col Francis Lovelace £600 Col Morgan £600 Sir Gilbert Gerrard £600 Major Henn afterwards Sir Henry Henn £600 Capt Roger Gardiner £600 Lieut Hambleton £600 – Morgan esq £800 George Tresham esq £600 William Washborne esq £600 Capt Philip Sherrard £600 Cornet Stanley £1,000 Hatton Compton esq £600 Richard Mounteney esq £1,000 Arthur Maunsell £600 Thomas Hardinge esq £1,500 Thomas Fisher esq £600 Nicholas Kemishe esq £600 Thomas Dacres esq of Cheshunt £1,000 James Jobson esq £1,000 John Cowell esq qy Sir John Coe knt one of the Masters in Ch of Depden Suffolk £600 Henry Kersley esq £600 Peter Vandeput esq £800 Richard Raynsford esq a judge £600 Edward Atkinson esq £1,000 William Barker esq £1,200 Thomas Elmes esq of Lilford co Northampton £1,500