CHESTER. XIV. 1333, Edward Plantaoenet, styled "op Woodstock," but to generally known as " The Black Prince," 1st s. and k. ap. of King 137G. Edward III, ft. 15 June 1330 at Woodstock, was by charter 18 May 1333 cr. EARL OF CHESTER, being invested witk tke comity of Chester and tke Castle of Chester, Rkyddlan and Flint " habend et tenend. eidem filio nro. et keredibus suis Rcgibus AngUce." On 17 March 1337 ke was er., also with a spec, rem., DUKE OF CORNWALL/") and, on 12 May 1343, Prince of Wales. lie d. v.p. 8 June 1376, when, his s. and h. not being (at that time) " King of England," tke Earldom of Chester (as also liis other peerage dignities) lapsed to the Crown. See fuller particulars under " Cornwall " Dukedom of, cr. 1337. XV. 137G, Rjciiard Plantagenet, styled "of Bordeaux," 2nd hut to 1st surv. s. and h. of Edward, PnrNCE ok Wales, Duke op Cornwall 1377. and Earl oe Chester abovenamed by Joan, his wife, suo jure Countess of Kent, was ft. 6 Jan. 1307 at Bordeaux in Aquitaine, but did uot (owing t'> the spec, clauses creating tUuse dignities}^) inherit any of kis Father's said honours. Being grandsm of tke reigning King (Edward III) iind hi ap. to tke Crown, lie was, by chart er, dat. at Havering, 20 Nov. 1376, cr. Prince of "Wales, DUKE OF CORNWALL, and EARL OF CHESTER. On 21 June 1377 he ascended tke tkrono as Richard II when all his honours merged in the Crown. ["By an Act 21 Rich. II, cap. 9, [1398] the Earldom of Chester was erected into a Principality( c ) and it was ordained ' q. nullo done ne g*nte en ascun temps advenir ne s'ra faite del dite Prineipaltee ne de las Chastelx s'ies et villes susditea a nulloy, fors soulement aleisne litz du Roy q. s'ra Prince illoeques sy plena au Roy attaire,' and although this Act WW ' wkolly reversed, revoked, voided, undone, repealed, and adnulled for ever ' by Act i, Hen. IV, cap. 3, tke Earldom of Ckester has ever since been granted in conjunction witk tke Principality of Wales." See "C.mrtkope," sub. "Chester."] Wales ; tke earliest writ of Summons to Parliament in wkick kis name occurs is that of 5 Aug. 1320, then being about eigkt years of age, wherein ke is styled ' Edwardo Comiti Cestreusi filio nostro charissimo,' and by tke same designation he was sum. in the 15th, ltith, 17th, and 18th of Edw. II. Some writers of authority assert that he was cr. Prince of Wales and Duke of Acquitaine in a Pari, held at York, 15 Edw II, but not only is no notice of suck au occurrence to be found in tke Rolls of Parliament, but the assertion is shown to be entirely without foundation, ke having been, by the description of Edward, Earl of Ckester, cr. Earl of Pontkieu and Moustroile 2 Sep. and Duke of Acquitaine 10 Sep. 1325. [In tke case of] kis father [on tke otker kaud, lie] in consequence of kis creation to Hint Principality, was regularly sum. as ' Edwardo, Principi Wallicc & Comiti Cestrite, filio suo ckarissimo,' from 2 June 1302 (when he became eighteen years of age), until [1307, when, us Edward II] ke ascended the throne." See " Nicolas," sub. " Wales," p. 5. ( a ) This is tke first instance of tke creation of a Dukedom in England. See fuller particulars under " Cornwall " Dukedom of, cr. 1337. ( b ) In tke case of tke Earldom of Ckester tke remainder of tke dignity was to tke heirs of the Black Prkice, they (i.e. such heirs) being Kings of England, while in that of the Dukedom of Cornwall it was to tke eldest son of the said Prince and of kia heirs, they (i.e. tke aaid Black Prince, or kis heirs) being "Kings of England." Hiclmrd of Bordeaux, in 1376, was neither himself King (when he would have inherited the Enrldom of Chester) nor the son of a Kim] (when he would have inherited tke Dukedom of Cornwall) so tkat a new creation of both was necessary. (") "At which time the King cr. his beloved servant William Bruges, his Herald at Ames and styled him Chester by his letters patents under tke seal of tke said Principality." See Mules' " Catalogue of Honour." Q2
