EARL MARSHAL, in England, ranks as the eighth of the great officers of State, is the head of the college of arms, and ap points the kings-of-arms, heralds, and pursuivants. He attends the sovereign in opening and closing the session of parliament, walking at his or her right hand. He arranges State processions and ceremonials, especially coronations, royal marriages and fu nerals, and with the lord great chamberlain he assists in intro ducing newly-created peers in the House of Lords.
He exercised joint and co-ordinate jurisdiction with the con stable in the court of chivalry, and afterwards became the sole judge of that tribunal till its obsolescence in 1737. The marshal ship of England was formerly believed to have been inherited from the Clares by the Marshal family, who had only been mar shals of the household. It was held, however, by the latter family as early as the days of Henry I., and passed to the Bigods. In 1306 it fell by inheritance to Edward I., and in 1316 was granted by Edward II. to his own younger brother, Thomas "of Brother ton," earl of Norfolk. As yet the style of the office was only "marshal." The office, having reverted to the Crown, was granted out anew by Richard II. in 1385 to Thomas Mowbray, earl of Nottingham, the representative of Thomas "of Brotherton." In 1386 the style of "earl marshal" was formally granted to him in addition. After several attainders and partial restorations in the reigns of the Tudors and the Stuarts, the earl marshalship was granted anew to the Howards by Charles II. in 1672 and entailed on their male line, under which settlement it has regularly de scended to the present duke of Norfolk. Its holders, however, could not execute the office until the Roman Catholic emancipa tion, and were forced to appoint deputies. His Grace appends the letters "E.M." to his signature, and bears behind his shield two batons crossed in saltire, the marshal's rod (virga) having been the badge of the office from Norman times. There appear to have been hereditary marshals of Ireland, but their history is not well ascertained. The Keiths were Great Marischals of Scot land from at least the days of Robert Bruce, and were created earls marischal in or about 1458, but lost both earldom and office by the attainder of George, the loth earl, in 1716. (See also