Sir George Trevelyan writes:  “You can hardly imagine how formidable and impressive Lord Charles seemed to the mass of Members, and especially to the young; and how exquisite and attractive was the moment when he admitted you to his friendly notice, and the absolute assurance that, once a friend, he would be a friend for ever.”

Lord Charles Russell held the Serjeancy till 1875; and at this point I had better transcribe the record in Hansard: 

* * * * *

Monday, April 5, 1875: 

Mr. Speaker acquainted the House that he had received from Lord
Charles James Fox Russell the following letter: 

  HOUSE OF COMMONS,
  April 5_th_, 1875.

SIR,

I have the honour to make application to you that you will be pleased to sanction my retirement from my office, by Patent, of Her Majesty’s Serjeant-at-Arms attending the Speaker of the House of Commons.  I have held this honourable office for twenty-seven years, and I feel that the time is come when it is desirable that I should no longer retain it.

  I have the honour to be, Sir,
    Your very obedient servant,
      CHARLES J. F. RUSSELL,
        Serjeant-at-Arms.

THE RIGHT HONBLE.  THE SPEAKER.

Thursday, April 8, 1875: 

Mr. DISRAELI:  I beg to move, Sir, that the letter addressed to you by Lord Charles Russell, the late Serjeant-at-Arms, be read by the Clerk at the Table.

Letter [5th April] read.

Mr. DISRAELI:  Mr. Speaker, we have listened to the resignation of his office by one who has long and ably served this House.  The office of Serjeant-at-Arms is one which requires no ordinary qualities; for it requires at the same time patience, firmness, and suavity, and that is a combination of qualities more rare than one could wish in this world.  The noble Lord who filled the office recently, and whose resignation has just been read at the Table, has obtained our confidence by the manner in which he has discharged his duties through an unusually long period of years; and we should remember, I think, that occasions like the present are almost the only opportunity we have of expressing our sense of those qualities, entitled so much to our respect, which are possessed and exercised by those who fill offices attached to this House, and upon whose able fulfilment of their duties much of our convenience depends.  Therefore, following the wise example of those who have preceded me in this office, I have prepared a Resolution which expresses the feeling of the House on this occasion, and I now place it, Sir, in your hands.

Mr. Speaker, read the Resolution, as follows:  “That Mr. Speaker be requested to acquaint Lord Charles James Fox Russell that this House entertains a just sense of the exemplary manner in which he has uniformly discharged the duties of the Office of Serjeant-at-Arms during his long attendance on this House.”