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The Military Knights of Windsor, originally the Alms Knights and informally the Poor Knights, are retired military officers who receive a pension and accommodation at Windsor Castle, and who provide support for the Order of the Garter and for the services of St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. They are commanded by a senior retired officer as Governor of the Military Knights of Windsor.

History

The Alms Knights of St. George's Chapel were constituted by King Edward III following the Battle of Crécy (1346), when many knights captured by the French were forced to liquidate their estates to raise ransom money in order to secure their release. At the original establishment of the Order of the Garter and its chapel at Windsor (1348), veteran warriors were called to "serve God continually in prayer". In the statutes of the College of St. George's, a community of twenty-six bedesmen, called Alms Knights or Poor Knights, were appointed. Their duties included attending four services per day and praying for the sovereign and the knights of the Order of the Garter.^[1]

The Alms Knights were a chantry, a religious foundation organized to pray for its patron. Poor Knights were originally impoverished military veterans. They were required to pray daily for the Sovereign and Knights Companions of the Order of the Garter; in return, they received 12d per day and 40s per year, and were lodged in Windsor Castle. Poverty was an important attribute of bedesmen, and indeed if any Poor Knight were to acquire assets with annual income of £20 or more, he would be removed from the college.^[1]

King Henry VIII halved their number to thirteen, Elizabeth I re-founded the order in 1559.^[2] At his restoration, King Charles II increased the number to eighteen. King William IV renamed them the Military Knights of Windsor in 1833.^[3]

Today, the Military Knights, who are no longer necessarily poor, but are still military pensioners, participate in the Order's processions, escorting the Knights and Ladies of the Garter, and attend the daily services in St. George's Chapel. They are not members of the Order itself, nor are they automatically a knight of any chivalric order.

Governor

The office of Governor of the Military Knights of Windsor is part of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, and dates from the mid-sixteenth century. From 1905 it has been controlled by the Constable of Windsor Castle, having formerly been responsible to the Dean of Windsor. Since 1906 the Governor has always been a senior retired officer.^[4]

List of governors of the Military Knights of Windsor

c.1583: John Moulsworth (Mowlesworth) of Helpston, Northamptonshire (now Cambridgeshire): will dated 7 August 1583, Proved PCC^{[clarification needed]} 18 July 1584. Buried at St John the Baptist, New Windsor 2 September 1583^[5]
to 1771: Sir William Wittewronge
c.1820: Colonel Thomas Bassett
1842: Captain John Jonstone Cumming^[6]
1843: Major Charles Moore
1843–1844: Captain Thomas Fernyhough, who died after 6 months in office. He was the first person to be buried in the catacombs beneath St George's Chapel.^[7]
1867: Major Sir John Paul Hopkins
1892: John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll, KT GCMG GCVO PC 1892–1906
1906: Major General Edward Henry Courtney^[8]
1913: Major General Walter Carteret Carey^[9]^[10]
1932: Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Kavanagh, KCB KCMG CVO DSO
1951: Major General Sir Edmund Hakewill-Smith, KCVO CB CBE MC
1978: Major General Sir Peter Gillett, KCVO CB CBE
1989: Major General Sir Peter Downward, KCVO CB DSO DFC
2000: Major General Sir Michael Hobbs, KCVO CBE
2012: Lieutenant General Peter Pearson CB CBE^[11]

External links

Media related to Military Knights of Windsor at Wikimedia Commons

History from St. George's Chapel
The Military Knights of Windsor, 1352-1944. Historical monographs relating to St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle Volume 4. Edmund Fellowes (1944)

References

^ ^a ^b St. George's Chapel Archives and Chapter Library, "Military Knights", Research Guide No. 2 [1]
^ "College of St George - Windsor Castle - St George's Timeline". Archived from the original on 28 September 2012.
^ "College of St George - Windsor Castle - Military Knights". Archived from the original on 10 May 2010.
^ The Military Knights of Windsor, 1352-1944. Historical monographs relating to St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle Volume 4. Edmund Fellowes (1944)
^ PROB 11/67/254
^ The Windsor and Eton Express 15 January 1842
^ 9/1/1844 and 16/1/1844 in the London Standard, The Colburn's United Service Magazine 1844
^ "COURTNEY, Major General Edward Henry", Who Was Who
^ "CAREY, Maj.-Gen. Carteret Walter", Who Was Who
^ "Walter Carteret Carey". National Portrait Gallery.
^ "Community News" (PDF). The Companion. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.

51°29′0″N 0°36′28″W / 51.48333°N 0.60778°W / 51.48333; -0.60778

[rg2-1] St. George's Chapel Archives and Chapter Library, "Military Knights", Research Guide No. 2 [1]

[2] "College of St George - Windsor Castle - St George's Timeline". Archived from the original on 28 September 2012.

[3] "College of St George - Windsor Castle - Military Knights". Archived from the original on 10 May 2010.

[4] The Military Knights of Windsor, 1352-1944. Historical monographs relating to St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle Volume 4. Edmund Fellowes (1944)

[5] PROB 11/67/254

[6] The Windsor and Eton Express 15 January 1842

[7] 9/1/1844 and 16/1/1844 in the London Standard, The Colburn's United Service Magazine 1844

[8] "COURTNEY, Major General Edward Henry", Who Was Who

[9] "CAREY, Maj.-Gen. Carteret Walter", Who Was Who

[10] "Walter Carteret Carey". National Portrait Gallery.

[11] "Community News" (PDF). The Companion. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.

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+{{Short description|Chivalric order}}
-{{redirect|Poor Knights|the islands in New Zealand|Poor Knights Islands}}
+{{Redirect|Poor Knights of Windsor|the dish of bread and eggs also known as eggy bread|French toast}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
 [[Image:Military Knights of Windsor.JPG|thumb|upright|Military Knights of Windsor in the procession to the annual service of the Order of the Garter]]
+The '''Military Knights of Windsor''', originally the '''Alms Knights''' and informally the '''Poor Knights''', are retired military officers who receive a [[pension]] and accommodation at [[Windsor Castle]], and who provide support for the [[Order of the Garter]] and for the services of [[St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle|St. George's Chapel]], Windsor Castle. They are commanded by a senior retired officer as '''Governor of the Military Knights of Windsor'''.
-:''"Poor Knights of Windsor" is also a name for [[eggy bread]] or French toast.''
-The '''Military Knights of Windsor''' are retired military officers who receive a [[pension]] and accommodation at [[Windsor Castle]], and who provide support for the [[Order of the Garter]] and for the services of [[St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle|St. George's Chapel]], Windsor Castle. They are commanded by a senior retired officer as [[Governor of the Military Knights of Windsor]].
 == History ==
+The Alms Knights of St. George's Chapel were constituted by [[King Edward III]] following the [[Battle of Crécy]] (1346), when many knights captured by the [[France|French]] were forced to liquidate their estates to raise [[ransom]] money in order to secure their release.  At the original establishment of the [[Order of the Garter]] and its chapel at Windsor (1348), veteran warriors were called to "serve God continually in prayer". In the statutes of the [[collegiate church|College]] of St. George's, a community of twenty-six [[bedesmen]], called Alms Knights or Poor Knights, were appointed. Their duties included attending four services per day and praying for the sovereign and the knights of the Order of the Garter.<ref name="rg2">St. George's Chapel Archives and Chapter Library, "Military Knights", Research Guide No. 2 [https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ResearchGuide2-MilitaryKnights.pdf]</ref>
+The Alms Knights were a [[chantry]], a religious foundation organized to pray for its patron. Poor Knights were originally impoverished [[military veteran]]s. They were required to pray daily for the [[Monarch|Sovereign]] and Knights Companions of the Order of the Garter; in return, they received 12d per day and 40s per year, and were lodged in Windsor Castle. Poverty was an important attribute of bedesmen, and indeed if any Poor Knight were to acquire assets with annual income of £20 or more, he would be removed from the college.<ref name="rg2"/>
+King [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] halved their number to thirteen, Elizabeth I re-founded the order in 1559.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/history/st-georges-timeline.html|title=College of St George - Windsor Castle - St George's Timeline|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928123314/http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/history/st-georges-timeline.html|archivedate=2012-09-28}}</ref> At his restoration, King [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] increased the number to eighteen. King [[William IV of the United Kingdom|William IV]] renamed them the Military Knights of Windsor in 1833.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/whos-who/military-knights.html|title=College of St George - Windsor Castle - Military Knights|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510013842/http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/whos-who/military-knights.html|archivedate=2010-05-10}}</ref>
+Today, the Military Knights, who are no longer necessarily poor, but are still military pensioners, participate in the Order's processions, escorting the Knights and Ladies of the Garter, and attend the daily services in St. George's Chapel. They are not members of the Order itself, nor are they automatically a knight of any [[chivalric order]].
+==Governor==
-The Military Knights of Windsor were constituted by [[King Edward III]] following the [[Battle of Crécy]], when many knights captured by the [[France|French]] were forced to liquidate their estates to raise [[ransom]] money in order to secure their release.  Formerly called '''Alms Knights''' (until 1833) <ref>[http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/whos-who/military-knights.html College of St George]</ref> they were often informally described as the '''Poor Knights'''.  At the original establishment of the [[Order of the Garter]] twenty-six were appointed and attached to the Order and its chapel at St. George's Chapel, Windsor. King [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] halved their number to thirteen, Elizabeth I re-founded the order in 1559.<ref>http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/history/st-georges-timeline.html</ref> At his restoration, King [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] increased the number to eighteen. King [[William IV of the United Kingdom|William IV]] renamed them the Military Knights of Windsor.
+The office of Governor of the Military Knights of Windsor is part of the [[Royal Household]] of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, and dates from the mid-sixteenth century. From 1905 it has been controlled by the [[Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle|Constable]] of [[Windsor Castle]], having formerly been responsible to the [[Dean of Windsor]]. Since 1906 the Governor has always been a senior retired officer.<ref>''The Military Knights of Windsor, 1352-1944.'' [[Historical monographs relating to St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle]] Volume 4. [[Edmund Fellowes]] (1944)</ref>
+===List of governors of the Military Knights of Windsor===
-Poor Knights were originally impoverished [[military veteran]]s. They were required to pray daily for the [[Monarch|Sovereign]] and Knights Companions of the Order of the Garter; in return, they received a salary and were lodged in Windsor Castle. Today the Military Knights, who are no longer necessarily poor, but are still military pensioners, participate in the Order's processions, escorting the Knights and Ladies of the Garter, and in the daily services in St. George's Chapel. They are not members of the Order itself, nor are they automatically a knight of any [[chivalric order]].
+{{incomplete list|date=December 2018}}
+*c.1583: John Moulsworth (Mowlesworth) of [[Helpston]], Northamptonshire (now Cambridgeshire): will dated 7 August 1583, Proved PCC{{clarify|date=July 2023}} 18 July 1584. Buried at St John the Baptist, New Windsor 2 September 1583<ref>PROB 11/67/254</ref>
+*to 1771: Sir William Wittewronge
+*c.1820: Colonel Thomas Bassett
+*1842: Captain John Jonstone Cumming<ref>The Windsor and Eton Express 15 January 1842</ref>
+*1843: Major Charles Moore
+*1843–1844: Captain Thomas Fernyhough, who died after 6 months in office. He was the first person to be buried in the catacombs beneath St George's Chapel.<ref>9/1/1844 and 16/1/1844 in the London Standard, The Colburn's United Service Magazine 1844</ref>
+*1867: Major Sir John Paul Hopkins
+*1892: [[John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll]], [[Order of the Thistle|KT]] [[Order of St Michael and St George|GCMG]] [[Royal Victorian Order|GCVO]] [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|PC]] 1892–1906
+*1906: [[Major General]] Edward Henry Courtney<ref>"[http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U184985/COURTNEY_Major-General_Edward_Henry COURTNEY, Major General Edward Henry]", ''[[Who Was Who]]''</ref>
+*1913: Major General Walter Carteret Carey<ref>"[http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U207189/CAREY_Maj.-Gen._Carteret_Walter CAREY, Maj.-Gen. Carteret Walter]", ''[[Who Was Who]]''</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Walter Carteret Carey |url=https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw173930 |website=National Portrait Gallery}}</ref>
+*1932: [[Lieutenant General|Lieutenant-General]] Sir [[Charles Kavanagh]], [[Order of the Bath|KCB]] [[Order of St Michael and St George|KCMG]] [[Royal Victorian Order|CVO]] [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]]
+*1951: Major General Sir [[Edmund Hakewill-Smith]], KCVO CB CBE [[Military Cross|MC]]
+*1978: Major General Sir [[Peter Gillett]], KCVO CB CBE
+*1989: Major General Sir [[Peter Downward]], KCVO [[Order of the Bath|CB]] [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]] [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|DFC]]
+*2000: Major General Sir [[Michael Hobbs (British Army officer)|Michael Hobbs]], [[Royal Victorian Order|KCVO]] [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]]
+*2012: [[Lieutenant General]] [[Peter Pearson (British Army officer)|Peter Pearson]] CB CBE<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/assets/files/Companion/Companion16-web.pdf|title=Community News|publisher=The Companion|page=17|accessdate=23 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808144736/http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/assets/files/Companion/Companion16-web.pdf|archive-date=8 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 ==External links==
-{{commons category inline|Military Knights of Windsor}}
+{{commons category-inline|Military Knights of Windsor}}
-*[http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/whos-who/military-knights.html History from St. George's Chapel]
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100510013842/http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/whos-who/military-knights.html History from St. George's Chapel]
 *The Military Knights of Windsor, 1352-1944. [[Historical monographs relating to St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle]] Volume 4. [[Edmund Fellowes]] (1944)