Ensigns

Captain Lieutenant Clerk of the Cheque Ensign Exon

Major Henry Robertson - 9th/12th Lancers
The officer below Lieutenant is the Ensign and was added by Charles II, and it may fairly be assumed that when

A Painting of the 1938 Standard of the Body Guard. Signatures to the sides of the design shows that it was approved by George VI, the Royal College of Arms on 20 May 1938 and based on a design drawn by Gerald W Wollaston - Garter - Inspector of Regimental Colours.

appointed he had to do an ensign’s duty, forthcoming. Thom, in his Book of the court when speaking of the duties of the Ensign of the Guards says: - “But, though such an appointment was then (1668) made and has, continued ever since, there does not exist the smallest evidence that the Corps ever possessed either Banner or Standard.” The late learned antiquary could not, at the time he wrote his, have seen the Order Book of the Guard at St James’s Palace, for one of the first entries therein is as follows:- “In

consequence of the death of Mr Jno Glover, late Secretary of the Earl of Macclesfield, his lordship ordered that the Standard, Books, &c belonging to the Corps and kept by him be now given up, and that they be considered in future the property of the Corps, and kept as such by the Secretary for the time being.” The Captains was appointed Captain in 1804, and the great fire in St. James’s Palace occurred 21 January 1809: it's reasonable, therefore, to suppose that the Standard was amongst the property destroyed. According to Chamberlayne’s Anglice Notitia for 1672 the Standard of the Guard was “a Cross of St George and likewise four bends”, but the colours of the field and the charge are not given. By the regulations now in force the Ensign before appointment must have held a commission as a lieutenant-colonel or major in the army or marines or in the Indian army.

Roll of the Ensign

Edited from The King's Body Guard 1485 - 1904 (by Col Sir Reginald Hennell Kt, DSO)
and compared with Dalton's "List of Officers of Army, 1600 and Upwards".

1	1668	Edward Sackville Esq	Warrant to swear 12 Aug 1668. Sworn 29 Oct 1669. Ensign to Captain John Walter's Company, Foot Guards. Retired as Captain 1st Nov 1678.
2	1678	Thomas Howard Esq	Appointed 16 Oct 1678. Sworn Lieutenant 21 Feb 1685. Captain King's Regt of Foot Guards in Feb 1661. Another Thomas Howard in Charles, Earl of Carlisle's Regt of Foot in 1673.
3	1685	Henry Dutton Colt Esq	Sworn 21 Feb 1685. At Coronation of James II in 1685. Adjutant in Prince Rupert's Regiment of Dragoons on 15 Feb 1678 (later disbanded).
4	1689	Thomas Maule Esq	Appointed 2 Apr 1689.
5	1690	Robert Sawyers Esq	Appointed 5 Jan 1690 vice Maule. Died 1700. See Corporals.
6	1700	Robert Uphill Esq	Sworn 6 Nov 1700 vice Robert Sawyers. Re-sworn 29 May 1702 and 18 Oct 1714. See Corporals.
7	1715	Thomas Windham Esq	Appointed 5 Apr 1715 vice Uphill.
8	1716	Andrew Charlton Esq	Appointed 29 Nov 1716 vice Windham. Re-sword 26 Sep 1727.
9	1735	Edward Le Grand Esq	Appointed 1 Apr 1735 vice Charlton.
10	1746	Savile Cockayne Cust Esq	Appointed 13 May 1746 vice Le Grand. Cust was also Clerk of the Cheque.
11	1763	Cheret Jones Esq	Appointed 25 May 1763 vice Cust.
12	1779	Jonothan Benjafield Esq	Appointed 14 May 1779 vice Cheret Jones. Sworn 23 May 1779.
13	1783	Henry Murray Esq	Appointed 27 Sep 1783 vice Benjafield. Sworn 4 Oct 1783. Captain of Foot in 1777.
14	1783	Richard Fowler Rickard Esq	Appointed 4 Oct 1783. Ensign in 65th Foot in 1774.
15	1796	Shurkbrugh Ashby Apreece	Appointed 11 Mar 1796 vice Rickard.
16	1804	Brevet Lt Col William Jepson	Appointed 11 Aug 1804. Resigned 1808. Lieutenant in 17th Light Dragoons.
17	1808	Augustus Atkins Esq	Appointed 5 Mar 1808 vice Jepson.
18	1830	William Conyngham Burton	Appointed 15 Jan 1830 vice Atkins. Present at Coronation of William IV in 1831. Late 3rd Foot Guards.
19	1835	Capt George Houlton Esq	Appointed 25 Sep 1835 vice Burton and again in 1837. Knighted 20 Jun 1838. Officer 43rd Foot.
20	1862	Lt Col Jonothan Henry Cooke	Appointed 5 Nov 1862. Knighted 11 Dec 1867.
21	1866	Col William Barton Parnell CB	Appointed 2 Feb 1866. Late of 90th Foot. Died May 1869.
22	1869	Lt Col Arthur Need VC	Appointed May 1869. Promoted to Lieutenant 11 Feb 1870. Late 14th Hussars.
23	1870	Col Hon William J Colville	Appointed Feb 1870 vice Need. Late Rifle Brigade.
24	1888	Lt Col Henry Hume CB	Appointed 29 Jul 1888. Promoted to Maj-Gen. Died 19 Aug 1892.
25	1892	Lt Col Sir RG Ellison CB	Appointed 19 Apr 1892. Late 47th Regiment. Later appointed CVO.
26	1908	Maj Sir Edmund Halbert Elliott MVO	Appointed 28 Feb 1908. Knighted 1911.
27	1926	Maj W. Colin MacRae CBE	In the St James's Palace record of service Captain MacRea signs the record as Exon but the date of his appointment shows him as Lieutenant. Retired at 75yrs in July 1944.
28	1932	Lt Col George Reginald Lascelles CVO CBE	Awarded OBE 1919.
29	1937	Lt Col Edward Boscawen Frederick	Appointed Exon 28 Jul 1925. Former 7th (Royal) Fusiliers.
30	1950	Maj Gen Allan Henry Shafto Adair CB DSO MC & Bar	Appointed Exon 21 Nov 1947. Former Grenadier Guards. Awarded DSO 27 Aug 1940. Awarded CB 29 Mar 1945. Awarded Cmdr Order of Leopold with Palm & Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palm. Died 4 Aug 1988.
31	1951	Lt Col Victor Buller Turner VC	Promoted Ensign 1951. Promoted Clerk of the Cheque & Adjutant 1955. Awarded VC in Western Desert following heroic action 1942.
32	1955	Brig Gen William Greenwood Carr DSO and Bar	Promoted Ensign 1955. Promoted Lieutenant 17 Jan 1970.
33	1970	Col Hugh T Brassey OBE MC	Appointed 17 Jan 1970. See link.
34	1971	Col Alan Brooke Pemberton MBE	Promoted Ensign 10 Mar 1971 vice Col Brassey. Promoted Clerk of the Cheque & Adjutant 1 Apr 1979. Appointed Lieutenant 5 Oct 1985 vice Col Brassey. Died 1 Apr 2010.
35	1979	Maj Bruce Middleton Hope Shand MC and Bar	Promoted Ensign vice Col Pemberton 1 Apr 1979. Promoted Clerk of the Cheque & Adjutant vice Col Pemberton 5 Oct 1985. Died 11 Jun 2006.
36	1985	Col Greville Wyndham Tufnell	Promoted Ensign vice Maj Bruce Shand mc 5 Oct 1985. Promoted Clerk of the Cheque & Adjutant vice Maj Bruce Shand mc 22 Jan 1987. Promoted Lieutenant vice Col Alan Pemberton cvo mbe 11 Sep 1993. Relinquished appointment 7 Apr 2002.
37	1987	Col Shaun Longsdon	Appointed Ensign vice Col Tufnell 22 Jan 1987. Promoted Clerk of the Cheque & Adjutant vice Colonel Tufnell 11 Sep 1993. Promoted Lieutenant vice Col Tufnell 8 Apr 2002. Retired 4 Dec 2006.
38	1993	Maj Charles Marriott	Promoted Ensign vice Col Longsdon 11 Sep 1993. Promoted Clerk of the Cheque & Adjutant vice Col Longsdon 9 Apr 2002. Retired 4 Feb 2006.
39	2002	Maj Charles Samuel Enderby	Promoted Ensign vice Col Longsdon 10 Apr 2002. Promoted Clerk of the Cheque & Adjutant vice Maj Marriott 5 Feb 2006. Promoted Lieutenant vice Col Longsdon 5 Dec 2006. Relinquished appointment 18 Sep 2009. Awarded LVO 2010.
40	2006	Maj Michael Thomas (Tom) Noel Hamilton Wills	Promoted Ensign vice Maj Enderby 6 Feb 2006. Promoted Clerk of the Cheque & Adjutant vice Maj Enderby 6 Dec 2006. Promoted Lieutenant vice Maj Enderby 19 Sep 2009.
41	2007	Lt Col William John (Johnny) Hodsoll Moss MBE	Promoted Ensign vice Maj Tom Wills 7 Dec 2006. Promoted Clerk of the Cheque & Adjutant vice Maj Tom Wills 20 Sep 2009.
42	2009	Brigadier David Innes OBE	Promoted Ensign vice Lt Col Johnny Moss mbe 18 Sep 2009.
43	2011	Col Michael Kingscote	Promoted Ensign 2011 vice Brigadier David Innes OBE 2011.
44	2013	Maj Henry Robertson	Promoted Ensign 4 Jan 2013 vice Col Michael Kingscote.

Send mail to qbg@hotmail.co.uk with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2008 The Yeomen of the Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard Last modified: Thursday, 08 December 2011 11:15

Send mail to qbg@hotmail.co.uk with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2008 The Yeomen of the Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard
Last modified: Thursday, 08 December 2011 11:15