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William Mulcaster

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82-755: Captain Sir William Howe Mulcaster CB , KCH , KTS (1783 – 12 March 1837) was an officer in the British Royal Navy who played a distinguished part in the Anglo-American War of 1812 , in particular in the Engagements on Lake Ontario . He was the son of Major General Frederick George Mulcaster (27 February 1739/40 – 18 August 1797) of the Royal Engineers and Mary Juliana Auchmuty (1750–1830), his father's second wife. His mother

164-629: A frigate , to be named Prince Regent , and requested the Admiralty to promote Mulcaster to the rank of post-captain to command her. This was agreed. Before the ship was launched, in late 1813, Mulcaster commanded several vessels from the Lake Ontario flotilla which were escorting supply convoys up the Saint Lawrence River . He encountered the vessels of American General James Wilkinson 's expedition against Montreal at French Creek and harassed

246-627: A commemorative sword from the Prince Regent of Portugal and was promoted to commander . He was appointed to command the brig-rigged sloop-of-war HMS  Emulous serving at Halifax, Nova Scotia . Shortly after war with the United States broke out in 1812, Emulous was wrecked on Cape Sable Island , and Mulcaster was recruited for service on the Great Lakes by Yeo (whose frigate, HMS  Southampton had also been wrecked shortly before in

328-588: A few small schooners , including USS  Growler , which had previously been captured by the British the year before but then recaptured by the Americans. Growler contained seven of the invaluable cannon destined for Chauncey. Although the Americans had hastily scuttled the schooner to prevent it being captured, the British were able to raise it. Lieutenant Phillpotts of the Corps of Royal Engineers set fire to and destroyed

410-672: A knighthood and became Naval aide de camp to King William IV . He died at Guilford Lawn in Dover on 12 March 1837 of complications of a severe wound he received in the War of 1812. He was buried at St Mary's Church, Bishopsbourne , Kent, and there is a memorial tablet to him in the church. Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of

492-483: A recent holder of the office of Garter King of Arms, wrote of Anstis's motivations: It was Martin Leake's opinion that the trouble and opposition Anstis met with in establishing himself as Garter so embittered him against the heralds that when at last in 1718 he succeeded, he made it his prime object to aggrandise himself and his office at their expense. It is clear at least that he set out to make himself indispensable to

574-509: A red ring bearing the motto of the Order in gold letters. The circle is flanked by two laurel branches , and is above a scroll bearing the words Ich dien (older German for 'I serve') in gold letters. Stylised versions of this are known as Bath stars , and are used as epaulette pips to indicate British Army officer ranks and for police ranks . The star for civil Knights and Dames Grand Cross consists of an eight-pointed silver star, without

656-457: A reference to the kingdoms of England , Scotland , and either France or Ireland , which were held (or claimed in the case of France ) by English and, later, British monarchs. This would correspond to the three crowns in the badge. Another explanation of the motto is that it refers to the Holy Trinity . Nicolas quotes a source (although he is sceptical of it) who claims that prior to James I

738-451: A scroll bearing the words Ich dien in gold letters. The civil badge is a plain gold oval, bearing three crowns on the obverse side, and a rose, a thistle and a shamrock , emanating from a sceptre on the reverse side; both emblems are surrounded by a ring bearing the motto of the Order. On certain ' collar days ' designated by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear

820-455: Is a gold Maltese Cross of eight points, enamelled in white. Each point of the cross is decorated by a small gold ball; each angle has a small figure of a lion. The centre of the cross bears three crowns on the obverse side, and a rose, a thistle and a shamrock , emanating from a sceptre on the reverse side. Both emblems are surrounded by a red circular ring bearing the motto of the Order, which are in turn flanked by two laurel branches, above

902-461: Is in turn larger than the Companion's badge; however, these are all suspended on a crimson ribbon. Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear the badge on a riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Companions wear the badge from a ribbon worn around the neck. Dames Commander and female Companions wear the badge from a bow on the left side: The military badge

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984-437: Is made of black velvet ; it includes an upright plume of feathers . The collar , worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is made of gold and weighs 30 troy ounces (933 g) . It consists of depictions of nine imperial crowns and eight sets of flowers ( roses for England, thistles for Scotland, and shamrocks for Ireland), connected by seventeen silver knots. On lesser occasions, simpler insignia are used: The star

1066-584: Is the Great Master, of which there have been ten: Originally a Prince of the Blood Royal, as the Principal Knight Companion, ranked next after the sovereign. This position was joined to that of the Great Master in the statutes of 1847. The Great Master and Principal Knight is now either a descendant of George I or 'some other exalted personage'; the holder of the office has custody of the seal of

1148-426: Is used only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dames Commander. Its style varies by rank and division; it is worn pinned to the left breast: The star for military Knights and Dames Grand Cross consists of a Maltese Cross on top of an eight-pointed silver star; the star for military Knights and Dames Commander is an eight-pointed silver cross pattée. Each bears in the centre three crowns surrounded by

1230-560: The Battle of Crysler's Farm . On 2 May 1814, the British fleet and army on Lake Ontario mounted the Raid on Fort Oswego to intercept supplies and armaments for the American fleet. Mulcaster took part in the landing, leading 200 sailors armed with boarding pikes but he was severely wounded by a grapeshot and eventually lost a leg. This ended his active career, for which he received a pension of £300 and

1312-502: The Caribbean ). Mulcaster was initially offered command of the flotilla on Lake Erie but he declined on grounds of the scarcity of resources there. Instead, he acted as second in command to Yeo. In that role, he commanded the sloop Royal George in 1813 in several actions on Lake Ontario against the American squadron led by Isaac Chauncey . Both combatants on Lake Ontario were building progressively larger ships of war. Yeo laid down

1394-551: The Earl Marshal , which was not hard, their political principles being congruous and their friendship already established, but also to Sir Robert Walpole and the Whig ministry, which can by no means have been easy, considering his known attachment to the Pretender and the circumstances under which he came into office. ... The main object of Anstis's next move, the revival or institution of

1476-651: The Gulf War . A more controversial member of the Order was Robert Mugabe , whose honour was stripped by the Queen, on the advice of the Foreign Secretary , David Miliband , on 25 June 2008 "as a mark of revulsion at the abuse of human rights and abject disregard for the democratic process in Zimbabwe over which President Mugabe has presided." Honorary members do not count towards the numerical limits in each class. In addition,

1558-542: The Niagara River , leaving only 1,000 regular troops as its garrison. Nevertheless, Drummond would require reinforcements to mount a successful attack on the strongly fortified town, and the Governor General of Canada, Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost , refused to provide these. Instead, Drummond and Yeo decided to attack the smaller post at Fort Ontario . This fort, with the nearby village of Oswego, New York ,

1640-742: The Order of the Garter ). Foreign generals are also often given honorary appointments to the Order, for example: Marshal Ferdinand Foch and Marshal Joseph Joffre during the First World War ; Marshal Georgy Zhukov , King Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia , General Dwight D. Eisenhower , General George C. Marshall , General Douglas MacArthur , and General George S. Patton Jr. during the Second World War ; and General Norman Schwarzkopf and General Colin Powell after

1722-472: The (dormant) Order of St Patrick . In the Middle Ages , a knighthood was often conferred with elaborate ceremonies. These usually involved the knight-to-be taking a bath (possibly symbolic of spiritual purification ), during which he was instructed in the duties of knighthood by more senior knights. He was then put to bed to dry. Clothed in a special robe, he was led with music to the chapel where he spent

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1804-434: The 1859 revision. Women were admitted to the Order in 1971. In the 1971 New Year Honours , Jean Nunn became the first woman admitted to the order. In 1975, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester , an aunt of Elizabeth II , became the first woman to reach the highest rank, Dame Grand Cross. Princess Alice (née Douglas-Montagu-Scott) was a direct descendant of the Order's first Great Master, and her husband, who had died

1886-471: The American encampments. When Wilkinson set off down the Saint Lawrence, Mulcaster hastened to Kingston with the news and then sailed in pursuit with armed schooners and gunboats , with a detachment of soldiers commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Wanton Morrison embarked. On 11 November Mulcaster's gunboats helped goad Wilkinson into a hasty attack against Morrison which led to the American defeat at

1968-485: The Americans under Commodore Isaac Chauncey had completed their own, more powerful, frigates, Yeo's squadron would be outclassed. Lieutenant General Sir Gordon Drummond , the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada , suggested using the interval during which Yeo's squadron was stronger than Chauncey's to attack the main American harbour and base at Sackett's Harbor, New York . Most of its garrison had marched off to

2050-701: The Bath". George I constituted the Knights of the Bath as a regular military order . He did not revive the order, which did not previously exist, in the sense of a body of knights governed by a set of statutes and whose numbers were replenished when vacancies occurred. The Order consists of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom (currently King Charles III ), the Great Master (currently William, Prince of Wales ), and three Classes of members: Members belong to either

2132-459: The British captured "about 60 men, half of them severely wounded". Another British report, however, said that only 25 American soldiers and 1 "civilian" (possibly a militiaman) were captured. Still another British account said that 1 officer and 20 enlisted men of the Americans were found dead on the battlefield. The British gathered 2,400 barrels of useful supplies of all description; flour, pork, salt, bread and ordnance stores. They also captured

2214-701: The British monarch and foreigners may be made honorary members. Queen Elizabeth II established the custom of appointing visiting (republican) heads of state honorary GCBs, for example Gustav Heinemann and Josip Broz Tito (in 1972), Ronald Reagan (in 1989), Lech Wałęsa (in 1991), Censu Tabone (in 1992), Fernando Henrique Cardoso , George H. W. Bush (in 1993), Nicolas Sarkozy (in 2008), and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (in 2012), as well as Turkish President Abdullah Gül , Slovenian President Danilo Türk , Mexican President Felipe Calderón , and South African President Jacob Zuma (royal heads of state are instead usually made Stranger Knights and Ladies Companion of

2296-620: The Civil Division or the Military Division. Knight Companion (KB), the order's only class prior to 1815, is no longer an option. Commonwealth citizens who are not subjects of the British monarch and foreign nationals may be made honorary members. The Order of the Bath is the fourth most senior of the British orders of chivalry , after the Order of the Garter , the Order of the Thistle , and

2378-675: The Garter equivalent (the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod ) perform any duties in the House of Lords . There were originally seven officers, each of whom was to receive fees from the Knights Companion both on appointment, and annually thereafter. The office of Messenger was abolished in 1859. The office of Genealogist was abolished at the same time, but revived in 1913. The offices of Registrar and Secretary were formally merged in 1859, although

2460-460: The Genealogist, Brunswick Herald of Arms to the Gentleman Usher, and Bath King of Arms was also made Gloucester King of Arms with heraldic jurisdiction over Wales. This was the result of a move by Anstis to give the holders of these sinecures greater security; the offices of the Order of the Bath were held at the pleasure of the Great Master, while appointments to the heraldic offices were made by

2542-621: The King under the Great Seal and were for life. Members of the Order wear elaborate uniforms on important occasions (such as its quadrennial installation ceremonies and coronations ), which vary by rank: The mantle , worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is made of crimson satin lined with white taffeta . On the left side is a representation of the star (see below). The mantle is bound with two large tassels. The hat , worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dames Commander,

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2624-462: The Knights of the Bath, as well as the colour of the riband and mantle , and the ceremony for creating a knight. The rest of the statutes were mostly based on those of the Order of the Garter, of which he was an officer (as Garter King of Arms). The Order was founded by letters patent under the Great Seal dated 18 May 1725 ; 299 years ago  ( 1725-05-18 ) , and the statutes issued

2706-528: The Maltese cross; the star for civil Knights and Dames Commander is an eight-pointed silver cross pattée. The design of each is the same as the design of the military stars, except that the laurel branches and the words Ich dien are excluded. The badge varies in design, size, and manner of wearing by rank and division. The Knight and Dame Grand Cross' badge is larger than the Knight and Dame Commander's badge, which

2788-604: The Military Division, to Commissariat and Medical officers serving with the Army and Navy , including those serving with the East India Company . In 1859, a further edition of the Statutes was issued; the changes related mainly to the costs associated with the Order. Prior to this date, it had been the policy that the insignia (which were provided by the Crown) were to be returned on

2870-441: The Order are usually senior military officers or senior civil servants , and the monarch awards it on the advice of His Majesty's Government. The name derives from an elaborate medieval ceremony for preparing a candidate to receive his knighthood , of which ritual bathing (as a symbol of purification ) was an element. While not all knights went through such an elaborate ceremony, knights so created were known as "knights of

2952-461: The Order for members who had been appointed for the services in the recent war. The fees were abolished, and replaced with a salary of approximately the same average value. The offices of Genealogist and Messenger were abolished, and those of Registrar and Secretary combined. In 1910, after his accession to the throne, George V ordered the revival of the Installation ceremony, perhaps prompted by

3034-485: The Order of the Bath was probably that which it in fact secured, of ingratiating him with the all-powerful Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole. The use of honours in the early eighteenth century differed considerably from the modern honours system , in which hundreds, if not thousands, of people each year receive honours on the basis of deserving accomplishments. The only honours available at that time were hereditary (not life) peerages and baronetcies , knighthoods , and

3116-399: The Order of the Garter (or the Order of the Thistle for Scots), none of which were awarded in large numbers (the Garter and the Thistle are limited to twenty-four and sixteen living members respectively). The political environment was also significantly different from today: The Sovereign still exercised a power to be reckoned with in the eighteenth century. The Court remained the centre of

3198-420: The Order were increasingly made for naval , military , or diplomatic achievements. This is partly due to the conflicts Britain was engaged in over this period. The Peninsular War resulted in so many deserving candidates for the Bath, that a statute was issued allowing the appointment of Extra Knights in time of war, who were to be additional to the numerical limits imposed by the statutes, and whose number

3280-673: The Order's collar over their military uniform or evening wear. When collars are worn (either on collar days or on formal occasions such as coronations), the badge is suspended from the collar. The collars and badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross are returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood upon the decease of their owners. All other insignia may be retained by their owners. Raid on Fort Oswego East Coast Great Lakes / Saint Lawrence River West Indies / Gulf Coast Pacific Ocean The Battle of Fort Ontario

3362-457: The U.S. regular troops only, stated the loss as 6 killed, 38 wounded and 25 missing. Captain Rufus McIntire of the 3rd U.S. Artillery reported to an associate, "Our loss is five killed, 28 wounded, 3 since dead, about 24 prisoners and 11 missing. Lt. [Daniel] Blaney killed and only one other officer slightly wounded." General Drummond's report of the engagement to Sir George Prevost stated that

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3444-569: The colonists' side in the American War of Independence . Having lost his substantial property in America, he left with the evacuation of New York City and sailed to England with his wife and family in 1783. Mulcaster and his wife Sophia had at least seven children, but only four survived into adulthood. His two surviving sons, William Edward Mulcaster (1820–1887) and William Sydney Smith Mulcaster (1825–1910), both became generals. In 1831 he received

3526-559: The commanding officer of the Regiment de Watteville, was in charge of the landing. Opposed to them was an American force of 242 officers and enlisted men of the 3rd U.S. Regiment of Artillery, 25 sailors of the U.S. Navy, and about 200 of the New York Militia, under the command of Major George Mitchell of the 3rd Artillery. Mitchell attempted a ruse by pitching large numbers of tents near the village to exaggerate his numbers. The fort

3608-461: The death of the holder; the exception had been foreigners who had been awarded honorary membership. In addition, foreigners had usually been provided with stars made of silver and diamonds, whereas ordinary members had only embroidered stars. The decision was made to award silver stars to all members, and only require the return of the Collar . The Crown had also been paying the fees due to the officers of

3690-684: The engagement, signed by Yeo, gave 3 killed and 10 wounded for the Navy and 6 killed and 27 wounded for the Royal Marines. This would give a grand total of either 18 killed and 69 wounded or 17 killed and 63 wounded, depending upon whether the Army or Navy casualty list is correct for the Royal Marines' losses. Captain Mulcaster was seriously wounded by grapeshot, losing a leg. The American losses are hard to determine. Mitchell's casualty return, which apparently included

3772-426: The fact that the Bath was represented as a military Order, only a few military officers were among the initial appointments (see List of knights companion of the Order of the Bath ). They may be broken down into categories as follows (some are classified in more than one category): The majority of the new Knights Companions were knighted by the King, and invested with their ribands and badges on 27 May 1725. Although

3854-473: The first Installation ceremony of the more junior Order of St Michael and St George , held a few years earlier, and the building of a new chapel for the Order of the Thistle in 1911. The Installation ceremony took place on 22 July 1913 in the Henry VII Chapel , and Installations have been held at regular intervals since. Prior to the 1913 Installation, it was necessary to adapt the chapel to accommodate

3936-403: The following week. The Order initially consisted of the Sovereign, a Prince of the blood Royal as Principal Knight, a Great Master, and thirty-five Knights Companion. Seven officers (see below) were attached to the Order. These provided yet another opportunity for political patronage, as they were to be sinecures at the disposal of the Great Master, supported by fees from the knights. Despite

4018-597: The fort, barracks and stores which could not be moved. The British withdrew at about four o'clock in the morning on 7 May. The British had missed twenty-one more guns which had still been en route to Oswego, and were 12 miles (19 km) away at Oswego Falls . Rather than launch an expedition up the Oswego River, Yeo mounted a blockade of Sackett's Harbor to prevent them reaching Chauncey. The Americans tried to move them to Sackett's Harbor in launches and small boats but were intercepted. British marines and sailors then mounted

4100-569: The fort. As the attackers reached the top of the glacis , the defenders abandoned the fort and fled. The official British Army casualty return, signed by Lieutenant Colonel John Harvey , the Deputy Adjutant-General, gave 7 killed and 33 wounded for the 2nd Battalion, Royal Marines, 8 killed and 17 wounded for the Regiment de Watteville and 9 wounded for the Glengarry Light Infantry. The separate Royal Navy casualty return for

4182-498: The full ceremonies were restricted to major royal occasions, such as coronations, investitures of the Prince of Wales or royal dukes , and royal weddings, and the knights so created became known as Knights of the Bath . Knights Bachelor continued to be created with the simpler form of ceremony. The last occasion on which Knights of the Bath were created was the coronation of Charles II in 1661. From at least 1625, and possibly from

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4264-458: The landing force and set out from Kingston late on 3 May. They arrived off Oswego early in the morning, on 5 May. The troops prepared to land shortly after midday, but a southerly breeze sprang up, which made it impossible for Yeo's ships to get close enough to the shore to provide support from their guns. That evening, a storm blew up, forcing the British squadron to withdraw for the night. The British squadron returned to Oswego at eleven o'clock

4346-493: The larger number of members. An appeal was made to the members of the Order, and following the Installation a surplus remained. A Committee was formed from the Officers to administer the 'Bath Chapel Fund', and over time this committee has come to consider other matters than purely financial ones. Another revision of the statutes of the Order was undertaken in 1925, to consolidate the 41 additional statutes which had been issued since

4428-404: The marks of distinction which they have so nobly earned. The Order was now to consist of three classes: Knights Grand Cross, Knights Commander, and Companions. At the same time, the large and small Naval Gold Medals were suspended, while the bearers became Knights Commander and Companions, respectively. The existing Knights Companion (of which there were 60) became Knight Grand Cross; this class

4510-399: The motto was Tria numina juncta in uno (three powers/gods joined in one), but from the reign of James I, the word numina was dropped, and the motto understood to mean Tria [regna] juncta in uno (three kingdoms joined in one). The prime mover in the establishment of the Order of the Bath was John Anstis , Garter King of Arms , England's highest heraldic officer. Sir Anthony Wagner ,

4592-400: The new Order for Walpole was that it would provide a source of such favours to strengthen his political position. He made sure that most of the 36 new honorees were peers and MPs who would provide him with useful connections. George I having agreed to Walpole's proposal, Anstis was commissioned to draft statutes for the Order of the Bath. As noted above, he adopted the motto and badge used by

4674-709: The next morning, and the landing proceeded. The landing force consisted of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Marines under Lieutenant Colonel James Malcolm , a company of the Glengarry Light Infantry under Captain Alexander MacMillan, a company of the Regiment de Watteville and a detachment of 200 sailors armed with boarding pikes under Captain William Mulcaster . Four more companies of the Regiment de Watteville were in reserve. Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fischer,

4756-418: The night in a vigil . At dawn, he made confession and attended Mass , then retired to his bed to sleep until it was fully daylight. He was then brought before the King, who after instructing two senior knights to buckle the spurs to the knight-elect's heels, fastened a belt around his waist, then struck him on the neck (with either a hand or a sword ), thus making him a knight. It was this accolade which

4838-476: The opportunity also taken to regularise the 1815 expansion of the Order. The 1847 statutes also abolished all the medieval ritual, but they did introduce a formal Investiture ceremony, conducted by the Sovereign wearing the Mantle and insignia of the Order, attended by the Officers and as many GCBs as possible, in their Mantles. In 1850, a special statute authorised appointments of Knight Commander and Companion, in

4920-458: The order and is responsible for enforcing the statutes. The statutes also provide for the following: Regular membership is limited to citizens of the United Kingdom and of other Commonwealth countries of which the British monarch is Sovereign. Appointees are usually officers of the armed forces or senior civil servants, such as permanent secretaries . Members appointed to the Civil Division must "by their personal services to [the] crown or by

5002-607: The performance of public duties have merited ... royal favour." Appointments to the Military Division are restricted by the minimum rank of the individual. GCBs hold the rank of admiral in the Royal Navy, general in the British Army or Royal Marines , or air chief marshal in the Royal Air Force . KCBs must at least hold the rank of vice admiral , lieutenant general in the Army or Marines, or air marshal . CBs tend be of

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5084-522: The political world. The King was limited in that he had to choose Ministers who could command a majority in Parliament , but the choice remained his. The leader of an administration still had to command the King's personal confidence and approval. A strong following in Parliament depended on being able to supply places, pensions, and other marks of Royal favour to the government's supporters. The attraction of

5166-450: The prestige of the Order. In 1847, Queen Victoria issued new statutes eliminating all references to an exclusively military Order. As well as removing the word 'Military' from the full name of the Order, this opened up the grades of Knight Commander and Companion to civil appointments, and the Military and Civil Divisions of the Order were established. New numerical limits were imposed, and

5248-456: The previous year, had also held that office. The second Dame Grand Cross, Sally Davies , was appointed in the 2020 New Year Honours . The British Sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order of the Bath. As with all honours, except those in the Sovereign's personal gift, the Sovereign makes all appointments to the Order on the advice of the Government . The next-most senior member of the Order

5330-441: The rank of rear admiral , major general in the Army, Royal Navy or Royal Marines, or air vice marshal in the Royal Air Force, and in addition must have been Mentioned in Despatches for distinction in a command position in a combat situation, although the latter is no longer a requirement. Non-line officers (e.g. engineers , medics) may be appointed only for meritorious service in wartime. Commonwealth citizens not subjects of

5412-404: The reign of James I , Knights of the Bath were using the motto Tria juncta in uno ( Latin for 'Three joined in one'), and wearing as a badge three crowns within a plain gold oval. These were both subsequently adopted by the Order of the Bath; a similar design of badge is still worn by members of the Civil Division. Their symbolism however is not entirely clear. The 'three joined in one' may be

5494-420: The statutes allow the Sovereign to exceed the limits in time of war or other exceptional circumstances. The office of Dean is held by the Dean of Westminster . The King of Arms, responsible for heraldry , is known as Bath King of Arms; he is not, however, a member of the College of Arms , like many heralds. The Order's Usher is known as the Gentleman Usher of the Scarlet Rod ; he does not, unlike his Order of

5576-405: The statutes set out the full medieval ceremony which was to be used for creating knights, this was not performed, and indeed, was possibly never intended to be, as the original statutes contained a provision allowing the Great Master to dispense Knights Companion from these requirements. The original knights were dispensed from all the medieval ceremonies with the exception of the Installation, which

5658-421: The troops landed in deep water and their ammunition was soaked and made useless. Nevertheless, they fixed their bayonets and advanced under heavy fire. While the company of the Glengarry Light Infantry cleared woods to the left of the main attack and the sailors advanced on the village, the main body of the troops made a frontal attack against the fort. American foot soldiers drawn up on the glacis fell back into

5740-402: The two positions had been held concurrently for the previous century. An Officer of Arms and a Secretary for the Knights Commander and Companions were established in 1815, but abolished in 1847. The office of Deputy Secretary was created in 1925. Under the Hanoverian kings, certain of the officers also held heraldic office. The office of Blanc Coursier Herald of Arms was attached to that of

5822-399: Was a daughter of the Reverend Samuel Auchmuty DD (1725–1777), the Rector of Trinity Church, New York. It seems likely that he was named after General Sir William Howe , whom his father came to know as his ADC , when serving in North America. His elder half-brother was Lt-Gen Sir Frederick William Mulcaster (1772–1846), born in Florida. The family returned to England together in 1778. William

5904-521: Was a partially successful British raid on Fort Ontario and the village of Oswego, New York on May 6, 1814 during the War of 1812 . During the early months of 1814, while Lake Ontario was frozen, the British and American naval squadrons had been building two frigates each, with which to contest command of the lake during the coming campaigning season. The British under Commodore Sir James Lucas Yeo were first to complete their frigates on 14 April, but when

5986-756: Was a vital staging point on the American supply route from New York . Ordnance, food and other supplies were carried up the Mohawk River and across Lake Oneida , to Oswego, before making the final leg of the journey across the southeast corner of Lake Ontario to Sackett's Harbor . Drummond and Yeo had reliable information that the garrison of the fort numbered only 290 regulars, and believed that thirty or more heavy guns intended for Chauncey's ships under construction at Sackett's Harbor were waiting there. They planned, by capturing Oswego, to capture these guns and thereby retain Yeo's advantage over Chauncey. Yeo's squadron embarked

6068-582: Was also to appoint eight officers for this body. However, the statute was never invoked. In January 1815, after the end of the Peninsular War , the Prince Regent (later George IV ) expanded the Order of the Bath to the end that those Officers who have had the opportunities of signalising themselves by eminent services during the late war may share in the honours of the said Order, and that their names may be delivered down to remote posterity, accompanied by

6150-524: Was baptised in Saint Helier , Jersey , Channel Islands on 30 October 1783. Mulcaster was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy in January 1800. In 1809, he was serving as a lieutenant in the sixth-rate vessel HMS  Confiance . One of his fellow officers was his future commander, James Lucas Yeo . Confiance played a significant part in the capture of Cayenne , for which Mulcaster received

6232-452: Was in a state of disrepair, but the delay imposed on the landing had allowed the defenders to shift extra guns to face the lake, with a total of five guns in a battery in the fort: one 9-pounder and four 4 or 6-pounders. While the two British frigates (HMS Prince Regent and Princess Charlotte ) engaged the fort, the guns of six sloops and brigs swept the woods and landing beaches. The British landed at about two o'clock. Almost all

6314-456: Was limited to 72 members, of which twelve could be appointed for civil or diplomatic services. The military members had to be of the rank of at least major-general or rear admiral . The Knights Commander were limited to 180, exclusive of foreign nationals holding British commissions, up to ten of whom could be appointed as honorary Knights Commander. They had to be of the rank of lieutenant-colonel or post-captain . The number of Companions

6396-545: Was nominated a Companion of the Order of the Bath . In October 1814, he married Sophia Sawyer Van Cortlandt (1789–1841), the youngest daughter of Colonel Philip Van Cortlandt (1739–1814) and Catherine Ogden (1746–1828) and a descendant of Stephanus Van Cortlandt , the first native born Mayor of New York City and the Schuyler family , at Duloe in Cornwall. Colonel Van Cortlandt was an American of Dutch descent who had refused to take

6478-517: Was not specified, but they had to have received a medal or been mentioned in despatches since the start of the war in 1803. A list of about 500 names was subsequently published. Two further officers were appointed, an 'Officer of arms attendant on the Knights Commanders and Companions', and a 'Secretary appertaining to the Knights Commanders and Companions'. The large increase in numbers caused some complaints that such an expansion would reduce

6560-427: Was not subject to any restrictions. Another statute, this one issued some 80 years earlier, had also added a military note to the Order. Each knight was required, under certain circumstances, to supply and support four men-at-arms for a period not exceeding 42 days in any year, to serve in any part of Great Britain. This company was to be captained by the Great Master, who had to supply four trumpeters , and

6642-464: Was performed in the Order's Chapel, the Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey , on 17 June. This precedent was followed until 1812, after which the Installation was also dispensed with, until its revival in the twentieth century. The ceremonies however remained part of the Statutes until 1847. Although the initial appointments to the Order were largely political, from the 1770s, appointments to

6724-407: Was the essential act in creating a knight, and a simpler ceremony developed, conferring knighthood merely by striking or touching the knight-to-be on the shoulder with a sword, or 'dubbing' him, as is still done today. In the early medieval period, the difference seems to have been that the full ceremonies were used for men from more prominent families. From the coronation of Henry IV in 1399,

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