Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事！
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath(Civil Division)
The “Greys” Cigarettes Cards British Orders of Chivalry & Valour 1939 Series Set No.5
Admiral Alexander Milne, with The Most Honourable Order of the Bath(Civil Division), source: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Prince Albert, with the Order of the Bath (Military Division), source: Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas , published in London, 1842.
Item number: M19
Year: AD 1725-present (AD 2024)
Material: Gold
Size: 124 x 43 mm
Weight: 37.25 g
Provenance: Liverpool Medals 2022
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I on 18 May AD 1725.
The Order’s title (Bath) refers to a part of the elaborate medieval ceremony which preceded the appointing of a knight. Except on the battlefield, the honour of knighthood was not conferred until the candidates had prepared themselves first by cleansing their body – immersing themselves in a bath and then by purifying their soul through fasting, vigils, and prayer.
The Order of the Bath was founded as a regular military order on the advice of the first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole (in office AD 1721-42), who saw the Order’s potential as a source for political rewards. The Order was instituted with a single class known as Knight Companion (KB), with 35 appointments available.
The Statutes set out 7 officers within the Order, including the roles of Sovereign and Great Master; the first of whom was John Montagu, second Duke of Montagu and Principal Knight Companion. These original knights were mainly supporters of Walpole, either in the House of Lords or the Commons. However, this practice for awarding the Order as compensation for political support soon ceased, and it is now conferred as a reward either for outstanding military service or exemplary civilian merit.The Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey was designated the official Chapel of the Order and the first installation of Knights took place in the Chapel on the 21st June AD 1725. The installation of armorial Chapel Stall plates was included in the ceremony; a tradition that still takes place today.
The ceremonies of bathing, vigils, and fasting, although meticulously described in the Statutes of the Order, have never been performed.
Prior to AD 1815, the order had only a single class – Knight Companion. In AD 1815 the Prince Regent (later George IV) found it necessary to reward many distinguished Army and Naval Officers at the end of the Napoleonic Wars and decided to expand the Order from a single class to three classes; Knight Grand Cross, Knight Commander, and Companion. The Order went through a further restructure in AD 1847 when Queen Victoria issued new Statutes for the Order to reflect the “altered state and circumstances of society.” The word “military” was removed from the title of the Order and civilian appointments were made to all levels.
Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GCB; Knights Commander use KCB; Dames Commander use DCB; Companions use CB.
This order features 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 sides are surrounded by a ring bearing the motto of the Order: “Tria juncta in uno”(three joined in one) .
Tallinn museum, The Most Honourable Order of the Bath tallinnmuseum.com/project/the-most-honourable-order-of-the-bath/
Central Chancery. The Most Honourable Order of the Bath www.centralchancery.org.uk/orders-of-chivalry/the-most-honourable-order-of-the-bath/
Wawards. The Most Honourable Order of the Bath wawards.org/en/united-kingdom/orders-of-knighthood/the-most-honourable-order-of-the-bath.html
Perkins, Jocelyn (1920). The Most Honourable Order of the Bath : a descriptive and historical account (2nd ed.). London: Faith Press. archive.org/details/mosthonourableor00perkrich/page/2/mode/1up
Anstis, John (1752). Observations introductory to an historical essay, upon the Knighthood of the Bath books.google.com.tw/books?id=pQZcAAAAcAAJ&redir_esc=y
Risk, James C. (1972). The History of the Order of the Bath and its Insignia. London: Spink & Son. archive.org/details/bwb_W6-BUH-338/page/n17/mode/1up
National Maritime Museum. Walter William Ouless, Admiral Alexander Milne www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-14336
Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas , History of the Orders of Knighthood of the British Empire,of the order of the Guelphs of Hanover; and of the medals, clasps, and crosses, conferred for naval and military service, Volume iii, published in London, 1842.
